More screen time tied to obesity in children and adolescents: Study

China: There is a positive association between screen time and obesity among children and adolescents, according to a meta-analysis data published in Frontiers in Pediatrics. An increase in screen time could be a risk factor for being overweight in children and adolescents.

Recently, the world health organization (WHO) estimated that roughly 39 million children (<5year age) were found to be overweight or obese globally. Obesity in children and adults increases the risk for many critical health conditions like premature death, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease in later adulthood. Controlling childhood overweight/obesity would help early prevention of this risk.

Previously, there was no summative quantitative study that could report the difference in BMI in high screen user children and adolescents or give a difference in screen time in children and adolescents with obesity vs. children and adolescents without obesity. In the current meta-analysis Yiling Wu, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, China, and the team systematically summarized the association between obesity and screen time and meta-analyzed the results.

Investigators conducted a systematic search from Scopus, PubMed and Embase electronic databases for studies that evaluated the association between screen time and obesity.

Results from the review revealed that,

• The highest screen time category had a 0.7 kg/m2 higher BMI.

• Children and adolescents with obesity had a mean value of 0.313 h higher screen time compared with children and adolescents without obesity.

• The results of subgrouping showed that study quality, continent and sample size could reduce the heterogeneity values

The investigators concluded that the present meta-analysis data provided a quantitative result for the association between different screen times with obesity among children and adolescents. They further commented that the difference in screen time among children and adolescents with obesity vs. children and adolescents without obesity was limited and could not be generalized.

"Causal inference is not possible due to the cross-sectional design of the studies included in this systemic review; therefore, further studies in a separate analysis of both genders are suggested to better clarify the gender-specific results," the authors wrote.

Reference:

Wu Y, Amirfakhraei A, Ebrahimzadeh F, Jahangiry L, Abbasalizad-Farhangi M. Screen Time and Body Mass Index Among Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Pediatr. 2022 May 10;10:822108. doi: 10.3389/fped.2022.822108. PMID: 35620148; PMCID: PMC9127358.