title: Understanding screen-related sedentary behavior and its contributing factors among school-aged children: a social-ecologic exploration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the factors that contribute to children's screen-related sedentary (S-RS) behaviors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Elementary schools.
  
  
  METHODS
  A random sample of children in grades five and six and their parents.
  
  
  METHODS
  The outcome measure was children's S-RS activity level measured by a self-administered questionnaire. A full spectrum of potential contributing factors for children's S-RS behaviors was obtained through surveys. Multilevel linear regression methods were used to determine the associations between these factors and children's screen time (hours per day) and results were expressed as regression coefficients (g).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 955 child-parent pairs in 14 participating schools, 508 pairs (53%) completed the surveys. At an intrapersonal level, protective factors included being a girl (g = -.71); belonging to a sports team inside (g = -.56) or outside (g = -.49) of school; having a negative attitude toward S-RS activities (g = -.13); and having a positive attitude toward physical activity (g = .48). At the interpersonal and social levels, parental leisure S-RS behaviors (g = .32) were positively associated, whereas strict parental rules on computer use (g = -.27) and family income (g = -.32) were inversely correlated with S-RS behavior. At the environmental level, the presence of TVs in children's bedrooms (g = .44) and owning videogame devices (g = .58) increased the risk of S-RS behaviors, whereas after school programs (g = - .86) and schools' participation in the Turn Off the Screen Week campaign (g = -.91) decreased the risk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Public health interventions should target multilevel factors, including increasing children's awareness, promoting parental involvement in healthy lifestyle pursuits, and creating less screenogenic environments.
authors.affiliation: Public Health Research, Education and Development (PHRED) Program, Middlesex-London Health Unit, London, Ontario, Canada. mhe@uwo.ca
authors.forename: Meizi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Stewart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Leonard
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Piché
authors.forename: Charlene
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beynon
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009864:Ontario; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012574:Schools; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires