Center on Media and Child Health

Research Wrap-Up: Recently Published Studies-June 28

Check out recently published studies on children, media, and health which explore a range of topics:

Carroll, A. E., DiMeglio, L. A. et al. (2011). Using a cell phone-based glucose monitoring system for adolescent diabetes management. Diabetes Educ, 37(1): 59-66.

• This study was successful in demonstrating that cell phone glucose monitoring technology can be used in an adolescent population to track and assist in self-monitoring behavior. The authors speculate that explicitly attempting to change behavior, perhaps with the use of behavioral contracts, would enhance the technology's ability to improve outcomes.

Christakis, D. A., Moreno, M. M.  et al. (2011). Problematic Internet usage in US college students: A pilot study. BMC Med,  9(1): 77. FULL TEXT.  

• The authors found that the prevalence of problematic Internet use reported in this study is lower than that which has been reported in other studies, however the at-risk population is very high and preventative measures are also recommended.

Council on Communications and Media. (2011). Children, adolescents, obesity, and the media. Pediatrics. Available Online June 27. 

• Based on sufficient evidence, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a ban on junk-food or fast-food advertising in children's TV programming. Pediatricians need to ask 2 questions about media use at every well-child or well-adolescent visit: (1) How much screen time is being spent per day? and (2) Is there a TV set or Internet connection in the child's bedroom?

Guy, S., Ratzki-Leewing, A. et al. (2011). Moving beyond the stigma: Systematic review of video games and their potential to combat obesity. Int J Hypertens, vol. 2011, 13 pages. FULL TEXT. 

• Results of studies concerned with children, video games, physical, and/or nutritional outcomes showed some benefit (increased physical activity and nutritional knowledge as a result of gaming) demonstrate the possibility of video games to combat childhood obesity—looking beyond the stigma attached to gaming.

Peng, W., Lin, J. H.  et al. (2011). Is playing exergames really exercising? A meta-analysis of energy expenditure in active video games. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. Available Online June 13. 

• This study found that the effect sizes of playing active video games (AVGs) on heart rate, oxygen consumption, and energy expenditure were similar to traditional physical activities. AVG type and player age were significant moderators for the effects of AVGs. The finding suggests that AVGs are effective technologies that may facilitate light- to moderate-intensity physical activity promotion.

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

Research Toolbox: Copyright Resources

Have you ever had a question about copyright but was unsure where to find reliable information about it? Here is a list of great copyright resources that are sure to help. 

• The U.S. Copyright Office provides access to the Copyright law  itself and  a catalog  of works registered with the office since 1978, as well as, more general information including a copyright basics page and FAQ page. 

• The University of Texas Libraries developed a Copyright Crash Course , which is an excellent resource for researchers. The course has information about who owns your work, how to manage your copyrights, negotiating with publishers, and more. 

• Children’s Hospital Library Blog  has a new feature called Copyright Corner. Check out their first two posts on general copyright protection and fair use. 

• The Lamar Soutter Library at UMass Medical School has a guide to copyright issues including links to specific resources on open access journals, using images, obtaining permission, and much more. 

Research Wrap-Up: Recently Published Studies-June 7

Check out recently published studies on children, media, and health which explore a range of topics:

Calado, M., Lameiras, M., et al. (2011). The association between exposure to mass media and body dissatisfaction among Spanish adolescents. Women's Health Issues. Available online June 5. 

• This study found that mass media exposure to a specific kind of content, rather than to total exposure frequency, was more associated with body dissatisfaction in females versus males. The authors conclude that there does not seem to be a clear association between media exposure and body dissatisfaction.

Dong, G., Lu, Q. et al. (2011). Pecursor or sequela: Pathological disorders in people with Internet addiction disorder. PLoS ONE, 6(2): e14703. FULL TEXT. 

• The study authors could not find a solid pathological predictor for Internet addiction disorder. Internet addiction disorder may bring some pathological problems to the addicts in some ways.

Ralph, L.J., Berglas, L.F., et al. (2011). Finding teens in TheirSpace: Using social networking sites to connect youth to sexual health services. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 8(1): 38-49. FULL TEXT. 

• This study indicates that SNS and other technologies have strong potential for reaching diverse youth with critical health information when implemented as part of a comprehensive outreach strategy.

Steffgen, G., König, A, et al. (2011). Are cyberbullies less empathic? Adolescents' cyberbullying behavior and empathic responsiveness. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. Available online May 9. 

• This study found that cyberbullies demonstrated less empathic responsiveness than non-cyberbullies. In addition, cyberbullies were also more afraid of becoming victims of cyberbullying. The findings confirm and substantially extend the research on the relationship between empathy and aggressive behavior. From an educational point of view, the present findings suggest that training of empathy skills might be an important tool to decrease cyberbullying.

Whitaker, J. L. & Bushman, B.J. (2011). "Remain calm. Be kind." Effects of relaxing video games on aggressive and prosocial behavior. Social Psychological and Personality Science. Avaiable online May 23. 

• The study authors found that compared to those who played violent or neutral video games, those who played relaxing video games were less aggressive and more helpful. Playing a relaxing video game put people in a good mood, and those in a good mood were more helpful.

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