Recent research suggests that sedentary behaviours have detrimental effects on the health and well-being of children, including effects on obesity. Specifically, television viewing is consistently associated with childhood obesity. Two explanations have been proposed: 1) reduced energy expenditure, and 2) increased food intake. However, it has been suggested that the association between television viewing and childhood obesity may be better explained by an increase in energy intake than by a reduction in energy expenditure. To date, children of different weight status have not been compared in their dietary patterns in front of the television, and it is not known if total sedentary time is linked with food intake in children. The objectives of this thesis are: 1) to determine if obese children consume food more frequently while watching television than normal weight children, and 2) to examine which of television viewing or total sedentary time better predicts dietary patterns in children. Overall, our results re-affirm the notion that television viewing is associated with obesity, although physical activity plays a role in this association. Also, children who are obese consume fast food and fruits/vegetables more frequently during television watching than normal weight children. Furthermore, television viewing appears to be a better predictor of dietary patterns in children than overall sedentary time. Globally, these results provide evidence for the deleterious effects of television viewing on children’s dietary patterns and justification for future intervention studies designed to reduce television viewing in children with obesity.

This dissertation examines possible differences in media habits and tastes between Christians and non-Christians. The study utilizes data from singles Internet personal advertisements to determine whether or not Christians, especially those with high levels of religiosity or who may be part of the Christian Right, have different television viewing patterns. Three models were developed using multivariate data analysis and logistic regression to examine Christians' television viewing habits regarding reality shows, soap operas, and news. The first model looks at the viewing habits of Christians, the second model examines the viewing habits of Christians attending religious services at least monthly, and the third model analyzes the viewing habits of Christians attending religious services at least monthly and having conservative political views. No significant differences were found in viewing habits between Christians and non-Christians for any of the three models. Although the results of this study cannot be generalized to Christians as a whole, they suggest that Christians in this sample might have adopted secular practices with regard to their television viewing habits.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between media use and body image in senior citizens. This study specifically targeted older people who participate in regular physical activity. Seniors participating in the 2006 Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah were surveyed concerning current body image and total media use. The sample included 691 participants. Lower body image scores were recorded among seniors who watched greater amounts of television. Magazine readership and body image displayed no relationship among men or women. Total media use did not influence body image scores among seniors. Male participants exhibited a stronger relationship than female participants between television use and low body image scores. Results indicated that males were vulnerable to messages targeting body image in a similar way to that of females. The findings of this study suggest that individuals may still be influenced by ultra thin images prevalent in media well into their older years.

Yes / Aim of research: to describe TV viewing trajectories from age 5 to 40 months

This thesis reports the results of a study designed to investigate the influence of exposure to televised medical dramas on perceptions of medical miracles. Four hundred and eighty-one college students participated in a survey in which they responded to different questions about their medical drama viewership and their different beliefs with regard to medical miracles. Results found that heavy medical drama viewers perceived belief in medical miracles to be less normal than non-viewers. Similarly, heavy viewers perceived medical miracles to occur less often than non-viewers. Interestingly, heavy viewers perceived medical dramas to be less credible than non-viewers. In addition, this study found that personal experience with medical miracles affected responses across all three measured viewership levels. The study concludes that, when compared to no exposure to medical dramas, heavy exposure has the potential for creating a more realistic view of medical miracles. Future research should continue to study genre-specific cultivation effects with regard to health perceptions.

