Screen-related sedentary behaviors: children's and parents' attitudes, motivations, and practices.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate school-aged children's and parents' attitudes, social influences, and intentions toward excessive screen-related sedentary behavior (S-RSB).


METHODS
A cross-sectional study using a survey methodology.


METHODS
Elementary schools in London, Ontario, Canada.


METHODS
All grades 5 and 6 students, their parents, and their teachers in the participating schools were invited to voluntarily participate; 508 student-parent pairs completed the surveys.


METHODS
Children's screen-related behaviors.


METHODS
Data were analyzed using the Independent Student t test to compare differences of continuous variables and the chi-square test to test for differences of categorical variables.


RESULTS
Children spent 3.3 +/- 0.15 (standard error) hours per day engaged in screen-related activities. Entertainment, spending time with family, and boredom were cited as the top 3 reasons for television viewing and video game playing. Compared to "low-screen users" (ie, < 2 hours/day), "high-screen users" (ie, >or= 2 hours/day) had a less negative attitude toward excessive S-RSB and perceived loosened parental rules on screen use. Parents of high-screen users had a less negative attitude toward children's S-RSB, had fewer rules about their children's screen use, and were more likely to be sedentary themselves.


CONCLUSIONS
Intervention strategies aimed at reducing S-RSB should involve both parents and children and should focus on fostering behavioral changes and promoting parental role modeling.
He
Meizi
M
Public Health Research, Education and Development Program, Middlesex-London Health Unit, Ontario, Canada. meizi.he@utsa.edu
Piché
Leonard
L
Beynon
Charlene
C
Harris
Stewart
S
D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D009864:Ontario; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010988:Play and Playthings / Q000523:psychology*; D012574:Schools; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013690:Television; D018910:Video Games / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data