TY  - JOUR
T1  - TElevision exposure as a risk factor for aggressive behavior among 3-year-old children
AU  - Manganello JA, Taylor CA
Y1  - 2009/11/01
N1  - 10.1001/archpediatrics.2009.193
JO  - Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
SP  - 1037
EP  - 1045
VL  - 163
IS  - 11
N2  - Objective 
    To examine associations of child television (TV) exposure and household TV use with aggressive behavior among 3-year-old children while controlling for demographic characteristics and risk and protective factors for aggression.Design 
    The Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a prospective cohort study.Setting 
    Data collected at home and by telephone from parents of children born from 1998 to 2000 from 20 cities.Participants 
    Mothers who completed a 36-month in-home survey and met inclusion criteria (n = 3128).Main Exposure 
    Direct child TV exposure and household TV use were the primary explanatory variables. Additional risk factors included neighborhood disorder and maternal factors like depression.Outcome Measures 
    Childhood aggression was assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist/2-3. Multivariate linear regression models were used to examine associations between TV measures, additional risk factors, and childhood aggression.Results 
    Children who were spanked in the past month (β = 1.24, P < .001), lived in a disorderly neighborhood (β = 2.07, P < .001), and had a mother reporting depression (β = 0.92, P < .001) and parenting stress (β = 0.16, P < .001) were significantly more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior. Direct child TV exposure (β = 0.16, P < .001) and household TV use (β = 0.09, P < .001) were also significantly associated with childhood aggression, even when controlling for other factors.Conclusions 
    Three-year-old children exposed to more TV, both directly and indirectly, are at increased risk for exhibiting aggressive behavior. Further research is essential to determine whether pediatric recommendations concerning TV and children should include limits for general household TV use.
SN  - 1072-4710
M3  - doi: 10.1001/archpediatrics.2009.193
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archpediatrics.2009.193
ER  -