title: Couch kids: correlates of television viewing among youth.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to review the published empirical correlates of television/video viewing among youth (2 to 18 years). A descriptive semi-quantitative review was conducted based on 68 primary studies. Variables consistently associated with TV/video viewing were ethnicity (non-white +), parent income (-), parent education (-), body weight (+), between meal snacking (+), number of parents in the house (-), parents TV viewing habits (+), weekend (+) and having a TV in the bedroom (+). Variables consistently unrelated to TV/video viewing were sex, other indicators of socio-economic status, body fatness, cholesterol levels, aerobic fitness, strength, other indicators of fitness, self-perceptions, emotional support, physical activity, other diet variables, and being an only child. Few modifiable correlates have been identified. Further research should aim to identify modifiable correlates of TV/video viewing if interventions are to be successfully tailored to reduce this aspect of inactivity among youth.
authors.affiliation: British Heart Foundation National Centre for Physical Activity and Health, Loughborough University, United Kingdom. p.j.gorely@lboro.ac.uk
authors.forename: Trish
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gorely
authors.forename: Simon J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: Stuart J H
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Biddle
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013690:Television / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*