Media Use in School-Aged Children and Adolescents

Purpose To investigate how exposure to sex, alcohol and violent content in mainstream and Black-oriented movies relates to corresponding adolescent behavior among Black youth from the United States and whether those relationships are moderated by ethnic identity. Methods The present study uses survey data from an online sample of 1,000 Black adolescents and content analysis ratings on top-grossing 2014 films and 2013/2014 Black-oriented films. Content-specific exposure measures for alcohol, sexual activity, and violence were calculated from self-reported exposure data and content analysis ratings. Regression analyses estimated the associations among exposures to risky health content in mainstream and Black-oriented films and adolescent behaviors as well as moderation by ethnic group identity. Results Black adolescents were mostly unaffected by exposure to risk portrayals in mainstream films, but exposure to risk in Black-oriented films was related to their behavior in all three domains. Strong group identity strengthened the relationship between exposure to sex in Black-oriented and mainstream films depending on the sexual outcome. Conclusion The type of movie (i.e., mainstream or Black-oriented) through which Black adolescents are exposed to risky health portrayals is important for its influence on their behavior, and variations by ethnic identity were limited to sex content. Future research should identify the mechanisms through which risk content in Black-oriented films is associated with Black adolescents' risky behaviors to determine how media influence contributes to behavioral disparities among youth.

Given the pervasive use of screen-based media and the high prevalence of insufficient sleep among American youth and teens, this brief report summarizes the literature on electronic media and sleep and provides research recommendations. Recent systematic reviews of the literature reveal that the vast majority of studies find an adverse association between screen-based media consumption and sleep health, primarily via delayed bedtimes and reduced total sleep duration. The underlying mechanisms of these associations likely include: (a) time displacement (i.e., time spent on screens replaces time spent sleeping and other activities); (b) psychological stimulation based on media content; and (c) the effects of light emitted from devices on circadian timing, sleep physiology, and alertness. Much of our current understanding of these processes, however, is limited by cross-sectional, observational, and self-reported data. Further experimental and observational research is needed to elucidate how the digital revolution is altering sleep and circadian rhythms across development (infancy to adulthood) as pathways to poor health, learning, and safety outcomes (e.g., obesity, depression, risk taking).

Background Individual lifestyle factors are associated with dental caries in children. The aim of this study was to investigate comprehensively the association between dental caries in elementary school children and lifestyle factors of the children and their parents. Methods Children from five elementary schools in Takaoka city, Toyama Prefecture, Japan (1,699: 848 boys, 851 girls, age range 6–12 years) participated in a survey conducted in March 2016. Questions on socioeconomic status (SES) and lifestyle factors in the children and their parents were included. Children who received treatment for three or more dental caries were defined as having many caries. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate whether these factors were associated with the number of caries. Results The percentage of children with many caries (≥3) was 38.4%. In univariate analysis, being in 5th or 6th grade, frequent snacking, short sleep duration, long hours of media use, paternal smoking, and parental skipping of breakfast were significantly associated with many caries. Lack of affluence was marginally significant. In multivariate analysis, the association of short hours of sleep and long hours of media use remained significant. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for media use of 1–2 h and more than 2 h were 1.79 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.30–2.46) and 2.24 (95% CI: 1.61–3.11) respectively. The adjusted OR for less than 8 h of sleep was 1.49 (95% CI: 1.07–2.06). Conclusions Long duration of media use and short duration of sleep were associated with dental caries. Establishing a healthy lifestyle is necessary for preventing dental caries in children.