Television and Attention Deficit Disorder
Television has long been condemned as the cause of short attention
spans among children and teens, but a new study conducted by
Seattle's Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center suggests
that television viewing among toddlers may increase the chances of
Attention Deficit Disorder problems later in development.
The Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center of Seattle
published this press release outlining the results of a recent
study linking excess television watching in toddlers to Attention
Deficit Disorder Hyperactivity behavior as a child. The
Seattle Times published a more
in-depth article about the television and Attention Deficit
Disorder study.
Researchers found that every hour of
television watching as a toddler increased chances by 10 percent
of developing Attention Deficit Disorder Hyperactivity symptoms as
a child. While this study connects television watching to
Attention Deficit Disorder Hyperactivity behavior in the child,
other studies show an association with obesity and aggressiveness.
This study tracked 2,623 toddlers and confirms American Academy of
Pediatrics recommendations to keep children under the age of 2
from watching television.
Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center consistently ranks
as one of the best children’s hospitals in the country by U.S.
News & World Report and Child magazines and serves as the
pediatric referral center for Washington, Alaska, Montana and
Idaho. Children’s serves as the primary pediatric teaching site
for the University of Washington School of Medicine.
4/5/2004 Study Finds Link Between Television Viewing and
Attention Problems in Children - Seattle, WA: Early television
exposure in children ages 1-3 is associated with attention
problems at age 7, according to a study from Children’s Hospital
and Regional Medical Center in Seattle published in the April
issue of PEDIATRICS. The study revealed that each hour of
television watched per day at ages 1-3 increases the risk of
attention problems, such as ADHD, by almost 10 percent at age 7.
The study controls for other attributes of the home environment
including cognitive stimulation and emotional support.
The findings also suggest that preventive action can be taken to
minimize the risk of attention problems in children. Limiting
young children’s exposure to television during the formative years
of brain development, consistent with the American Academy of
Pediatrics’ (AAP) recommendations, may reduce a child’s subsequent
risk of developing ADHD. The AAP recommends parents avoid letting
their children under the age of 2 years watch television and that
parents exert caution – such as setting limits on TV viewing,
helping children develop media literacy skills to question,
analyze and evaluate TV messages, and taking an active role in
their children’s TV viewing – in children over the age of 2.
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects between 4
to 12 percent of children in the United States, and is the most
common behavioral disorder in children.
The study, led by Dimitri Christakis, MD, MPH, a pediatric
researcher at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in
Seattle, did not look at the content of the television programs.
“This study suggests that there is a significant and important
association between early exposure to television and subsequent
attentional problems,” said Christakis, who is also director of
the Child Health Institute and an associate professor at the
University of Washington School of Medicine. “We know from
national estimates that children watch an average of 2-3 hours of
television a day in the 1-3 year old age group and that as many as
30 percent of all children have a television in their bedroom.
There is a tremendous and growing reliance on television for a
variety of reasons. However, parents should be advised to limit
their young child’s television viewing.”
This national study adds
inattention to the list of harmful consequences of excessive
television viewing that also includes obesity and violent
behavior. Children ages 1-3 were chosen to participate because
their brains are still developing rapidly, and symptoms of
attentional problems, such as ADHD, do not typically manifest in
children until later years.
