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Study Links TV to Child Asthma Risk

Young kids who watch more than 2 hours a day twice as likely to develop asthma

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Mar 3, 2009 3:03 AM CST

(Newser) – Young children who watch over two hours of television a day are twice as likely to develop asthma later in childhood. Researchers, who tracked the health of 3,000 children from birth to 11, believe that the TV-watching is symptomatic of sedentary lifestyles, the BBC reports. They speculate that more exercise very early in life helps children develop more robust lungs.

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (2)]

A new study has found that young children who watch more than two hours of television a day are twice as likely to develop asthma later in childhood. (BBC)

Evan Ewing, 4, works out in Placentia, Calif. Researchers believe exercise very early in life helps children develop stronger lungs. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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We think the problem is inactivity, not watching TV. TV is simply the best marker for this. There may be a window in early in life when activity does something to protect the lungs.
- Study co-author James Paton of the University of Glasgow

This study is the first to directly link sedentary behaviour at a very young age to a higher risk of asthma later in childhood. - Dr Elaine Vickers of Asthma UK

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Study Links TV to Child Asthma Risk