Strong association between time watching television and blood glucose control in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between blood glucose control and the time spent watching television in Norwegian children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes in a population-based study.


METHODS
A total of 538 children and adolescents from 9 hospitals in the eastern part of Norway participated in the study; 70% of eligible subjects participated. The time spent watching television and time using a computer was recorded separately by interview together with clinical data. Mean (+/-SD) age was 13.1 +/- 3.7 years, mean diabetes duration was 5.4 +/- 3.4 years, and mean A1C was 8.6 +/- 1.3% (reference range 4.1-6.4).


RESULTS
Sixty-two patients (11%) watched television <1 h daily (mean A1C 8.2 +/- 0.9%), 189 patients (35%) watched television between 1 and 2 h daily (8.4 +/- 1.2%), 166 patients (31%) watched television 2-3 h daily (8.7 +/- 1.4%), 75 patients (14%) watched television 3-4 h daily (8.8 +/- 1.2%), and 46 patients (9%) watched television > or =4 h daily (9.5 +/- 1.6%). This trend was highly significant (P < 0.001). The association between television viewing and A1C remained significant, even after adjusting for age and BMI and insulin dose. No correlation between A1C and the use of a personal computer was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Extensive television watching is associated with poor blood glucose control in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.
Margeirsdottir
Hanna D
HD
Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. h.d.margeirsdottir@medisin.uio.no
Larsen
Jakob R
JR
Brunborg
Cathrine
C
Sandvik
Leiv
L
Dahl-Jørgensen
Knut
K
D000293:Adolescent; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D003201:Computers; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway; D013690:Television
D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007328:Insulin