Center on Media and Child Health

Research Wrap-Up: Recently Published Studies-June 29

New published studies on children, media, and health which explore a range of topics:

Carson, V.; Spence, J.C.; Cutumisu, N. &  Cargill, L. (2010). Association between neighborhood socioeconomic status and screen time among pre-school children: A cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health. 10(1), 367. Available online June 24. FREE ARTICLE

• The authors found that girls living in low SES neighborhoods engaged in significantly more weekly overall screen time and TV/movie minutes compared to girls living in high SES neighborhoods. The same relationship was not observed in boys. Children living in low SES neighborhoods were significantly more likely to be video game users and less likely to be computer users compared to children living in high SES neighborhoods.

Elliott, P.; et al. (2010). Mobile phone base stations and early childhood cancers: Case-control study. BMJ, Published online 22 June.

• This study found no association between risk of early childhood cancers and estimates of the mother’s exposure to mobile phone base stations during pregnancy.

Lemmens, J.S., Valkenburg, P.M., & Peter, J. (2010).The effects of pathological gaming on aggressive behavior. J Youth Adolesc. Available online June 13.

• The authors’ found that higher levels of pathological gaming predicted an increase in time spent playing games 6 months later. Time spent playing violent games specifically, and not just games per se,  increased physical aggression.

Millington, B. & Wilson, B. (2010). Context masculinities: Media consumption, physical education, and youth identities. American Behavioral Scientist, 53(11), 1669-1688.

• The authors of this study argue that youth are flexible in their interpretations/performances of masculinity according to context however, their critiques of gender portrayals are limited by structures that normalize hegemonic masculinities.

Torsheim, T.; Eriksson, L.; Schnohr, C.W.; Fredrik Hansen, F.; Bjarnason, T. & Valimaa, R. (2010). Screen-based activities and physical complaints among adolescents from the Nordic countries. BMC Public Health, 10, 324. FREE ARTICLE

• The observed associations indicate that time spent on screen-based activity is a contributing factor to physical complaints among young people, and that effects accumulate across different types of screen-based activities

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Use the free CMCH Database of Research to find other studies on children, media, and health

Research Toolbox: Upcoming Conferences

Save the dates! To help you keep track of relevant conferences and events, here is a list of upcoming conferences from around the world that may be of interest.

Conferences

• 9th International Conference of the Learning Sciences, June 29-July 2 2010, Chicago, IL

• American Academy of Pediatrics, October 2-5 2010, San Francisco, CA

• European Communication Research and Education Association, October 12-15 2010,
  Hamburg, Germany

• 3rd Congress of the European Academy of Paediatric Societies,  October 23 -26 2010, Copenhagen, Denmark

• National Communication Association, November 14-17 2010, San Francisco, CA

• Media and Learning 2010, November 25-26 2010, Brussels, Belgium

• Excellence in Paediatrics,  December 2-5 2010, London, UK
  

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Let us know if you know about any conference or event of interest that you would like us to post.

Research Wrap-Up: Recently Published Studies-June 22

New published studies on children, media, and health which explore a range of topics:

Bonetti, L., Campbell, M.A.;  &  Gilmore, L. (2010). The Relationship of loneliness and social anxiety with children's and adolescents' online communication. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. 13(3), 279-285.

• The study results suggest that Internet usage allows children and adolescents to fulfill critical needs of social interactions, self-disclosure, and identity exploration.

Borzekowski, D.L.G., Schenk, S., Wilson, J.L.; & Peebles, R. (2010). e-Ana and e-Mia: A content analysis of pro–eating disorder web sites. Am J Public Health, available online June 17.

• This study concluded that pro–eating disorder Web sites present graphic material to encourage, support, and motivate site users to continue their efforts with anorexia and bulimia.

Carlson, S.A.; Fulton, J.E.; Lee, S.M;, Foley, J.T.; Heitzler, C.; Huhman, M. (2010). Influence of limit-setting and participation in physical activity on youth screen time. Pediatrics, available online June 14.

• Parental rules regarding screen time and participation in physical activity play a role in the amount of screen time among children and adolescents. Programs that encourage limit-setting by parents and promote physical activity may reduce screen time among youth.

Roberto, C.A.;  Baik, J. ; Harris, J.L.; & Brownell, K.D.(2010). Influence of licensed characters on children's taste and snack preferences. Pediatrics, available online June 21.

