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Associations between television viewing and consumption of commonly advertised foods among New Zealand children and young adolescents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

Jennifer Utter ,
Robert Scragg  and
David Schaaf
Jennifer Utter*
Affiliation:
Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
Robert Scragg
Affiliation:
Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
David Schaaf
Affiliation:
Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
*
*Corresponding author: Email [email protected]
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Abstract

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Objectives

To explore how time spent watching television (TV) is associated with the dietary behaviours of New Zealand children and young adolescents.

Design

Secondary data analysis of a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey.

Setting

In homes or schools of New Zealand school students.

Participants

In total, 3275 children aged 5 to 14 years.

Results

The odds of being overweight or obese increased with duration of TV viewing for children and adolescents when controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, socio-economic status and physical activity. Children and adolescents who watched the most TV were significantly more likely to be higher consumers of foods most commonly advertised on TV: soft drinks and fruit drinks, some sweets and snacks, and some fast foods. Both children and adolescents watching two or more hours of TV a day were more than twice as likely to drink soft drinks five times a week or more (P = 0.03 and P = 0.04, respectively), eat hamburgers at least once a week (both P = 0.02), and eat French fries at least once a week (both P < 0.01).

Conclusions

These findings suggest that longer duration of TV watching (thus, more frequent exposure to advertising) influences the frequency of consumption of soft drinks, some sweets and snacks, and some fast foods among children and young adolescents. Efforts to curtail the amount of time children spend watching TV may result in better dietary habits and weight control for children and adolescents. Future studies examining the impact of advertising on children's diets through interventions and international comparisons of legislation would provide more definitive evidence of the role of advertising in child and adolescent obesity.

Keywords

TelevisionChild nutritionAdolescentSoft drinksFast food
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 9 , Issue 5 , August 2006 , pp. 606 - 612
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2006

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