title: Screen time is independently associated with health-related quality of life in overweight and obese adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Excessive screen time and diminished health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are greater problems for obese than nonobese adolescents, but no research has examined the relationship between these two variables. This study examined the association between screen time and HRQoL in overweight and obese adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 358 overweight and obese adolescents aged 14-18 years were assessed at baseline between 2005 and 2010 as part of the Canadian Healthy Eating, Aerobic and Resistance Training in Youth (HEARTY) trial. We used the Pediatric Quality of Life (PEDS-QL) and other self-report measures to assess HRQoL and screen time, defined as how long the 261 females and 97 males spent viewing TV, using the computer and playing video games.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjusting for socio-demographic variables, adiposity, physical activity and diet, screen time duration was associated with reduced overall HRQoL (adjusted r = -0.16, ß = -0.16, p = 0.009) and psychosocial HRQoL (adjusted r = -0.16, ß = -0.18, p = 0.004), but not physical HRQoL. No differences were found between males and females.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Screen time was associated with reduced overall and psychosocial HRQoL in overweight and obese adolescents. Future research should determine whether reducing screen time improves overall and psychosocial HRQoL in obese adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group, Children's Hospital Of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.|Department of Paediatrics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.|School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.|School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.|Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Gary S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Goldfield
authors.affiliation: Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group, Children's Hospital Of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.|School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Jameason D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Cameron
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Danijela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maras
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Angela L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Penny
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.affiliation: School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.|Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Glen P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Kenny
authors.affiliation: Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group, Children's Hospital Of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.|Centre for Healthy Active living (CHAL), Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Stasia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hadjiyannakis
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, AL, Canada.
authors.forename: Angela S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Alberga
authors.affiliation: Prevention and Rehabilitation Centre, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tulloch
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health & Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Doucette
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Cardiac Sciences and Community Health Sciences, Faculties of Medicine and Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AL, Canada.
authors.forename: Ronald J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Sigal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D013690:Television / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018910:Video Games / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Health-related quality of life; Media use; Paediatric obesity; Screen time; Sedentary behaviour