Abstract
This study examined if parental TV viewing, parental self-efficacy or access to media equipment were associated with TV viewing among UK preschool-aged children. Data were derived from a cross-sectional survey of 252 parents of 3–5-year-old children. Parents reported child and parent TV viewing and the number of TVs, DVDs, computers, games consoles, hand-held games consoles, music players and laptop computers in the home. Parents also completed scales which assessed their self-efficacy to limit the screen viewing (SV) and promote the physical activity (PA) and their own PA self-efficacy. Analysis indicated that around two thirds of the children spent two or more hours per day watching TV while 75 % of parents watched ≥2 h of TV per day. Logistic regression models showed that children who had a parent who watched ≥2 h of TV per day were over five times more likely to also watch ≥2 h of TV per day. Each unit increase in parental self-efficacy to limit SV was associated with a 77 % reduction in the likelihood that the child watched ≥2 h of TV per day. Each additional piece of media equipment in the home was associated with a 28 % increase in the likelihood that parents watched ≥2 h of TV per day. Conclusion: Family-based interventions focusing on changing access to home media equipment and building parental self-efficacy to reduce child TV viewing could form part of efforts to reduce TV viewing among preschool children.
References
American Academy of Pediatrics–Committee on Public Education (2001) Children, adolescents and television. Pediatrics 107(2):423–426
Bandura A (2006) Guide for constructing self-efficacy scales. In: Pajares F, Urdan TC (eds) Self-efficacy beliefs of adolescents. IAP, Greenwich
Biddle SJ, Pearson N, Ross GM, Braithwaite R (2010) Tracking of sedentary behaviours of young people: a systematic review. Prev Med 51:345–351
Department of Health PA, Health Improvement and Protection (2011) Start active, stay active: a report on physical activity from the four home countries. Chief Medical Officers, London
Gorely T, Marshall SJ, Biddle SJ (2004) Couch kids: correlates of television viewing among youth. Int J Behav Med 11(3):152–163
Grontved A, Hu FB (2011) Television viewing and risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis. JAMA 305(23):2448–2455. doi:10.1001/jama.2011.812
Jago R, Page A, Froberg K, Sardinha LB, Klasson-Heggebo L, Andersen LB (2008) Screen-viewing and the home TV environment: the European Youth Heart Study. Prev Med 47:525–529
Jago R, Davison K, Thompson JL, Page AS, Brockman R, Fox KR (2011) Parental sedentary restriction, maternal parenting style and TV viewing among 10–11 year olds. Pediatrics 128:e572–e578
Jago R, Stamatakis E, Gama A, Marques V, Noqueira H, Mourao I, Padez C (2012) Parental and child screen-viewing time and home media environment. Am J Prev Med 43(2):150–158
Marcus BH, Selby VC, Niaura RS, Rossi JS (1992) Self-efficacy and the stages of exercise behavior change. Res Q Exerc Sport 63:60–66
Yi X, Yin C, Chang M, Xiao Y (2012) Prevalence and risk factors of obesity among school-aged children in Xi'an, China. Eur J Pediatr 171(2):389–394
Acknowledgments
This study was funded by a small grant from the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law at the University of Bristol.
Conflict of interest
We have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jago, R., Sebire, S.J., Edwards, M.J. et al. Parental TV viewing, parental self-efficacy, media equipment and TV viewing among preschool children. Eur J Pediatr 172, 1543–1545 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-013-2077-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-013-2077-5