TV Time Linked to High Blood Pressure in Children

Children who spend two hours or more sitting in front of a screen have an increased risk for high blood pressure (BP), according to a new study.

Researchers at McGill University (Montréal, Canada) reviewed data from a sample of 630 children aged 8 and 10 years, all of who had at least one obese parent. Five consecutive BP readings were taken, and physical activity was assessed for one week with an accelerometer. The children also filled out validated questionnaires, recording physical inactivity from TV viewing, computer use, video game playing, studying, and reading. Fitness was assessed using a standard incremental exercise test on an exercise bike.

The results showed that children who spend two hours or more in front of a screen have a 2.7 fold increase in their odds of having high BP; these odds are increased even further by overweight and obesity. The study also showed that children with a low level of fitness had 3.4 times higher odds of high BP than those with a high level of fitness, independent of screen time. The study was presented at the World Heart Federation World Congress of Cardiology (WCC), held during May 2014 in Melbourne (Australia).

“Being physically active protects children from the risk of cardiovascular disease,” said lead author and study presenter Gilles Paradis, MD, MSc, chair of the department of epidemiology, biostatistics, and occupational health at McGill. “Physical activity prolongs lives regardless of inherited factors and protects against a vast number of health problems.”

Physical inactivity is strongly linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and is in fact the fourth leading cause of mortality worldwide, attributable to approximately 3.2 million deaths a year. The World Health Organization (WHO; Geneva, Switzerland) recommends 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity per day for children and 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity for adults per week.

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