Differential associations between television viewing, computer use, and adiposity by age, gender, and race/ethnicity in United States youth: A cross-sectional NHANES analysis

Background

Time spent on screens and adiposity change rapidly from childhood to adolescence, with differences by gender and race/ethnicity.

Objective

Apply time-varying effect models (TVEMs) to a nationally representative sample of youth to identify the age ranges when the cross-sectional associations between television viewing, computer use, and adiposity are significant.

Methods

Data from 8 to 15-year-olds (n = 3593) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2011–2018) were extracted. TVEMs estimated the associations between television viewing, computer use, and fat mass index as dynamic functions of the participants' age, stratified by gender and race/ethnicity.

Results

TVEMs revealed age-specific statistically significant associations that differed by gender and race/ethnicity. Notably, computer use was related to higher adiposity in non-Hispanic White females aged 9.3–11.4 years (slope β-range: 0.1–0.2) and in non-Hispanic Black females older than 14.8 years (β-range: 0.1–0.5). In males, these age windows were 13.5–15.0 years (non-Hispanic White, β-range: 0.1–0.2), 11.4–13.0 years (non-Hispanic Black, β-range: 0.1–0.14), and older than 13.0 years (Hispanic, β-range: 0.1–0.4).

Conclusions

More research during the specific age ranges in the demographic subgroups identified here could increase our understanding of tailored interventions in youth.