CHILDHOOD WELLBEING & MEDIA USAGE JD felt California State University, Dominguez Hills
Presentation outline Childhood wellbeing (ChW) What is it? What does ChW mean to you? Media & technology usage (M&T) What is it? What does M&T have to do with ChW? Our Study Why, what, how, & who Discussion, conclusion & recommendations
Childhood wellbeing Wellbeing; what it is & what its not Optimal mental & physical health (Heady, Holmstrom, & Wearing, 1984) Not absence of illness (WHO, 1999) How ChW relates to ill-being (Heady, Holmstrom, & Wearing, 1984)
Childhood wellbeing What do we know about kid’s health today? Obesity, poor eating habits, inactivity Type II diabetes ADHD ASD Stress, anxiety, & depression (CDC, 2008; Lawlor et al, 2005; Puhl et al, 2007; Nestle, 2005; O’Dea et al, 2006)
M&T usage… What is it? Online usage Other computer use IM Talk on the phone Videogame console Texting Online games Listen to music Watch TV Watch DVD’s Technological toys Handheld games
M&T usage and ChW Average media usage: 6.5 Hours/day Child BMI’s: Approximately 50% of the sample at risk for overweight or obese Poor eating habits & low phys. activity (Dehghan, Akhtar-Danesh, & Merchant, 2005). Tobacco, drugs, & alcohol, low academic achievement, sexual behavior, & ADHD (Nunez-Smith, Emanuel, & Gross, (2008).
WHY? Higher levels of M&T usage will predict lower levels of ChW Greater M&T usage will promote more unhealthy eating which will in turn further increase childhood ill- being
Basic Model Adult age Adult gender Adult education Median income Ethnicity Child age Child gender Media Usage Unhealthy Eating Ill-being
What & Who? Online survey 380 parents of children aged 6 months - 12 years Ethnic background Gender & age SES
How? Total M&T usage, average hours/day Typical Dietary Intake Healthy & Unhealthy variables Childhood Ill-being
Typical Dietary Intake Milk Water Diet drinks Regular soda Energy drinks Coffee drinks Fruits/veggies Home cooked meals Fast food Dairy and egg products Seafood Pork Beef Chicken/turkey Fried foods
Childhood Ill-being Diabetes High/low blood pressure Cancer Heart disease Allergies Sleeping issues Headaches Stomach aches Bowel issues Limb/joint pain Depression Anxiety Stress Over/under eating Attention issues Antisocial behavior Anger, violence, emotional out bursts Sleeping issues Number of sick days/year
Basic Model Adult age Adult gender Adult education Median income Ethnicity Child age Child gender Media Usage Unhealthy Eating Ill-being
Results Correlational analysis Media Usage Childhood Ill-being Unhealthy Eating.47***.27***.37***
Result Regressional analysis Media Usage Childhood Ill-being Unhealthy Eating.27*** NS.28***
Result Detailed Regression Adult age Adult gender Adult education Median income Ethnicity Child age Child gender Media Usage Unhealthy Eating Ill-being -.13* -.11*.54***.27***.28*** NS
Discussion The pervasive nature of media and technology usage has a moderational effect on the relationship between eating behaviors and wellbeing, rendering it insignificant
Conclusion Limitations Correlational study Self-report Generalizability Suggestions Empirical studies Accurate measurements Focus on physical activity and medications
R ecommendations DECREASE MEDIA USAGE Increase physical activity Encourage healthy eating habits, especially vegetable intake and home cooked meals Discourage unhealthy eating habits like consuming fast foods, fried foods, soda and coffee drinks, and meat consumption.
Implications Media Usage Childhood Wellbeing
THANKS! Lynn Roxanne Joanne Steven Alex Syrah Helen Scott WPA George Marsh Applied Cognition Laboratory Dr. Larry Rosen Dr. Mark Carrier Prof. Nancy Cheever