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Screen time, dietary patterns and intake of potentially cariogenic food in children: A systematic review
This 2019 systematic review was conducted to identify studies assessing time spent in sedentary behavior (viewing of TV, DVDs, computer and electronic games) and dietary intake of preschoolers and school-aged children. The aim was to determine the relationship between screen-time behavior and diet among young children (under 12 years old). Shqair et al. (2019) searched through 4 electronic databases, assessed the quality of the 19 included articles by employing the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and evaluated the strength of the evidence using the GRADE system. In these articles, sedentary behavior was measured by parent-reported or self-reported questionnaires, although the majority of these studies (n=13) only asked about television viewing time. Food frequency questionnaires allowed the collection of dietary data in 10 of the studies. A significant association was identified in all the studies between television and/or total screen-time viewing with poor dietary outcomes, including lower consumption of fruits and vegetables, and greater intake of unhealthy foods. In 15/17 studies, TV viewing and/or screen-time were positively correlated with intake of cariogenic foods (energy-dense snacks and sugar-sweetened beverages). Although the strength of the evidence may be questioned, sedentary behavior (particularly television viewing) may be linked with higher consumption of cariogenic foods and thereby poor diet among children. To promote the children’s health and prevent avoidable diseases, limited television viewing is advised for young children. [NPID: screen time, eating behaviors, social media, sedentary behavior, preschool, elementary school, children, cariogenic food, fruits, vegetables, FV intake]
Year: 2019
