The Association between Children’s and Parents’ Co-TV Viewing and Their Total Screen Time in Six European Countries: Cross-Sectional Data from the Feel4diabetes-Study

Julie Latomme, Vicky Van Stappen, Greet Cardon, Philip J. Morgan, Mina Lateva, Nevena Chakarova, Jemina Kivelä, Jaana Lindström, Odysseas Androutsos, Esther M. González-Gil, Pilar De Miguel-Etayo, Anna Nánási, László R. Kolozsvári, Yannis Manios and Marieke De Craemer
Additional contact information
Julie Latomme: Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Vicky Van Stappen: Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Greet Cardon: Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Philip J. Morgan: PRCPAN (Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition), School of Education, University of Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2308, Australia
Mina Lateva: Clinic of Paediatric Endocrinology, Medical University Varna, 9002 Varna, Bulgaria
Nevena Chakarova: Clinical Center of Endocrinology, Medical University of Sofia, 1431 Sofia, Bulgaria
Jemina Kivelä: National Institute for Health and Welfare, 00271 Helsinki, Finland
Jaana Lindström: National Institute for Health and Welfare, 00271 Helsinki, Finland
Odysseas Androutsos: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Science & Education, Harokopio University, 176 76 Athens, Greece
Esther M. González-Gil: GENUD (Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development), University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Pilar De Miguel-Etayo: GENUD (Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development), University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Anna Nánási: Department of Family and Occupational Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debreceni Egyetem (UoD), 4002 Debrecen, Hungary
László R. Kolozsvári: Department of Family and Occupational Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debreceni Egyetem (UoD), 4002 Debrecen, Hungary
Yannis Manios: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Science & Education, Harokopio University, 176 76 Athens, Greece
Marieke De Craemer: Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 11, 1-18

Abstract: In many European children, high levels of screen time can be found, which is associated with several adverse health outcomes. Therefore, there is a need for identifying effective intervention strategies that reduce screen time in children. A factor that may contribute to excessive screen time in children may be “co-TV viewing” (i.e., the time that parents and children spend on watching TV together), as parents often recognize the importance of limiting children’s (individual) screen time, but often encourage TV viewing as a family because of its perceived benefits (e.g., educational purposes). The primary aim of this study was to investigate the (sex-specific) association between co-TV viewing and both children’s and parents’ screen time, and these associations were investigated across and within six European countries. In total, 10,969 parents (Mean age = 40.7 ± 5.3 years, Mean BMI = 24.4 ± 4.6) of primary school children (Mean age = 8.2 ± 1.0 years, 49.0% boys, Mean BMI = 17.3 ± 2.8) completed a questionnaire assessing co-TV viewing and screen time. Multilevel regression analyses were conducted. Across countries, positive associations were found between co-TV viewing and both children’s (β = 11.85, SE = 3.69, p < 0.001) and parents’ screen time (β = 14.47, SE = 4.43, p = 0.001). Similar associations were found in most (but not all) countries. The results suggest that targeting co-TV viewing might be a promising intervention strategy because of its potential to limit screen time of both children and parents.

Keywords: screen time; co-TV viewing; childhood obesity; overweight; parents; children; sedentary behaviour (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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