Young children who spend lots of time in front of TV and computer screens have high levels of psychological distress.
Young children who spend lots of time in front of TV and computer screens have high levels of psychological distress, and being physically inactive may make matters worse.
Most studies on screen time and mental health have been in adolescents and teenagers. A few have examined the impact of watching TV and sitting in front of computers on the psychological well-being of children as young as 4 years old.
To determine if TV and screen entertainment time and physical inactivity have independent effects on psychological well-being, researchers from United Kingdom evaluated 1,486 boys and girls aged between 4 and 12 years. The children's parents completed a test called the 'Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire' that assessed childhood mental health issues, such as hyperactivity, emotional symptoms, conduct problems and peer problems.
About 1 in 4 of the children logged at least three hours of screen time daily, while around four per cent had abnormally high scores on the questionnaire, indicating high levels of psychological distress.
It was found that children with more than three hours of screen time daily had almost 25 per cent higher scores on the test, signaling more distress, than children who had less than two hours of daily screen time. Heavy TV and computer use plus low physical activity further increased distress scores by 45 per cent.
The above findings indicate that physical activity levels actually reduce as children go through adolescence, making it even more important for parents to help kids establish healthy habits early in life.
Most studies on screen time and mental health have been in adolescents and teenagers. A few have examined the impact of watching TV and sitting in front of computers on the psychological well-being of children as young as 4 years old.
To determine if TV and screen entertainment time and physical inactivity have independent effects on psychological well-being, researchers from United Kingdom evaluated 1,486 boys and girls aged between 4 and 12 years. The children's parents completed a test called the 'Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire' that assessed childhood mental health issues, such as hyperactivity, emotional symptoms, conduct problems and peer problems.
About 1 in 4 of the children logged at least three hours of screen time daily, while around four per cent had abnormally high scores on the questionnaire, indicating high levels of psychological distress.
It was found that children with more than three hours of screen time daily had almost 25 per cent higher scores on the test, signaling more distress, than children who had less than two hours of daily screen time. Heavy TV and computer use plus low physical activity further increased distress scores by 45 per cent.
The above findings indicate that physical activity levels actually reduce as children go through adolescence, making it even more important for parents to help kids establish healthy habits early in life.
COMMENT
DoctorNDTV is the one stop site for all your health needs providing the most credible health information, health news and tips with expert advice on healthy living, diet plans, informative videos etc. You can get the most relevant and accurate info you need about health problems like diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, weight loss and many other lifestyle diseases. We have a panel of over 350 experts who help us develop content by giving their valuable inputs and bringing to us the latest in the world of healthcare.
