Prevenon Research Collaboraon
Position Paper
ON CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S
SCREEN TIME AS A HEALTH CONCERN
July 2011
Recommendations
There is a clear need for actions by state and federal governments, as well as community agencies, to
provide specific guidance and support for parents regarding how their household and parenting practices can help set limits on their children’s screen time. In particular, it is recommended that governments implement far-reaching and ongoing communications through multiple channels and settings
focussed on the following messages to parents:
1. Children and adolescents should spend less than two hours in front of a screen per day
2. Encourage parents to remove TVs from children’s bedrooms
3. Encourage parents to set rules on child and family screen time
4. Limit the consumption of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods and drinks during screen time
5. Encourage families to eat dinner at a table, with the TV off.
Policy context
In 2004, in recognition of the negative effects of television viewing and other screen media, Australia1
developed guidelines for electronic media use. The Australian guideline recommends that children
aged 2–18 years should not spend more than two hours per day using electronic media for entertainment, particularly during daylight hours.
Research evidence
The evidence shows that patterns of screen time behaviour continue from childhood and adolescence
into adulthood2;3 so establishing good screen behaviour during early childhood is important.
Screen time
Few Australian children meet the screen time guideline.4;5 In 2010, more than half of primary (53.7%)
and three-quarters (74.5%) of secondary school students exceeded the screen time guideline. That so
many children exceed the guideline may be associated with the lack of awareness of the screen time
guideline. In NSW, fewer than half of parents of children in Years K, 2 and 4 and half of students in
Years 6, 8 and 10 were even aware that there was a screen time guideline.
Position Paper
ON CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S
SCREEN TIME AS A HEALTH CONCERN
There is a significant amount of evidence indicating that children who spend long periods watching TV
show higher rates of violence,6;7 obesity,8-10 and poor school performance.11-13
Recent Australian studies have shown that excessive screen time has direct adverse health effects on
adolescents. For example, girls aged 11–15 years who reported spending two or more hours per day
on screen time had significantly lower cardiorespiratory fitness than girls who spent less than two
hours per day14. Boys aged 15 who reported spending two or more hours per week day on screen
time had an increased risk of developing insulin resistance, a precursor of type 2 diabetes.15
Home screen environment
The home is where most recreational screen time occurs for children. Small changes in the home environment have the potential to reduce children’s screen time and the risk of associated adverse health
outcomes. Factors associated with increased viewing time include:
• TV in children’s bedrooms
Children with a TV in their bedroom are at greater risk of developing overweight and obesity,16
have lower academic performance,17 and have more trouble falling asleep and therefore less
sleep.18;19 The current evidence shows that 27% of primary and 41% of secondary school children
have a TV in their bedroom.
• Screen time rules
Qualitative research suggests many parents are not concerned about the amount of time their
children spend on screen use and, in particular, on watching TV.20 Some evidence suggests that
parental rules on children’s screen use are associated with reducing screen time.21 The current
evidence shows that in Australia 13% of primary and 37% of secondary school children have parents who do not set rules on screen time.22
• Eating dinner in front of the TV
Watching TV during the family evening meal (dinner) has been associated with a less healthy diet,
including a lower intake of vegetables among children and adolescents.23;24 This negative effect
increases with each night that dinner is eaten in front of the TV.24;25 An Australian survey found
that children eating dinner in front of the TV once or more a week are more likely to have a higher
body mass index .26 The current evidence shows that about a third of primary (33%) and secondary (38%) school children eat dinner in front of the TV three times or more a week.
Position Paper
ON CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S
SCREEN TIME AS A HEALTH CONCERN
The Prevention Research Collaboration (PRC) is a specialised research group within the School of Public
Health, University of Sydney. The PRC has expertise in public health nutrition, physical activity, obesity
prevention, epidemiology and health promotion research, as well as other aspects of primary prevention. PRC seeks to achieve excellence and policy-relevance in its research, and to actively disseminate
and communicate research findings.
This policy position statement was prepared by Dr Louise Hardy.
For further information contact: [email protected]
References
1. C
ommonwealth Department of Health and Ageing. Physical Activity Recommendations for Children and
Young People. 2004. Canberra, Commonwealth of Australia.
2. Biddle SJ, Pearson N, Ross GM, Braithwaite R. Tracking of sedentary behaviours of young people: A systematic review. Prev Med 2010.
