Daily HealthBeat Tip - April 07, 2008

Teens and bedroom TV

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

A TV in the bedroom could be a bad thing for a teenager.

Researcher Daheia Barr-Anderson of the University of Minnesota looked at survey data. She found almost two thirds of older teens had a bedroom TV.

Those with TVs had fewer meals with their families and spent more time watching TV. Girls did less vigorous physical activity. Boys had lower grade point averages.

Barr-Anderson advises against putting TVs in kids’ rooms.  If one is already there, getting it out could be tough. But she says:

``The parents may get some backlash from the children but I think it’s for the betterment of the child’s health. And so the parents should move forward and remove that TV from the bedroom.’’ (7 seconds)

The study in the journal Pediatrics was supported by HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: April, 04 2008