Television viewing practices and obesity among women veterans.
BACKGROUND
Obesity is epidemic in the U.S. and has been associated with television viewing.


OBJECTIVE
To describe the association between obesity and television viewing practices among women veterans.


METHODS
Cross-sectional, mailed survey completed by 1,555 female veterans enrolled at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System in 2000.


METHODS
We used bivariate and multivariate analyses to assess the association of obesity (body mass index >30 kg/m2 based on self-reported height and weight) with self-reported number of hours of television or videos viewed per day, and frequency of eating meals or snacking while watching television, controlling for other covariates.


RESULTS
Watching television >2 hours per typical day on week days and/or weekends was associated with obesity (P<.001), as was eating or snacking while watching television (P=.003). In multivariate logistic regression analyses, watching television >2 hours per day and eating or snacking while watching television were each associated with obesity (odds ratio [OR] 1.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1 to 1.8; and OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.0 to 1.7, respectively), after adjusting for demographic variables, smoking, physical activity, and depression. Results were similar when posttraumatic stress disorder was included in the model instead of depression. Women who both watched >2 hours of television per day and ate or snacked while viewing were almost twice as likely to be obese (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.4 to 2.6).


CONCLUSIONS
Watching television over 2 hours per day and eating while watching television were each associated with obesity among female VA patients and may be modifiable risk factors for obesity.
Johnson
Kay M
KM
Primary and Specialty Medical Care Service, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA. Kay.Johnson2@med.va.gov
Nelson
Karin M
KM
Bradley
Katharine A
KA
D000328:Adult; D004435:Eating; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D044469:Racial Groups; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013690:Television / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014728:Veterans; D014930:Women