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Thorax doi:10.1136/thx.2008.104406

Duration of television viewing in early childhood is associated with the subsequent development of asthma

  1. Andrea M Sherriff (a.sherriff{at}dental.gla.ac.uk)
  1. University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
    1. Anirban Maitra (dramaitra{at}yahoo.co.uk)
    1. Royal Victoria Hospital, Blackpool, United Kingdom
      1. Andy R Ness (a.ness{at}bris.ac.uk)
      1. University of Bristol, United Kingdom
        1. Calum Mattocks (c.mattocks{at}bristol.ac.uk)
        1. University of Bath, United Kingdom
          1. Chris Riddoch (c.riddoch{at}bath.ac.uk)
          1. University of Bath, United Kingdom
            1. John Reilly (jjr2y{at}clinmed.gla.ac.uk)
            1. University of glasgow, United Kingdom
              1. James Paton (j.y.paton{at}clinmed.gla.ac.uk)
              1. University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
                1. John Henderson (a.j.henderson{at}bris.ac.uk)
                1. University of bristol, United Kingdom
                  • Published Online First 13 March 2009

                  Abstract

                  Objectives: To investigate whether duration of television (TV) viewing in young children is associated with subsequent development of asthma.

                  Design: Prospective longitudinal cohort study.

                  Setting: Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), United Kingdom.

                  Participants: Children taking part in Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) with no wheeze up to 3 ½ years with follow up data at 11 ½ years.

                  Main outcome measures: Asthma defined as: Doctor diagnosed asthma by 7 ½ years with symptoms and/or treatment in last 12 months at 11 ½ years. Parental report of hours of children’s television viewing per day was ascertained at 39 months.

                  Results: In children asymptomatic for wheeze to 3½ years with follow up data at 11½ years, asthma prevalence was 6% (185/3065). Increased TV viewing at 3 ½ years was associated with increased prevalence of asthma at 11 ½ years (p for linear trend=0.0003). Children who watched television for more than 2 hours per day were almost twice as likely to develop asthma by 11 ½ years than those watching <2 hours TV per day (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) (95% Confidence Interval) 1.8 (1.2 to 2.6)).

                  Conclusion: Longer duration of TV viewing in children asymptomatic for wheeze at 3½ years was associated with the development of asthma in later childhood.

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