Associations between objective ly measured total sedentary time and indicators of adiposity and motor development were predominantly null .
Associations between screen time and indicators of adiposity , motor or cognitive development , and psychosocial health were primarily unfavourable or null .
Associations between time spent seated ( e.g. , in car seats or strollers ) or in the supine position , and indicators of adiposity and motor development , were primarily unfavourable or null .
Conclusions These findings continue to support the importance of minimizing screen time for disease prevention and health promotion in the early years , but also highlight the potential cognitive benefits of interactive non-screen-based sedentary behaviours such as reading and storytelling .
Background The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the relationships between  sedentary behaviour ( SB ) and health indicators in children aged 0 to 4 years , and to determine what doses of SB ( i.e. , duration , patterns [ frequency , interruptions ] , and type ) were associated with health indicators .
Television viewing and change in body fat from preschool to early adolescence: The Framingham Children's Study
OBJECTIVE : To prospect ively examine the relation between television watching and body fat change in children from preschool to early adolescence . METHODS : In a longitudinal study , 106 children were enrolled during preschool years ( mean age 4.0 y ) and followed into early adolescence ( mean age 11.1 y ) . Parents completed an annual question naire on the child 's television and video habits .  Body mass index ( BMI ) , triceps skinfolds , and sum of five skinfolds were recorded yearly at annual clinic visits . Longitudinal statistical analyses were carried out using mixed modeling procedures to control for potential confounding by a number of factors . RESULTS : Television watching was an independent predictor of the change in the child 's BMI , triceps , and sum of five skinfolds throughout childhood . Its effect was only slightly attenuated by controlling for the baseline body fat , level of physical activity ( as measured repeatedly by Caltrac accelerometer ) , percent of calories from fat , total calorie intake , or the parents ' BMI or education . By age 11 , children who watched 3.0 h or more of television per day had a mean sum of skinfolds of 106.2 mm , compared with a mean sum of skinfolds of 76.5 mm for those who watched less than 1.75 h per day ( P=0.007 ) . Furthermore , the adverse effect of television viewing was worse for those children who were also sedentary or had a higher-fat diet . CONCLUSIONS : Children who watched the most television during childhood had the greatest increase in body fat over time . Healthy lifestyle education design ed to prevent obesity and its consequences should target television-watching habits of children
Associations between objective ly measured total sedentary time and indicators of adiposity and motor development were predominantly null .
Associations between screen time and indicators of adiposity , motor or cognitive development , and psychosocial health were primarily unfavourable or null .
Associations between time spent seated ( e.g. , in car seats or strollers ) or in the supine position , and indicators of adiposity and motor development , were primarily unfavourable or null .
Conclusions These findings continue to support the importance of minimizing screen time for disease prevention and health promotion in the early years , but also highlight the potential cognitive benefits of interactive non-screen-based sedentary behaviours such as reading and storytelling .
Background The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the relationships between  sedentary behaviour ( SB ) and health indicators in children aged 0 to 4 years , and to determine what doses of SB ( i.e. , duration , patterns [ frequency , interruptions ] , and type ) were associated with health indicators .