Mealtime media use and cardiometabolic risk in children

Objectives: To examine the association between mealtime media use and non-HDL-cholesterol as well as other markers of cardiometabolic risk (CMR) in children. Design: A repeated measures study design was used to examine the association between mealtime media use and CMR outcomes. Multivariable linear regression with generalised estimating equations was used to examine the association between mealtime media use and CMR outcomes. Analyses were stratified a priori by age groups (1-4 and 5-13 years). Setting: The TARGet Kids! Practice-based research network in Toronto, Canada. Participants: 2117 children aged 1-13 years were included in the analysis. Results: After adjusting for covariates, there was no evidence that total mealtime media use was associated with non-HDL-cholesterol in 1-4 year olds (P = 0 center dot 10) or 5-13 year olds (P = 0 center dot 29). Each additional meal with media per week was associated with decreased HDL-cholesterol in 5-13 year olds (-0 center dot 006 mmol/l; 95 % CI -0 center dot 009, -0 center dot 002; P = 0 center dot 003) and log-TAG in 1-4 year olds (beta = -0 center dot 004; 95 % CI -0 center dot 008, -0 center dot 00009; P = 0 center dot 04). Media use during breakfast was associated with decreased HDL-cholesterol in 5-13 year olds (-0 center dot 012 mmol/l; 95 % CI -0 center dot 02, -0 center dot 004; P = 0 center dot 002), while media during lunch was associated with decreased log-TAG (-0 center dot 01 mmol/l; 95 % CI -0 center dot 03, -0 center dot 002; P = 0 center dot 03) in children aged 1-4 years. Total mealtime media use was not associated with total cholesterol, glucose or insulin in either age group. Conclusions: Mealtime media use may be associated with unfavourable lipid profiles through effects on HDL-cholesterol in school-aged children but likely not in pre-schoolers.