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Electronic screens in children’s bedrooms and adiposity, physical activity and sleep: Do the number and type of electronic devices matter?

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether the number and type of electronic screens available in children’s bedrooms matter in their relationship to adiposity, physical activity and sleep.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 502 children aged 9-11 years from Ottawa, Ontario. The presence (yes/no) of a television (TV), computer or video game system in the child’s bedroom was reported by the parents. Percentage body fat was measured using bioelectrical impedance. An accelerometer was worn over seven days to assess moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), total sedentary time, sleep duration and sleep efficiency. Screen time was self-reported by the child.

RESULTS: After adjustment for age, sex, ethnicity, annual household income and highest level of parental education, children with 2-3 screens in their bedroom had a significantly higher percentage of body fat than children with no screen in their bedroom. However, while children with 2-3 screens in their bedroom engaged in more screen time overall than those with no screen, total sedentary time and MVPA were not significantly different. Sleep duration was not related to the number of screens in the bedroom, but sleep efficiency was significantly lower in children with at least 2 screens in the bedroom. Finally, children having only a TV in their bedroom had significantly higher adiposity than those having no screen at all. In contrast, the presence of a computer in children’s bedrooms was not associated with higher adiposity than that of children with no screen.

CONCLUSIONS: A higher number of screens in a child’s bedroom was associated with higher adiposity, more total screen time and lower sleep efficiency. Having a TV in the bedroom appears to be the type of screen presence associated with higher levels of adiposity. Given the popularity of screens among children, these findings are increasingly relevant to health promotion strategies.

Résumé

OBJECTIF : Examiner si le nombre et le type d’écrans électroniques disponibles dans la chambre à coucher des enfants ont un lien avec leur adiposité, leur pratique d’activités physiques et leur sommeil.

MÉTHODES : Une étude transversale a été réalisée auprès de 502 enfants âgés entre 9 et 11 ans provenant de la région d’Ottawa (Ontario). La présence (oui/non) d’un téléviseur, d’un ordinateur ou d’un jeu vidéo dans la chambre à coucher de l’enfant a été rapportée par les parents. Le pourcentage de graisse corporelle a été mesuré par impédance bioélectrique. Un accéléromètre a été porté sur une période de sept jours afin d’évaluer l’activité physique d’intensité moyenne à élevée, le temps sédentaire total, la durée ainsi que la qualité du sommeil.

RÉSULTATS : Après ajustement statistique pour l’âge, le sexe, l’ethnicité, le revenu familial annuel et le niveau d’éducation parental, les enfants qui avaient 2 ou 3 écrans dans leur chambre à coucher avaient un pourcentage de gras significativement plus élevé que les enfants n’ayant aucun écran dans leur chambre à coucher. Alors que les enfants ayant 2 à 3 écrans dans leur chambre à coucher s’adonnaient à plus de temps écran total que ceux n’ayant pas d’écran, le temps sédentaire total et l’activité physique d’intensité moyenne à élevée n’étaient pas différentes entre les deux groupes. La durée du sommeil n’était pas reliée au nombre d’écrans dans la chambre à coucher alors que la qualité du sommeil était significativement moins bonne chez les enfants ayant au moins 2 écrans dans leur chambre à coucher. Finalement, les enfants ayant seulement un téléviseur dans leur chambre à coucher avaient une adiposité significativement plus élevée en comparaison à ceux qui n’avaient pas d’écrans du tout. Par contraste, la présence d’un ordinateur dans la chambre à coucher des enfants n’était pas associée avec une adiposité plus élevée.

CONCLUSIONS : Un nombre plus élevé d’écrans dans la chambre à coucher des enfants est associé à une adiposité plus importante, davantage de temps écran total et une qualité de sommeil moins bonne. Avoir un téléviseur dans la chambre à coucher des enfants semble être le type de présence d’écran associé avec les niveaux d’adiposité les plus élevés. Étant donné la popularité des écrans chez les enfants, ces résultats sont d’une importance grandissante pour la formulation de stratégies de promotion en santé publique.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, 401 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L1, Canada

    Jean-Philippe Chaput PhD, Geneviève Leduc PhD, Charles Boyer MA, Priscilla Bélanger MA, Allana G. LeBlanc MSc, Michael M. Borghese MSc & Mark S. Tremblay PhD

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Jean-Philippe Chaput PhD & Mark S. Tremblay PhD

  3. Population Health, Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Allana G. LeBlanc MSc

  4. University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Michael M. Borghese MSc

Authors
  1. Jean-Philippe Chaput PhD
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  2. Geneviève Leduc PhD
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  3. Charles Boyer MA
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  4. Priscilla Bélanger MA
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  5. Allana G. LeBlanc MSc
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  6. Michael M. Borghese MSc
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  7. Mark S. Tremblay PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jean-Philippe Chaput PhD.

Additional information

Acknowledgements: We thank Claire Francis, Jessica McNeil, Hadiza Amedu-Ode and Nina Azoug-Boneault for their role in data collection for the Canadian site of ISCOLE (International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment) and the Coordinating Center of ISCOLE in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, specifically Drs. Peter Katzmarzyk and Timothy Church. We also thank the study participants along with their parents, teachers and school principals for their involvement in the study. ISCOLE was funded by the Coca-Cola Company. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of this manuscript.

Conflict of Interest: None to declare.

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Chaput, JP., Leduc, G., Boyer, C. et al. Electronic screens in children’s bedrooms and adiposity, physical activity and sleep: Do the number and type of electronic devices matter?. Can J Public Health 105, e273–e279 (2014). https://doi.org/10.17269/cjph.105.4511

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.17269/cjph.105.4511

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