Television viewing and rise in mental problems....doctor.ndtv.com

Television viewing and rise in mental problems

Pediatrics,
October 2010

More than two hours a day spent watching television or playing computer games could put a child at greater risk for psychological problems.

We know that physical activity is good for both physical and mental health in children and there is some evidence that screen viewing is associated with negative behaviour. However, it isn't clear whether having high physical activity levels could 'compensate' for high levels of screen viewing in children.

Researchers studied more than 1,000 children between the ages of 10 and 11 years in the UK. Over seven days, the children filled out a questionnaire reporting how much time they spent daily in front of a television or computer and answering questions describing their mental state - including emotional, behavioral, and peer-related problems. Meanwhile, an accelerometer measured their physical activity.

The odds of significant psychological difficulties were about 60 percent higher for children spending longer than two hours a day in front of either screen compared with kids exposed to less screen time. For children with more than two hours of both types of screen time during the day, the odds more than doubled. The effect was seen regardless of sex, age, stage of puberty, or level of educational or economic deprivation.

Psychological problems further increased if kids fell short of an hour of moderate to rigorous daily exercise in addition to the increased screen time. However, physical activity did not appear to compensate for the psychological consequences of screen time. The researchers also found that sedentary time itself was not related to mental wellbeing.

It is important to limit television viewing to about an hour per day, or a reduction of at least 50 percent from a kid's starting screen time. This budgeting of children's screen time has profound positive effects on their families' lives.

(Monday, October 18, 2010)

 

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