Association of Family Environment with Children's Television Viewing and with Low Level of Physical Activity
- 1 November 2005
- journal article
- Published by Wiley in Obesity Research
- Vol. 13 (11), 1939-1951
- https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2005.239
Abstract
Objective: This study examined associations between the family environment and children\u27s television (TV) viewing and likelihood of being low-active. Research Methods and Procedures: In 2001, children were recruited from 19 primary schools in Melbourne, Australia. Parents completed a questionnaire about their child\u27s TV viewing and the family environment. Children also completed a questionnaire and wore an accelerometer for 8 days. Movement counts were used to identify low-active children (lowest quartile). Data were analyzed in May 2004. Results: The sample consisted of 878 children (mean age = 11.5 0.6 yrs). Multiple logistic regression revealed that socioeconomic status [adjusted odds ratios (AOR) = 0.4 boys], frequency families watched TV together (AOR = 2.0 boys), mothers\u27 (AOR = 1.8 boys; AOR = 2.5 girls) and fathers\u27 (AOR = 2.6 boys; AOR = 2.8 girls) TV viewing, and rules prohibiting TV during mealtimes (AOR = 0.6 boys; AOR = 0.6 girls) related to children watching TV 2 h/d. Variables associated with low-level physical activity included self-reported enjoyment of Internet use (AOR = 1.7 boys) and preference for watching TV (AOR = 2.3 girls), perception that mother uses computer a lot (AOR = 1.9 boys) and likes using the computer (AOR = 0.6 girls), fathers\u27 reported computer/electronic games use (AOR = 1.7 girls), frequency families used computer together (AOR = 0.4 girls), rules that TV viewing must be supervised (AOR = 1.9 boys; AOR = 0.6 girls), and having pay TV (AOR = 0.6 boys) and electronic games at home (AOR = 2.6 boys). Discussion: These findings suggest that the relationships between the family environment and TV viewing and low-level activity are complex and that these behaviors are distinct. <br /Keywords
This publication has 44 references indexed in Scilit:
- Maternal education and child nutritional status in Bolivia: finding the linksSocial Science & Medicine (1982), 2005
- Physical Activity and Television Viewing in Relation to Risk of Undiagnosed Abnormal Glucose Metabolism in AdultsDiabetes Care, 2004
- Relationships between media use, body fatness and physical activity in children and youth: a meta-analysisInternational Journal of Obesity, 2004
- Physical activity and sedentary behavior: A population-based study of barriers, enjoyment, and preference.Health Psychology, 2003
- Children, Adolescents, and TelevisionPEDIATRICS, 2001
- The association between television viewing and overweight among Australian adults participating in varying levels of leisure-time physical activityInternational Journal of Obesity, 2000
- Sociocultural Determinants of Physical Activity among ChildrenPreventive Medicine, 1999
- The role of lifestyle in health: the epidemiology and consequences of inactivityProceedings of the Nutrition Society, 1996
- Translating Social Ecological Theory into Guidelines for Community Health PromotionAmerican Journal of Health Promotion, 1996
- Cognition and behavior in studies of choice.Psychological Review, 1986