Over two hours screen time a day may raise a child's blood pressure

Conclusion The study found a worryingly high incidence of high blood pressure in children of just over 10%, instead of the expected 5%. It also found that low levels of physical activity and high levels of “screen time” raised the risk. Although researchers adjusted their analysis for a range of other factors which might affect blood pressure (called confounders), it is always possible that other unmeasured factors could have affected the results. In addition, the study was reliant on parental estimates of the amount of sedentary behaviour their children had per day, which may be an over- or underestimate. Wearing the accelerometer may also have influenced the amount of physical activity that was performed on those days, which could also affect the results. It’s generally agreed that many of today’s children spend too much time in front of a screen – and too little on physical activity. The real question is – what can we do about it?   Children are more likely to accept changes to their lifestyle if they involve the whole family.  Read more about getting healthy as a family. Also, evidence has shown that placing limits on the use of any type of screen equipment in the hours before bedtime can improve the quality of their sleep. This could then help them improve their energy and activity levels during the day. Read more about how TVs, phones and screens impair kids' sleep. Analysis by Bazian. Edited by NHS Choices. Follow Behind the Headlines on Twitter. Join...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Heart/lungs Lifestyle/exercise Pregnancy/child Source Type: news