3. Viner RM, Cole TJ. Television viewing in early childhood predicts adult body mass index. J Pediatr 2005;
147(4):429-435.
4. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Children’s participation in cultural and leisure activities, 2009. 4901.0. 2009.
Canberra, Australian Bureau of Statistics.
5. Hardy LL, Dobbins TA, Denney-Wilson E, Okely AD, Booth ML. Descriptive epidemiology of small screen recreation among Australian adolescents. J Paediatr Child Health 2006; 42(11):709-714.
6. Kuntsche E, Pickett W, Overpeck M, Craig W, Boyce W, de Matos MG. Television viewing and forms of bullying
among adolescents from eight countries. J Adolesc Health 2006; 39(6):908-915.
7. Robinson TN, Wilde ML, Navracruz LC, Haydel KF, Varady A. Effects of reducing children’s television and video
game use on aggressive behavior: a randomized controlled trial. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2001; 155(1):1723.
8. Hancox RJ, Poulton R. Watching television is associated with childhood obesity: but is it clinically important?
Int J Obes (Lond) 2006; 30(1):171-175.
9. Robinson TN. Reducing children’s television viewing to prevent obesity: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA
1999; 282(16):1561-1567.
10. Robinson TN. Television viewing and childhood obesity. Pediatr Clin North Am 2001; 48(4):1017-1025.
11. Sharif I, Sargent JD. Association between television, movie, and video game exposure and school performance. Pediatrics 2006; 118(4):e1061-e1070.
12. Sharif I, Wills TA, Sargent JD. Effect of visual media use on school performance: a prospective study. J Adolesc
Health 2010; 46(1):52-61.
13. Strasburger VC. Does television affect learning and school performance? Pediatrician 1986; 13(2-3):141-147.
14. Hardy LL, Dobbins TA, Denney-Wilson E, Okely AD, Booth ML. Sedentariness, small-screen recreation, and
fitness in youth. Am J Prev Med 2009; 36(2):120-125.
15. Hardy LL, Denney-Wilson E, Thrift AP, Okely AD, Baur LA. Screen Time and Metabolic Risk Factors Among
Adolescents. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2010; 164(7):643-649.
Position Paper
ON CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S
SCREEN TIME AS A HEALTH CONCERN
16. Dennison BA, Erb TA, Jenkins PL. Television viewing and television in bedroom associated with overweight
risk among low-income preschool children. Pediatrics 2002; 109(6):1028-1035.
17. Borzekowski DL, Robinson TN. The remote, the mouse, and the no. 2 pencil: the household media environment and academic achievement among third grade students. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2005; 159(7):607613.
18. Eggermont S, Van den Bulck J. Nodding off or switching off? The use of popular media as a sleep aid in
secondary-school children. J Paediatr Child Health 2006; 42(7-8):428-433.
19. Owens J, Maxim R, McGuinn M, Nobile C, Msall M, Alario A. Television-viewing habits and sleep disturbance
in school children. Pediatrics 1999; 104(3):e27.
20. Jordan AB, Hersey JC, McDivitt JA, Heitzler CD. Reducing Children’s Television-Viewing Time: A Qualitative
Study of Parents and Their Children. Pediatrics 2006; 118(5):e1303-e1310.
21. Bulck JVd, Bergh BVd. The Influence of Perceived Parental Guidance Patterns on Children’s Media Use: Gender Differences and Media Displacement. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 2000; 44(3):329-348.
22. Hardy LL, King L, Espinel P, Cosgrove C, Bauman A. NSW Schools Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey 2010:
Executive Summary. 2011.
23. Feldman S, Eisenberg ME, Neumark-Sztainer D, Story M. Associations between watching TV during family
meals and dietary intake among adolescents. J Nutr Educ Behav 2007; 39(5):257-263.
24. Fitzpatrick E, Edmunds LS, Dennison BA. Positive effects of family dinner are undone by television viewing. J
Am Diet Assoc 2007; 107(4):666-671.
25. Liang T, Kuhle S, Veugelers PJ. Nutrition and body weights of Canadian children watching television and eating while watching television. Public Health Nutr 2009; 12(12):2457-2463.
26. MacFarlane A, Cleland V, Crawford D, Campbell K, Timperio A. Longitudinal examination of the family food
environment and weight status among children. Int J Pediatr Obes 2009; 4(4):343-352.