To examine the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between television viewing and preferred food choices in a sample of ethnic minority, low income adolescents. Eleven to fourteen year olds watch 3+ hours of television daily and are exposed to ~50,000+ television advertisements annually . It has been suggested that television viewing influences obesity risk because advertising disproportionately promotes high-calorie, low-nutrient food that lead to increased energy intake . he higher rates of overweight in minority children may be partially explained by their greater volume of television viewing as compared to white youth . This increased exposure is potentially compounded in that more nutrient-poor food advertisements (i.e., fast food/candy/soda) appear during programs that target ethnic minorities than programs for the general public. However, the longitudinal associations between screen time and snacking have not been fully examined in minority children. If interventions reduced adolescentsâ television viewing time, such interventions could positively impact eating habits and thereby reduce adolescentâs risk for obesity.
Television Viewing and Food Choice Patterns in a Sample of Predominantly Ethnic Minority Youth
Daheia J Barr-Anderson
Last date updated on June, 2014
