Carol Maher1, Tim S Olds, Joey C Eisenmann, James Dollman. 1. Health and Use of Time Group, Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia. carol.maher@unisa.edu.au
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Both reduced moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and increased screen time have been implicated in the aetiology of childhood overweight/obesity. This study aimed to determine which behaviour had the stronger association with overweight/obesity. METHOD: 2200 randomly selected 9- to 16-year-old Australians provided four 24-h use-of-time recalls. Participants were classified into weight status categories and as high or low physical active, and high or low screen time according to Australian guidelines (≥60 min MVPA; ≤120 min recreational screen time daily). Multivariate logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratios (OR) for overweight/obesity for each screen time and MVPA category. RESULTS: Increased likelihood of overweight or obese was often associated with high screen time (ORs, 2.13-2.55 for boys and 1.47-1.72 for girls), but only sometimes and less strongly associated with low MVPA (ORs, 0.49-2.55 for boys and 1.06-1.47 for girls). Analyses conducted for combined screen time and MVPA categories showed screen time to be a stronger indicator of weight status than physical activity, especially in boys. CONCLUSION: Overweight and obesity were more strongly associated with screen time than physical activity. Screen time may be an important target for interventions aimed at reducing childhood overweight and obesity.
BACKGROUND: Both reduced moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and increased screen time have been implicated in the aetiology of childhood overweight/obesity. This study aimed to determine which behaviour had the stronger association with overweight/obesity. METHOD: 2200 randomly selected 9- to 16-year-old Australians provided four 24-h use-of-time recalls. Participants were classified into weight status categories and as high or low physical active, and high or low screen time according to Australian guidelines (≥60 min MVPA; ≤120 min recreational screen time daily). Multivariate logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratios (OR) for overweight/obesity for each screen time and MVPA category. RESULTS: Increased likelihood of overweight or obese was often associated with high screen time (ORs, 2.13-2.55 for boys and 1.47-1.72 for girls), but only sometimes and less strongly associated with low MVPA (ORs, 0.49-2.55 for boys and 1.06-1.47 for girls). Analyses conducted for combined screen time and MVPA categories showed screen time to be a stronger indicator of weight status than physical activity, especially in boys. CONCLUSION: Overweight and obesity were more strongly associated with screen time than physical activity. Screen time may be an important target for interventions aimed at reducing childhood overweight and obesity.
Authors: Simone Pettigrew; Jean Michel Borys; Hugues Ruault du Plessis; Lea Walter; Terry T-K Huang; Jeffrey Levi; Jan Vinck Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2014-07-28 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Irene Braithwaite; Alistair W Stewart; Robert J Hancox; Richard Beasley; Rinki Murphy; Edwin A Mitchell Journal: PLoS One Date: 2013-09-25 Impact factor: 3.240