title: Screen time is associated with dietary intake in overweight Canadian children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the relationship between screen time and dietary intake among children, and to examine this association in relation to body weight.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional analysis of 630 Canadian children aged 8-10 years with at least one obese biological parent. Measurements included body mass index (BMI), screen time (television, video game, computer), physical activity (accelerometer over 7 days), and diet (three 24-hour recalls for the calculation of the Canadian Healthy Eating Index (HEI-C)). Multivariate linear regression models were used to describe the relationship between screen time (≥ 2 h/d vs. < 2 h/d) and intake of nutrients and foods among healthy weight and overweight/obese children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall median [interquartile range] daily screen time was 2.2 [2.4] hours and 43% of children had a BMI of ≥ 85th percentile. Longer screen time above the recommendation (≥ 2 h/d) was associated with higher intake of energy (74 kcal, SE = 35), lower intake of fiber (- 0.6 g/1000 kcal, SE = 0.2) and vegetables & fruit (- 0.3 serving/1000 kcal, SE = 0.1) among all participants and with higher estimates in the overweight subgroup. An overall lower HEI-C (- 1.6, SE = 0.8) was also observed among children with screen time of ≥ 2 h/d. Among children of < 85th BMI percentile, longer screen time was associated with lower intake of vegetables & fruit (- 0.3 serving/1000 kcal, SE = 0.1) only.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Screen time is associated with less desirable food choices, particularly in overweight children.
authors: Department of Health Statistics and the Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China; School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors: Lei
authors: L
authors: Shang
authors: School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors: JiaWei
authors: J
authors: Wang
authors: University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: O'Loughlin
authors: Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
authors: Angelo
authors: A
authors: Tremblay
authors: Department of Kinesiology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors: Marie-Ève
authors: MÈ
authors: Mathieu
authors: Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors: Mélanie
authors: M
authors: Henderson
authors: School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors: Katherine
authors: K
authors: Gray-Donald
keywords: BMI, body mass index; Child; Dietary behavior; Obesity; QUALITY, Quebec Adiposity and Lifestyle Investigation in Youth; SSB, sugar-sweetened beverage; Screen time