Abstract
Background: Over the past 30 years, the prevalence of children obesity has increased. Watching television is associated with obesity, because of eating during viewing and eating highly advertised foods and poor fitness.
Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of television viewing and using computer on pediatric obesity in three different environments: Town and village.
Methods: Data were collected from 2 grammar-schools (in the town and the village). Short questionnaires were used to gather data on the time spent by watching TV, using computer during a weekday and weekend. Height and weight were measured by using standard methods and were used to calculate BMI (the weight in kilograms divided by the height in meters squared).
Results: In total 591 children (aged 14–16 years) were included in the analyses, 299 boys and 292 girls, and 327 in the town (group 1) and 264 in the village (group 2). Overall, 12,8% of children had a BMI at or above the 85th percentile, and 1/3 these kids (3,9%) had at or above the 95th percentile. Rates were lower for group1: 10,3% and 2,14%; group2: 15,9% - 85th and 6% - 95th. More village children (group2: n=178 vs group1: n=33) watched television longer than 2h per day and spend more than 2h using computer (group2: n=113 vs group1: n=64), and these findings were related to higher BMI.
Conclusions: Television viewing and using computer were longer in children, who live in the village. In the village there were more children, who had a BMI at or above 85th and 95th percentile. Time spent watching television and using computer was significantly associated with obesity and was related to setting.
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Sybilski, A., Lagun, A., Szpyruk, B. et al. 365 Effect of Watching Television and Using Computer on Obesity in 14–16-Year-Old Children Living in Two Different Settings.. Pediatr Res 58, 417 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-200508000-00394
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-200508000-00394
