Are screen-based sedentary behaviors longitudinally associated with dietary behaviors and leisure-time physical activity in the transition into adolescence?

Abstract

BackgroundThere is a need for more longitudinal studies investigating the associations between screen-based sedentary behaviors (SB), dietary behaviors and leisure-time physical activity (PA).MethodsIn the HEIA cohort study, 908 children were followed from age 11 to age 13 (September 2007 – May 2009). The children self-reported their intake of fruits, vegetables, soft drinks with sugar and snacks. TV/DVD use, computer/game use and leisure-time PA were also self-reported. Multilevel generalized linear mixed model analysis was used to assess longitudinal associations between the screen-based SB and each of the two other behaviors.ResultsTwenty-month changes in TV/DVD use and computer/game use were positively associated with changes in the consumption of soft drinks with sugar and unhealthy snacks in the same period; and inversely associated with change in vegetable consumption. Change in computer/game use was also inversely related to change in fruit consumption. An inverse but non-substantive association was found between change in TV/DVD use and change in leisure-time PA. Change in computer/game use was not significantly associated with change in leisure-time PA.ConclusionsChanges in screen-based SB were associated with multiple unfavorable changes in dietary habits, although the associations were weak. These associations need to be further investigated in intervention/experimental studies, to assess whether changing screen-based SB will result in clinically relevant changes in dietary behaviors. However, the findings of this study suggest that screen-based SB and leisure-time PA are largely independent behaviors which should be addressed separately in health promotion activities.

Consumption of sugar-rich food products among Brazilian students:National School Health Survey (PeNSE 2012)

“…Moreover, a study that used data from PeNSE 2012 showed a poorer quality diet among girls compared with boys 30 , suggesting that Brazilian female adolescents are more exposed to inadequate food consumption 29,30 . The finding regarding the association gradient between a higher amount of time spent watching TV and more elevated consumption of sugar-rich food products among adolescents is also consistent with evidence from other studies 17,31,32,33,34 . Evidence suggests that behavioral risk factors, such as the habit of watching TV, or lengthy screen time, and inadequate food consumption, have an influence on one another, tending to coexist in the form of a cluster, resulting in added risk of the development of overweight and comorbidities 32 .…”

“…Evidence suggests that behavioral risk factors, such as the habit of watching TV, or lengthy screen time, and inadequate food consumption, have an influence on one another, tending to coexist in the form of a cluster, resulting in added risk of the development of overweight and comorbidities 32 . This coexistence can be justified by the elevated exposure of adolescents with higher screen time to advertisements of food products with elevated calorie content, such as sweets and soft drinks, favoring the consumption of those food groups instead of products with less media exposure, such as fruits and vegetables 14,17,31 .…”

“…TV and other electronic devices, serve as a distraction during meals, encouraging the excessive ingestion of calories, particularly of products ready for consumption 17,33 . Children and adolescents who eat while watching TV are, in general, found to have a higher consumption of soft drinks and fast food, and a lower consumption of fruits and vegetables 16,17 .…”

“…Screen time has been associated with increased consumption of foods with high energy density and with the habit of eating while watching TV, factors that can promote consumption of sugar-rich food products 16,17 . From a public policy perspective, the identification of factors associated with excessive consumption of sugar-rich food products can contribute to the planning of specific actions targeting population risk characteristics.…”

Usual energy and macronutrient intakes in 2–9-year-old European children

“…Apart from the methodological limitations of available studies, the changes in lifestyle during the last decades, for example, increased sedentary behaviour [25][26][27] and the steadily increasing consumption of convenience food, 28 are likely to have changed usual energy and macronutrient intakes over years. The limited studies available in children from European countries report decreasing trends for overall energy and fat intake and increasing trends for carbohydrate intake [29][30][31] or stable fat intakes.…”