• The study findings conclude that branding food packages with licensed characters substantially influences young children's taste preferences and snack selection and does so most strongly for energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods.

Tondeu, J. (2010). ICT as cultural capital: The relationship between socio-economic status and the computer-use profile of young people. New Media & Society, available online June 21

• The results of this study indicate that the existing differences in socioeconomic status on computer-use of school students profile are not sufficiently marked to deduce that ICT can be seen as an indicator of differing cultural capital.

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Use the free CMCH Database of Research to find other studies on children, media, and health

Research Wrap-Up: Recently Published Studies-June 17

New published studies on children, media, and health which explore a range of topics:

Bersamin, M. M.; Bourdeau, B.; Fisher, D.A.; &  Grube, J.W. (2010). Television use, sexual behavior, and relationship status at last oral  sex and vaginal intercourse. Sexuality & Culture: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly,14(2), 157-168. 

• The study results indicate that sexually inexperienced youth watched more television overall than sexually experienced youth however, sexually active youth watched more cable television and were more likely to be in casual relationship at last intercourse than a committed one.

Carlson, S.A., Fulton, J.E.; Lee, S.M.;Foley, J.T. ; Heitzler, C.; & Huhman, M.(2010). Influence of limit-setting and participation in physical activity on youth screen time. Pediatrics, Available online June 14.

• Parental rules regarding screen time and participation in physical activity play a role in the amount of screen time among children and adolescents. Programs that encourage limit-setting by parents and promote physical activity may reduce screen time among youth.

Helmrich, B. H. (2010). Window of opportunity? Adolescence, music, and algebra. Journal of Adolescent Research,  25(4), 557-577.

• This study found that students enrolled in formal instrumental or choral music instruction during middle school did better in algebra than  those who experienced neither of those modes of musical instruction.

Linebarger, D.L & Vaala, S.E. (2010). Screen media and language development in infants and toddlers: An ecological perspective. Developmental Review, 30(2), 176-202.

• This study revealed that infants and toddlers can learn from screen media depending on how the media content resembles infants’ and toddlers’ real-life experiences including the use of simple stories and familiar objects or routines. It also revealed that the presence of a co-viewer appears to boost babies’ language learning from screen media.

Springer, A.E. et al (2010). Parental influences on television watching among children living on the Texas-Mexico border. Preventive Medicine, Available online 1 June 2010

• This study found that children who had TV rules were on average 1.5 times more likely to meet the AAP recommendation for weekend and weekday TV watching,       

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Use the free CMCH Database of Research to find other studies on children, media, and health

The Representation of Twins In the Media

This post was written by guest blogger Shelly Vaziri Flais, MD, FAAP. She is the author of the American Academy of Pediatrics book Raising Twins, From Pregnancy to Preschool – Advice from a Pediatrician Mom of Twins.  She also blogs at www.pediatricianmomoftwins.blogspot.com

As a child, I attended school with a pair of identical twins, and naively wondered if they could read each other’s minds.  Later on as a middle-schooler, my friends and I devoured the Sweet Valley High book series about the Wakefield twins, which later ran as a television series, and is buzzed to be a movie in the works. In the common "good twin/bad twin" stereotype, Elizabeth was a “good girl,” but Jessica often schemed and showed her wild side.  I had limited exposure to twins in the real world, yet viewed plenty of dramatic representations on TV (Super Friends: “Wonder Twin powers activate!”) and in the movies (Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining famously using the image of twins as a sign of foreboding). As a result of what I read and saw in media, I perceived twins to be magical and mysterious.

Raising Twins
Fast-forward a couple of decades later: I am now a lucky mom of 4, including a set of identical twins.  Twins are more common today than ever before; the twin birth rate rose 42% between 1990 and 2004.  If you are not a parent of twins, you likely know someone who is.  Each of my twins is a complex, textured individual with a unique identity, and knowing each boy within the depth of our parent-child relationship, I understand that being a twin is only one facet of their hundreds of interesting personal quirks. 

