Highlights
- •Increased screen time is associated with an increased risk of MetS among children and adolescents.
- •High-level screen time was associated with a statistically significant 58% increase in odds of MetS among children and adolescents.
- •There was a 29% increase in odds of MetS per 2 h of screen time per day.
- •More research is needed considering the type of screen time and study design.
Abstract
Aims
The metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its consequences are one of the main public health
challenges worldwide. We conducted a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis
of studies that examined the association between screen time and the MetS among children
and adolescents.
Data synthesis
A systematic search was conducted using electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus,
ProQuest, and Cochrane Library, for studies published from 1963 up to 2 May 2022.
In this systematic review and meta-analysis, observational studies with cross-sectional,
case-control, and cohort design evaluating the association between screen time and
MetS were included. Random effects models and linear and nonlinear dose-response meta-analyses
were used to pool study results.
Results
Seven studies were included in the meta-analysis. The summary OR of MetS among children
and adolescents for the highest vs. lowest time of screen time was 1.64 (95% CI: 1.32–2.03,
with little evidence of heterogeneity, I2 = 9.3%, P-heterogeneity = 0.35, n = 7 studies) and 1.64 (95% CI: 1.27–2.12, I2 = 27.7%, n = 6) for cross-sectional studies. Results persisted across several additional
subgroup analyses. There was a linear positive association between screen time and
the risk of MetS (P dose-response < 0.0001; P nonlinearity = 0.64) with an OR of 1.29 (95% CI: 1.12–1.46) per 2 h/day increment in screen time.
Conclusion
The current dose-response meta-analysis suggested that increased screen time is associated
with an increased risk of MetS among children and adolescents. Public health strategies
may target unhealthy screen-based related behaviors to halt the development of MetS
among children and adolescents.
Keywords
Abbreviations:
MetS (metabolic syndrome), BMI (body mass index), PA (physical activity), TV (television), AHRQ (Healthcare Research and Quality), OR (odds ratio), CI (confidence interval), MESH (Medical Subject Heading), ATP (III) (National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel), CVD (cardiovascular diseases)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 14, 2022
Accepted:
August 3,
2022
Received in revised form:
July 27,
2022
Received:
January 24,
2022
Handling Editor: A. SianiIdentification
Copyright
© 2022 The Italian Diabetes Society, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.