Bedroom media, sedentary time and screen-time in children: a longitudinal analysis
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Having electronic media in the bedroom is cross-sectionally associated with greater screen-time in children, but few longitudinal studies exist. The aim of this study was to describe longitudinal patterns of ownership and examine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of bedroom media with children's sedentary behaviour. METHODS: Data are from the Sport, Physical activity and Eating behaviour: Environmental Determinants in Young people (SPEEDY) study, collected at 3 time-points: baseline (2007, T0; age 10.3 ± 0.3 years), 1-year (T1y) and 4-year (T4y) follow-up. For each assessment, 1512 (44.9% male), 715 (41.0% male), and 319 (48.3% male) participants provided valid accelerometer data. Outcome variables were accelerometer-assessed sedentary time and self-reported screen-time. The presence of a television or computer in the bedroom was self-reported by participants and a combined bedroom media score calculated as the sum of such items. Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between bedroom media and each outcome were examined using multi-level linear regression. RESULTS: Bedroom TV ownership fell from 70.9% at T0 to 42.5% at T4y. Having a TV in the bedroom (beta; 95% CI*100, T0: -1.17; -1.88, -0.46. T1y: -1.68; -2.67, -0.70) and combined bedroom media (T0: -0.76; -1.26, -0.27. T1y: -0.79; -1.51, -0.07) were negatively associated with objectively measured weekly sedentary time at T0 and T1y. Having a computer in the bedroom (beta; 95% CI, T0: 0.15; 0.02, 0.29. T4y: 0.35; 0.10, 0.60) and combined bedroom media (T0: 0.09: 0.01, 0.18. T4y: 0.20; 0.05, 0.34) were positively associated with screen-time at T0 and T4y. Relative to participants without a computer throughout the study, children that had a computer in their bedroom at T0 but not at T4y (beta; 95% CI for change in screen-time: -8.02; -12.75, -3.29) reported smaller increases in screen-time. CONCLUSIONS: The bedroom media environment changes with age and exhibits a complex relationship with children's sedentary behaviour. Modifying children's bedroom media environment may impact upon screen-time but appears unlikely to influence overall sedentary time.
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Digital technology use among children increases with age, particularly during adolescence.
“given that digital technology use among children increases with age, particularly during adolescence [129, 130]”
From Screen time and mental health: a prospective analysis of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (2024) · cites this paper as [130]
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References 48 · Cited by 79
- Authors
- Atkin, A. J., Corder, K., & van Sluijs, E. M. F.
- Affiliations
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Atkin, Andrew J
- Venue
- International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
- Published
- 2013
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 137
- ISSN
- 1479-5868 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC3895703
- OpenAlex
- W2106903082
- Cited by
- 79
- References
- 48
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 3
- FWCI
- 4.36
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UEA Digital Repository (University of East Anglia) (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Wellcome Trust
- United Kingdom Clinical Research Collaboration (RES-590-28-0002)
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (MC_UU_12015/3)
- British Heart Foundation
- University of East Anglia
- Centre for Diet and Activity Research (RES-590-28-0002)
- Chief Scientist Office, Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorate
- Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12015, MC_UU_12015/4, MC_UU_12015/7, MC_UU_12015/3, MR/K023187/1)
- Economic and Social Research Council (RES-590-28-0002, ES/G007462/1)
- World Cancer Research Fund
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Social Sciences › Education › Child Development and Digital Technology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Keywords
- sedentary behavior, screen time, children, television ownership, computer ownership, home media environment, physical activity, longitudinal change, accelerometer-measured sedentary time, childhood obesity prevention, sedentary behavior interventions
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Child, Child Behavior, Child, Preschool, Computers, Cross-Sectional Studies, Environment, Feeding Behavior, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Motor Activity, Parent-Child Relations, Rural Population, Socioeconomic Factors, Sports, Television, Urban Population, Linear Models, Video Games, Multilevel Analysis, Sedentary Behavior, Self Report, Accelerometry
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