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14.23: TV and Hypertension

  • Page ID
    29017
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    Learning Objectives

    • TV viewing time and adverse health

    Research conducted by

    Perrie E. Pardee, Gregory J. Norman, Robert H. Lustig, Daniel Preud’homme, and Jeffrey B. Schwimmer

    Case study prepared by

    Robert F. Houser and Andrew Kennedy

    Overview

    A strong, evidence-based association exists between TV viewing time and the risk of being obese in children and adolescents. Little or no research, however, has explored adverse health outcomes associated with TV viewing among obese children. This study aimed at identifying whether or not time spent watching TV is associated with hypertension (high blood pressure) in obese children.

    Obese children aged \(4\) to \(17\) years were recruited and evaluated at three pediatric centers. Obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to the \(95^{th}\) percentile for the child’s age and gender.

    Questions to Answer

    Is TV watching associated with hypertension in obese children?

    Design Issues

    The study involved a cross-sectional design, which prevented the determination of possible causality among the associations found. There could be unmeasured factors that play a role in the association between TV viewing and hypertension.

    Descriptions of Variables

    Table \(\PageIndex{1}\): Description of Variables
    Variable Description
    Hypertension Defined as a systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to the 95th percentile for the child’s age, gender, and height
    Age A child’s age in years
    BMI A child's body mass index, calculated as: (weight in kilograms) / (height in meters)2
    Hours of TV/day An estimate of a child’s average daily time spent watching TV in hours

    Pardee et al. article

    Luma et al. article

    References

    • Pardee, P. E., Norman, G. J., Lustig, R. H., Preud’homme, D., Schwimmer, J. B. (2007). Television viewing and hypertension in obese children. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 33, 439-443.
    • Luma, G. B., Spiotta, R. T. (2006). Hypertension in children and adolescents. American Family Physician, 73, 1558-1568.

    This page titled 14.23: TV and Hypertension is shared under a Public Domain license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by David Lane via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.