TV viewing habits and body mass index among South Carolina Head Start children.

The present study tested the hypothesis that TV viewing habits and overweight would be associated among 4-year-old children. A convenience sample of Head Start students was enrolled (N=148). Parents were asked to complete a questionnaire on their children's TV viewing habits for a typical weekday, and for Saturday and Sunday. Height and weight of the children were assessed by the authors. As BMI increased, average hours of TV viewing increased slightly. Nearly 97% of children whose BMI was greater than the 95th percentile for age and sex watched more than one hour of TV, compared with less than 80% of children below the 95th percentile (chi2=6.0, P=.01). The present study suggests that TV viewing habits relate to BMI among 4-year old children to approximately the same degree as in older cohorts.