Children’s screen time linked to poorer diet adherence in new study

Confirming earlier concerns, a new study shows that children who spend more time on video games and streaming are less likely to follow the Mediterranean diet, reinforcing the importance of managing screen time.

Study: Media Usage and Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in Children. Image Credit: Pressmaster / Shutterstock.com

A recent study published in the journal Nutrients explores how different forms of media usage among children were linked to poorer eating patterns, specifically adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD).

The health impact of screen time on children

Over the past several years, digital media use has risen exponentially, particularly among children and adolescents who are exposed to multiple types and forms of digital content across many different devices and platforms. Increased exposure to digital media, including video games, streaming platforms, and social media, can negatively impact health, academic performance, and cognitive and emotional skills.

Screen time in children has been negatively associated with unhealthy eating habits, including irregular or skipped meals and the mindless consumption of junk foods and beverages that are high in energy but have low nutritious value. Various factors are involved in this association, including the child’s attraction to unhealthy foods due to frequently seeing advertisements for these products, the tendency to skip meals when engrossed with the screen, increased late-night snacking, and sedentary behaviors.

Adolescence is a period during which increased nutrient consumption is crucial. However, the greater freedom acquired during adolescence can lead to the increased consumption of junk food, with less-than-ideal amounts of fruit, vegetables, and dairy, accompanied by excessive salt, sugar, and fat intake.

MD is associated with numerous health benefits, including a reduced risk of metabolic and immune dysfunction, as well as neurological disorders. In addition to its direct health benefits, the MD also supports social well-being by encouraging families to eat together and enjoy mealtimes, which is particularly important during childhood.

Previous studies have indicated that children with increased screen time are less likely to follow the MD. To further explore this association, the current study’s researchers explored how digital usage impacts MD adherence in children.

Study overview

The current study included 332 children between 10 and 11 years of age, all in their fifth year of primary school in the same town in Italy. The study participants’ daily eating patterns were assessed in a survey of their mothers using the KidMed questionnaire.

The KidMed survey was provided between March and May 2023 as part of the primary school health program called ‘Le Buone Abitudini’ (Healthy Habits), which focuses on healthy food habits.

Mothers were also asked about their children’s duration of media usage. After adjusting for confounding factors, the data were analyzed for possible associations.

Digital media habits: How children spend their screen time

Over 86% of children moderately followed the MD. About 67% of the study cohort were of regular weight, whereas 18.4%, 10.7%, and 4.3% were considered overweight, obese, or underweight, respectively.

About 30% of the study cohort had less than one hour of homework daily, while 67.5% had over one hour of time dedicated to homework. Although 35.6% of study participants did not participate in any out-of-school activity, 83.4% of the study cohort participated in at least one sport.

The study cohort’s primary digital activities included watching television or streaming videos and other content from streaming platforms, which occupied an average of five hours each week. An average of 2.5 and 2.3 hours were spent watching video content and playing digital games each week, respectively.

Media use was not associated with a significant impact on adherence to the MD. However, children who played digital games and watched television or streaming content exhibited lower adherence to the Mediterranean diet. This corroborates earlier research identifying reduced healthy eating patterns among children as their screen time increases.

Television and streaming content viewership is likely associated with specific factors predisposing children to poor eating, such as mindless eating, excessive sedentary time, and unplanned meals. Advertisements on streaming platforms are particularly concerning, as they are often targeted to specific audiences.

With digital games, children become more sedentary, sleep less, have poorer sleep quality, and become less aware of themselves. These factors may explain why increased time spent playing video games impacts adherence to a healthy diet.

Screen time linked to poorer eating habits

Increased time watching television or streaming digital content, as well as playing digital games, is negatively associated with healthy eating in children. Thus, the widespread availability of portable digital devices and their incorporation into an increasing number of daily activities, including academic tasks and social communication, emphasizes the importance of investigating these devices’ impact on children’s health habits, including eating.

Providing parents with recommendations on children’s use of digital media devices can empower them to improve their children’s well-being.”