1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«[T]his study specifically examines the degree to which televiewing at age 2 predicts dietary habits, BMI [body mass index], overall screen time, and student engagement at age 13.» (p. 25)

Questions/Hypothèses :
«It is hypothesized that early televiewing time will forecast less optimal nutritional intake, body weight, screen time, and student engagement in early adolescence.» (p. 25)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«Participants are from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development coordinated by the Institute de la Statistique du Québec [...]. The predictor variable was collected at age 2 from a subsample of 1985 participants (986 girls and 999 boys) [...].» (p. 25) Les parents ont répondu à des questions concernant les pratiques télévisuelles alors que les adolescents ont répondu à des questions concernant leurs habitudes alimentaires.

Instruments :
Questionnaires

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

Results show that «[i]n preschool, parents use screen time as a reward and as a distraction to establish quiet idling at a teachable moment when children could be learning self-control […]. In fact, using distraction as a reward to help children behave in situations where they should be learning self-control might actually reward distraction. [T]his begins a trajectory that uses distraction when faced with demands for cognitive effort. Rewarding distraction and low mental effort, through greater investment in entertainment as a diversion in adolescence, might influence school commitment and perseverance […]. This supports the existing AAP [American Academy of Pediatrics] guidelines of not > 2 daily hours of discretionary time for school age children to ensure healthy developmental trajectories in adolescence. [Which means that] televiewing beyond the recommended daily allowance of 1 h forecasted less optimal lifestyle habits in early adolescence. Every additional hour of televiewing [that the parents permitted] at age 2 was associated with an average of 12.6% unit decreases of breakfast consumption, 16% unit increases of BMI, 13% unit increases of unhealthy food intake, 9.3% unit increases of concurrent screen time, and 9% unit decreases of student engagement at age 13. This reinforces the importance [for the parents to] respect the new AAP preschool guidelines.» (p. 27)