Television viewing is one of the most easily modifiable causes of obesity among children. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between body composition and TV viewing among adolescents attending high schools in the Tlokwe municipality area of the North West province of South Africa. A cross-sectional study design which is part of the Physical Activity and Health Longitudinal Study (PAHLS) was followed on 154 learners (58 boys and 96 girls) who were aged 14 years in the Tlokwe municipality area. All the learners underwent anthropometric measurements of height, weight, and two skinfolds (triceps and subscapular skinfolds). Percentage body fat (%BF) was calculated from the two skinfolds according to Slaughter‟s et al. (1988) equation. Children were classified into three groups (viz. normal, overweight and obese) according to BMI cut-off point suggested by Cole et al. (2000). Pearson correlation coefficients were used to determine the relationship between television viewing and body composition. The results show respectively high prevalence of overweight and obesity in girls (10.4%; 6.3%) as compared to the prevalence of 5% overweight in boys. With regard to TV viewing, the results show that 54% of the total group watch TV more than two hours a day, while only 11% watched TV less than one hour a day. The results show that the group that watches TV for more than 3 hours had high BMI (21.27kg/m²) and body mass (51.54kg). The group that watches TV for 1-2 hours had low BMI (18.36kg/m²) and body mass (44.79kg). There was a statisitcal significant relationship between BMI and body mass (p=0.001). A significant positive relationship between body mass and TV viewing (r=0.56; p=0.05) in overweight group was found, whilst in the obese group strong significant positive relationship was observed between percentage body fat and TV viewieng (r=0.94; p=0.01). It can be concluded that girls were more overweight and obese respectively as compared to the boys. Furthermore, both boys and girls had high percentages of TV viewing for more than two hours a day. In addition, the results indicated that adolescents who watched TV more than 3 hours are heavier and fatter. Therefore, it is recommended that parents and educational heads should encourage periods of daily physical activity. In addition, it is also important that parents play a more positive role in limiting the amount of hours their children spent watching television. / Thesis (MA (Biokinetics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Television viewing is one of the most easily modifiable causes of obesity among children. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between body composition and TV viewing among adolescents attending high schools in the Tlokwe municipality area of the North West province of South Africa. A cross-sectional study design which is part of the Physical Activity and Health Longitudinal Study (PAHLS) was followed on 154 learners (58 boys and 96 girls) who were aged 14 years in the Tlokwe municipality area. All the learners underwent anthropometric measurements of height, weight, and two skinfolds (triceps and subscapular skinfolds). Percentage body fat (%BF) was calculated from the two skinfolds according to Slaughter‟s et al. (1988) equation. Children were classified into three groups (viz. normal, overweight and obese) according to BMI cut-off point suggested by Cole et al. (2000). Pearson correlation coefficients were used to determine the relationship between television viewing and body composition. The results show respectively high prevalence of overweight and obesity in girls (10.4%; 6.3%) as compared to the prevalence of 5% overweight in boys. With regard to TV viewing, the results show that 54% of the total group watch TV more than two hours a day, while only 11% watched TV less than one hour a day. The results show that the group that watches TV for more than 3 hours had high BMI (21.27kg/m²) and body mass (51.54kg). The group that watches TV for 1-2 hours had low BMI (18.36kg/m²) and body mass (44.79kg). There was a statisitcal significant relationship between BMI and body mass (p=0.001). A significant positive relationship between body mass and TV viewing (r=0.56; p=0.05) in overweight group was found, whilst in the obese group strong significant positive relationship was observed between percentage body fat and TV viewieng (r=0.94; p=0.01). It can be concluded that girls were more overweight and obese respectively as compared to the boys. Furthermore, both boys and girls had high percentages of TV viewing for more than two hours a day. In addition, the results indicated that adolescents who watched TV more than 3 hours are heavier and fatter. Therefore, it is recommended that parents and educational heads should encourage periods of daily physical activity. In addition, it is also important that parents play a more positive role in limiting the amount of hours their children spent watching television. / Thesis (MA (Biokinetics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

There is a growing public health concern over the effects that sedentary lifestyles are having on the health of young people, particularly in relation to overweight and obesity. This thesis presents five studies which examine the prevalence, incidence and determinants of sedentary behaviour among youth. The rationale for eachs tudy derives from a framework of behaviourale. pidemiology applied to physical activity and health. Study I presents four systematic reviews of literature. The first review presents a descriptive epidemiology of youth sedentary behaviour. The second review presents a summary of empirical correlates of television viewing, the most prevalent sedentary behaviour among young people. 'Me third and fourth reviews present quantitative syntheses of empirical relationships between television viewing and body composition (review 3) and sedentary behaviour and physical activity (review 4). Study 2 examines the prevalence and interrelationships among different sedentary behaviours and physical activity in a cross-nationa(l USA & UK) sample of 2,494 youth ages 11-15. Study 3 uses a qualitative strategy to generate a grounded framework from which to understand the choices young people make about how to spend their free-time. Study 4 adopts a micro-behavioural approach for understandingt he incidence and temporal patterning of sedentary behaviour among 162 adolescents (age 13-16). Study 5 presents an evaluation of a behaviour change theory useful for increasing levels of physical activity and reducing sedentary behaviour. Sedentary behaviour and physical activity do not appear to be two sides of the same coin and appear to have different sets of determinants. This is an important finding becausee fforts to increase levels of physical activity may not reduce levels of sedentary behaviour. While television viewing, video games and computer use are consistent referents in the academic and media panic surrounding youth inactivity, it is unlikely that these behaviours play a substantialr ole in epidemiologic trends of adolescent overweight and obesity. Further study should attempt to examine how contemporary lifestyles contribute to the growing prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents.

This qualitative study examined whether a connection exists between children with emotional disorders consumption of traditional entertainment media and their subsequent vegative/anti-social classroom behavior. Research participants included six first-grade children diagnosed with an emotional disorder and their teacher. They were interviewed using a semi-structured approach. The students were observed in the natural setting of their classroom for a total of twenty-four hours, over a four-day period. Transcripts and classroom observations were analyzed, looking for connections between behavior and consumption of traditional entertainment media. Findings from this study concluded that these students used traditional entertainment media as a method of temporally escaping from the environment of their respective households.

No description available.