Television viewing by young Hispanic children: evidence of heterogeneity.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if hours of daily television viewed by varying age groups of young children with Hispanic mothers differs by maternal language preference and to compare these differences with young children with white mothers.


METHODS
Cross-sectional analysis of data collected in 2000 from the National Survey of Early Childhood Health.


METHODS
Nationally representative sample.


METHODS
One thousand three hundred forty-seven mothers of children aged 4 to 35 months.


METHODS
Subgroups of self-reported maternal race/ethnicity (white or Hispanic) and within Hispanic race/ethnicity, stratification by maternal language preference (English or Spanish).


METHODS
Hours of daily television the child viewed.


RESULTS
Bivariate analyses showed that children of English- vs Spanish-speaking Hispanic mothers watched more television daily (1.88 vs 1.31 hours, P < .01). Multivariable regression analyses stratified by age revealed differences by age group. Among 4- to 11-month-old infants, those of English- and Spanish-speaking Hispanic mothers watched similar amounts. However, among children aged 12 to 23 and 24 to 35 months, those of English-speaking Hispanic mothers watched more television than children of Spanish-speaking Hispanic mothers (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17-2.22; IRR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.10-2.51, respectively). Compared with children of white mothers, children of both Hispanic subgroups watched similar amounts among the 4- to 11-month-old group. However, among 12- to 23-month-old children, those of English-speaking Hispanic mothers watched more compared with children of white mothers (IRR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.18-2.11). Among 24- to 35-month-old children, those of English-speaking Hispanic mothers watched similar amounts compared with children of white mothers, but children of Spanish-speaking Hispanic mothers watched less (IRR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.50-0.95).


CONCLUSIONS
Television-viewing amounts among young children with Hispanic mothers vary by child age and maternal language preference, supporting the need to explore sociocultural factors that influence viewing in Hispanic children.
Thompson
Darcy A
DA
Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, 200 N Wolfe St, Room 2023, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. dthomp46@jhmi.edu
Sibinga
Erica M S
EM
Jennings
Jacky M
JM
Bair-Merritt
Megan H
MH
Christakis
Dimitri A
DA
D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D013690:Television; D013997:Time Factors