UVM Theses and Dissertations
Format:
Print
Author:
Jones, Katherine
Dept./Program:
Nutritional and Food Sciences
Year:
2009
Degree:
MS
Abstract:
Obesity has become a global epidemic. In the US, 34% of adults are obese and 17% of children are overweight. Obesity is associated with increased health care costs, mortality, and increased risk for diseases such as hypertension, osteoarthritis, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and some cancers. One reason for the increased prevalence of obesity may be an increase in sedentary behavior. Television (TV) viewing is the pr.mary sedentary behavior of Americans and they watch an average of nearly five hrs/day. Research has shown greater than three hrs/day of TV viewing increases risk for obesity in adults and similar results have been seen in children. Some children studies have looked specifically at bedroom TV sets.
These studies have shown children with a bedroom TV set have an increased risk for being overweight and they view more hours of TV than children without a bedroom TV set. Children with a bedroom TV set also sleep less than children without a bedroom TV set. Numerous research studies have shown habitual short sleep duration increases risk for overweight/obesity in both children and adults, although bedroom TV viewing has not been shown to be a direct cause of decreased amounts of sleep. Associations between bedroom TV sets and 8MI, total TV viewing, and sleep have not been examined in adults.
The first objective of this study was to analyze associations between bedroom TV viewing time and BMI, sleep time, and non-bedroom TV viewing time in overweight and obese adults. The second objective was to analyze total TV viewing time with and without a bedroom TV set in overweight and obese adults.
This study was a cross-sectional secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial. Subjects included 39 people who were aged 21-65 years, had a BMI of 25-50 kg/m², and who watched between 3-8 hrs/day of TV. Measurements included demographic data collected via questionnaire, measured height and weight for BMI, and self-reported sleep time on paper sleep logs. TV viewing time was measured objectively by a monitoring device on each TV set within a household and each TV set's location was noted by study staff.
No associations were seen between bedroom TV viewing time and BMI or sleep time. Bedroom TV viewing time was positively associated with non-bedroom TV viewing time (Spearman's rho =0.37, P =0.076). Subjects with a bedroom TV set watched significantly more total TV (5.4 hrs/day±2.7) than subjects without a bedroom TV set (3.6 hrs/day±1.9) (P = 0.057). These preliminary results suggest taking the TV out of the bedroom may be a simple message and an easy method to help overweight and obese adults decrease the amount of total TV they watch. Further research is needed to examine how taking the TV out of the bedroom effects total TV viewing time, sleep, and energy balance.
These studies have shown children with a bedroom TV set have an increased risk for being overweight and they view more hours of TV than children without a bedroom TV set. Children with a bedroom TV set also sleep less than children without a bedroom TV set. Numerous research studies have shown habitual short sleep duration increases risk for overweight/obesity in both children and adults, although bedroom TV viewing has not been shown to be a direct cause of decreased amounts of sleep. Associations between bedroom TV sets and 8MI, total TV viewing, and sleep have not been examined in adults.
The first objective of this study was to analyze associations between bedroom TV viewing time and BMI, sleep time, and non-bedroom TV viewing time in overweight and obese adults. The second objective was to analyze total TV viewing time with and without a bedroom TV set in overweight and obese adults.
This study was a cross-sectional secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial. Subjects included 39 people who were aged 21-65 years, had a BMI of 25-50 kg/m², and who watched between 3-8 hrs/day of TV. Measurements included demographic data collected via questionnaire, measured height and weight for BMI, and self-reported sleep time on paper sleep logs. TV viewing time was measured objectively by a monitoring device on each TV set within a household and each TV set's location was noted by study staff.
No associations were seen between bedroom TV viewing time and BMI or sleep time. Bedroom TV viewing time was positively associated with non-bedroom TV viewing time (Spearman's rho =0.37, P =0.076). Subjects with a bedroom TV set watched significantly more total TV (5.4 hrs/day±2.7) than subjects without a bedroom TV set (3.6 hrs/day±1.9) (P = 0.057). These preliminary results suggest taking the TV out of the bedroom may be a simple message and an easy method to help overweight and obese adults decrease the amount of total TV they watch. Further research is needed to examine how taking the TV out of the bedroom effects total TV viewing time, sleep, and energy balance.