Our own preconceived ideas, as reinforced by decades of what we've seen and heard in the media, can shape our parenting style.  In the case of twins, some of us may bring our newborns home from the hospital thinking that it is “standard twin procedure” to dress the babies alike from day 1.  On the contrary, I advise parents to make efforts starting in the early years to nurture each of their twins as an individual.  Yes, there have been countless twins featured on TV and in movies who dress identically, but I recommend making such parenting decisions independent of the media's tendency to treat twins as a “unit.”  Simple daily steps that emphasize the individuality of each of your kids benefits their self-esteem and healthy emotional growth in the long run.

What Media Can and Do Teach Us about Others
Kids’ perceptions of themselves and of the people around them are influenced by media portrayals of gender, race, ethnicity, disability, class, sexuality, and other identities. An important role we play as parents is helping our kids responsibly navigate and interpret what they see in the media.  Watch programming with your kids, and discuss, in an age-appropriate way, different characters and how they are portrayed.  Are all twins jokesters like Fred and George Weasley in the Harry Potter series? Or good and evil counterparts such as PBS Kids’ Ruff and Scruff Ruffman?  If you know a set of twins in your circle of extended family or friends, use them as real-world examples.

Not all media representations are negative or misleading, and with a little homework, parents can even use TV or movies as an educational tool.  For example, when Dora the Explorer became a big sister, she was surprised to gain not one, but two new siblings (boy-girl twins)!  This Dora episode is a helpful way to prepare a preschooler who will soon become a big sibling to multiples.  Look for positive, realistic, and age-appropriate examples of characters when watching programming with your kids.  If you see a scenario that doesn’t agree with your family’s principles, use it as a talking point to discuss the issue.             

Media surround us, and parents can use them selectively and wisely to open family discussions about human behaviors and interaction. Most importantly, emphasize to your kids that each of us has a unique spirit that defines who we really are. 

Research Toolbox: Primary Source Data

Without a doubt, the internet has made the researcher’s life much easier. Researchers interested in primary source data can now access compiled data online from various respected agencies. Below is a short list of resources for you, if you are interested in primary source data, to compile, analyze, and utilize in whichever way serves your research interests best. 

• Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System  
  

A service from the CDC, the YBRSS monitors priority health-risk behaviors and the prevalence of obesity and asthma among youth and young adults. This database includes information from national school-based surveys, as well as state, territorial, tribal, and local health and education agencies. 

• State Health Facts

As the URL name implies, here you will find pertinent health information compiled by state and by category. Categories include: Demographics and the Economy, Medicare, HIV/AIDS, Women’s Health, Minority Health and many others. 

• U.S. Expenditures and Utilization

The Medical Expenditures Panel Survey or MEPS, has statistics on national health care use, expenditures, sources of payment, and insurance coverage for the US non-institutionalized, civilian population. 

• Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

The CDC and NCCD bring you WEAT, Web Enabled Analysis Tool, which can be used to analyze data from the BRFSS, the world’s largest telephone survey that tracks health risks in the United States. The site features two modes for data analysis: cross tabulation analysis and logistic analysis. 

• General Demographics and U.S. Facts

The US Census Bureau has been collecting population data for years, and it is available to you online, for free. Data sets include the Decennial Census, American Community Survey, Puerto Rico Community Survey, Annual Population Estimates, Economic Census and the Annual Economic Survey. 

• Health Data Tools and Statistics Library

This link takes you to a list of state and local public health data sets. Some of the featured sets include America’s Health Ratings from the United Health Foundation and Children of Immigrants Data Tool, from the Urban Institute, among others. 

• Comprehensive List of Health Data, Tools, and Statistics

From the NIH, here is an exhaustive collection of links to data sets from US Government and non-governmental agencies. Information included in the list ranges from the FedStats program, Social Security Administration Data, and VA Data Sources to the Evidence Database on Aging Care from the New York Academy of Medicine. 

• U.S. Global Health Policy

The Kaiser Family Foundation offers a picture of global health with fast facts, and a more in-depth look at health statistics worldwide with data by country, and by topic. The site features a tool that allows you to make your own custom data sheet. 

• Mortality, Morbidity, Risk Factors, and Health Systems Data

The World Health Organization links to its section on Data and Statistics, and highlights special projects. Also, WHO offers a list of databases from which data can be gathered—like the Global Health Observatory and Regional Statistics. 

