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Session: Exemplary Trainee Abstracts in Obesity Science Research (Poster Theater Flash Session 4)

(PTFS04-07-23) Television, Computer, Smartphone Use, and Obesity Risk: A 3-Year Follow-Up Study

Sunday, July 23, 2023
10:29 AM – 10:33 AM ET
Location:  Fairfax

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Yoonkyoung Cho, BA

    MS student in Public Health Sciences (Epidemiology and risk management)
    Department of Public Health Science, Korea University
    Seongbuk-gu, Seoul-t'ukpyolsi, Republic of Korea

    Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

    • Co-Author(s)

  • Hannah Oh, ScD, MPH (she/her/hers)

    Associate Professor
    Department of Public Health Sciences, Korea University
    Seoul, Seoul-t'ukpyolsi, Republic of Korea

  • Hajin Jang, MPH in Public Health Sciences

    Researcher
    Interdisciplinary program in precision public health, Department of Public Health Sciences, Korea University
    Seongbukgu, Seoul-t'ukpyolsi, Republic of Korea

Disclosure(s):
Yoonkyoung Cho, BA: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
Hannah Oh, ScD, MPH: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
Objectives: Previous studies have shown that prolonged television watching is associated with higher risk of obesity. However, little is known about the association with modern types of screen device use, such as computer and smartphone use. In this study, we examined the associations of television watching, computer use, and smartphone use with obesity risk among Korean adolescents, using a 3-year prospective cohort design.

Methods: The study included 4,085 adolescents (2,024 4th grade and 2,061 7th grade students) who were not obese at baseline and participated in the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey from 2018 to 2021. Time spent using smartphones, computers, and watching TV were self-reported at baseline. Combined screen time was calculated by summing the time spent on all three screen devices. Obesity incidence was defined as those who had BMI ≥95 percentiles for age and sex according to the Korean national growth chart. We performed multivariable logistic regression models to estimate odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the association between screen time and obesity risk, adjusting for potential confounders.

Results: During a 3-year follow-up (2018-2021), 294 new obese cases developed among 4,085 participants. Among 4th grade students, combined screen time (≥240 vs. 0-119 min/d) were significantly positively associated with obesity risk (OR=1.73, 95% CI=1.06-2.83). Smartphone use (≥180 vs. 1-59 min/d: OR=1.42, 95% CI=0.75-2.66) and TV watching (OR=2.71, 95% CI=1.49-4.93) were also positively associated with obesity risk but the association was statistically significant for TV watching only. Among 7th grade students, TV watching (OR=1.49, 95% CI=0.73-3.08), computer (OR=1.64, 95% CI=0.91-2.94), and smartphone use (OR=1.11, 95% CI=0.67-1.82) were positively associated with obesity risk but the associations were not statistically significant.

Conclusions: Our data suggest that prolonged screen time, including television watching, computer and smartphone use, are associated with an increased risk of obesity among Korean adolescents. Given the increased use of screen devices among adolescents, preventive strategies should focus on providing guidance for developing healthy screen use behaviors.

Funding Sources: This work was supported by BK21 Four Institute of Precision Public Health and National Research Foundation of Korea.