Children ‘risking bone health by watching too much TV’

A new study has indicated that children who spend a lot of time watching TV may be at risk of poorer bone health in later life.

The Australian research, carried out by Curtin University and the University of Western Australia, examined 1,181 participants and monitored the number of hours of TV they watched at the ages of five, eight, ten, 14, 17 and 20.

It was shown that children who consistently watched 14 hours or more of television per week had lower overall bone mineral content than those who watched less television, suggesting that sedentary living is harming their bone health.

This trend persisted even after adjusting for height, body mass, physical activity, calcium intake, vitamin D levels, alcohol and smoking habits at the age of 20.

The authors wrote: "Since attainment of optimal peak bone mass is protective against osteoporosis later in life, reducing sedentary time in children may have long-term skeletal benefits."

Findings from this study mirrored those of a paper published in BMJ Open last year, which indicated that weekend screen time can be linked to poorer bone health in teenage boys.