• Communicable Diseases Data

In a single electronic platform, the WHO’s Communicable Disease Global Atlas is bringing together for analysis and comparison standardized data and statistics for infectious diseases at country, regional, and global levels.

• Demographic and Health Survey Data

DHS or the Demographic and Health Surveys has been collecting data since 1984 in order to plan, monitor and improve, population, health, and nutrition programs. Representative data in the areas of fertility, family planning, maternal and child health, gender, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and nutrition are available at this site. 

Research Toolbox: Children, Media, and Health Blogs

Blogs (short for web logs) are a great informal way to keep up with current research and news. Here's a list of blogs with a focus on children, media, parenting, and health.

• Annie's Fox Blog

This blog offers thoughts about teens, tweens, parenting and education.

• Ask The Mediatrician-Center on Media and Child Health, Children's Hospital Boston

Dr. Michael Rich answers questions about media and health and provides parents science-based answers and practical solutions that can help the children in your life use media in ways that can enrich their development.

• Crianças & Midia (Portuguese)

This blogger from Brazil offers an international focus on issues about children and youth, learning, education, and technology.

• Dads and Daughters

This is the spot for thoughts and reflections about the unique and powerful relationships between daughters and their fathers and stepfathers.

• iKeepSafe

This is the blog for the Internet Keep Safe Coalition, a broad partnership of governors and/or first spouses, attorneys general, public health and educational professionals, law enforcement, and industry leaders working together for the health and safety of youth online.  iKeepSafe® uses these unique partnerships to disseminate safety resources to families worldwide.

• NetFamilyNews

This blog covers issues such as online safety and privacy news and tools, new technologies and Web resources for kids and research about kids' use of digital media.

• Shaping Youth

This blog offers a forum to learn more about media and marketing's influence on kids.

• Thrive- Children's Hospital Boston

This blog is devoted to all things pediatric health care and scientific research. It offers perspectives from Children’s experts on the latest pediatric health news, the latest cutting-edge research impacting the health of kids and adults alike and videos about Children's patients and families.

• Young People's Media Network

This blog is full of information about youth media organizations and young people working in and with the media.

Research Wrap-Up: Recently Published Studies-June 1

New published studies on children, media, and health which explore a range of topics:

Allahverdipour, H., Bazargan, M., Farhadinasab, A.,& Moeini, B. (2010). Correlates of video games playing among adolescents in an Islamic country. BMC Public Health, 10(1), 286.

• This study demonstrates a relationship between video game playing and mental health outcomes, with "moderate" gamers faring best and "excessive" gamers showing mild increases in problematic behaviors. Almost half of participants reported that they had played one or more intensely violent games.

Bingham, P.M., Bates, J.H.T., Thompson-Figueroa, J., & Lahiri, T. (2010). A Breath biofeedback computer game for children with cystic fibrosis. Clinical Pediatrics, 49(4), 337-342.

• The researchers concluded that an electronic breath game is safe and can improve breath awareness among children with CF. This technology could also contribute to awareness of respiratory symptoms and foster social ties among CF patients.

Dixon, R., Maddison, R., Mhurchu, C.N.,  Jull, A. Meagher-Lundberg, P., & Widdowson, D.(2010).
Parents’ and children’s perceptions of active video games: A focus group study. Child Health Care, 14(2), 189-199.

• This study found that playing Active Video Games (AVG)  may be a useful means of addressing inactivity and obesity in children. According to parents, barriers are associated with the cost of AVGs and lack of space in the home to play the games. According to children, long-term engagement depended on game content and child age.

Lemal, M., &  Van den Bulck, J. (2010).Television news coverage about cervical cancer: Impact on female viewers' vulnerability perceptions and fear. Eur J Public Health, Available May 26.

• The study results suggest that television news may be an effective means for health education. Women (ages 18-85) who had been regularly exposure to cervical cancer messages were also three times more likely to perceive a moderate risk and seven times more likely to perceive a large risk of being diagnosed with cervical cancer.

Martinez-Gomez, D., et al. (2010). Excessive TV viewing and cardiovascular disease risk factors in adolescents. The AVENA cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 10(1), 274.

• This study determined that excessive television (TV) viewing might play an important role in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adolescence. Researchers found that over 20%  of participants were overweight and had less favorable values of HDL-cholesterol.

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Use the free CMCH Database of Research to find other studies on children, media, and health