Association of Television Watching Practices of Mothers on Overweight and Obesity of Their Under-5 Offspring in Urban Bangladesh

Jui Das¹, Sumon Kumar Das^1,2, Shahnawaz Ahmed¹, Mohammod Jobayer Chisti¹, Mohammad Habibur Rahman Sarker¹, Fahmida Dil Farzana¹, Farzana Ferdous^1,3, Mohammad Abdul Malek¹, Aminur Rahman¹, Abu Syed Golam Faruque¹, Abdullah Al Mamun²

¹International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh.
²School of Population Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
³Department of Clinical Trial and Clinical Epidemiology, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.

DOI: 10.4236/fns.2014.519195                

Abstract

Childhood overweight and obesity, is an emerging public health concern in developing countries like Bangladesh. However, regular television watching by child’s mother and its impact on excess weight gain or overweight and obesity to their offspring is not reported elsewhere. The aim of the present analysis was to determine the socio-demographic characteristics among overweight and obese children based on those mothers who watch television regularly and compare this finding with malnourished and well-nourished under-5 children. A total of 20,800 under-5 children were enrolled during 1996 to 2012 in the Diarrheal Disease Surveillance System (DDSS) of Dhaka Hospital of International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b). Mean weight-for-age z-score (–1.61 vs. –2.30; mean difference: ?0.69; p < 0.001), height-for-age z-score (–1.42 vs. –1.99; –0.57; <0.001), weight-for-height z-score (–1.59 vs. –1.07; –0.53; <0.001), BMI-for-age z-score (–1.09 vs. –1.61, –0.52; <0.001) differed significantly between the children whose mother did and did not watch television regularly. Under-5 children whose mother watched television regularly (2%) compared to those who did not (1%), had 2.28 [(95% CI-1.61 - 3.24) p < 0.001] times increased odds of being overweight and obese. Television watching of mothers is associated with childhood overweight and obesity and is one of the most public health concerns in Bangladesh. These changes may be in part of better socio-economic condition, changes in life style behaviour and dietary pattern.

Keywords

Childhood Overweight and Obesity, Mother’s Watching of Television, Urban, Bangladesh

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Ly, K.A., Ton, T.G., Ngo, Q.V., Vo, T.T. and Fitzpatrick, A.L. (2013) Double Burden: A Cross-Sectional Survey Assessing Factors Associated with Underweight and Overweight Status in Danang, Vietnam. BMC Public Health, 13, 35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-35
[2]	Black, R.E., Victora, C.G., Walker, S.P., Bhutta, Z.A., Christian, P., de Onis, M., Ezzati, M., Grantham-McGregor, S., Katz, J., Martorell, R. and Uauy, R. (2013) Maternal and Child Undernutrition and Overweight in Low-Income and Middle-Income Countries. Lancet, 382, 427-451. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)60937-X
[3]	Shafique, S., Akhter, N., Stallkamp, G., de Pee, S., Panagides, D. and Bloem, M.W. (2007) Trends of under- and Overweight among Rural and Urban Poor Women Indicate the Double Burden of Malnutrition in Bangladesh. International Journal of Epidemiology, 36, 449-457. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyl306
[4]	Kelly, T., Yang, W., Chen, C.S., Reynolds, K. and He, J. (2008) Global Burden of Obesity in 2005 and Projections to 2030. International Journal of Obesity (London), 32, 1431-1437. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2008.102
[5]	Van Hook, J., Altman, C.E. and Balistreri, K.S. (2013) Global Patterns in Overweight among Children and Mothers in Less Developed Countries. Public Health Nutrition, 16, 573-581. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1368980012001164
[6]	Bhuiyan, M.U., Zaman, S. and Ahmed, T. (2013) Risk Factors Associated with Overweight and Obesity among Urban School Children and Adolescents in Bangladesh: A Case-Control Study. BMC Pediatrics, 13, 72.
[7]	Das, S.K., Chisti, M.J., Huq, S., Malek, M.A., Vanderlee, L., Salam, M.A., Ahmed, T., Faruque, A.S.G. and Mamun, A.A. (2013) Changing Trend of Overweight and Obesity and Their Associatied Factors in an Urban Population of Bangladesh. Food and Nutrition Sciences, 4, 678-689.
[8]	Bingham, D.D., Varela, S., Maria, I., Ferrao, M.M., Gama, A., Mourão, I.M., Nogueira, H., Marques, R.V. and Padez, C. (2013) Socio-Demographic and Behavioral Risk Factors Associated with the High Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity in Portuguese Children. American Journal of Human Biology, 25, 733-742.
[9]	El-kholy, T.A., Hassanen, N.H.M. and Hassan, R.M. (2012) Demographic, Socio-Economic Factors and Physical Activity Affecting the Nutritional Status of Young Children under Five Years. Life Science Journal, 9, 3604-3614.
[10]	Dennison, B.A., Erb, T.A. and Jenkins, P.L. (2002) Television Viewing and Television in Bedroom Associated with Overweight Risk among Low-Income Preschool Children. Pediatrics, 109, 1028-1035. http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.109.6.1028
[11]	Lissner, L., Lanfer, A., Gwozdz, W., Olafsdottir, S., Eiben, G., Moreno, L.A., Santaliestra-Pasias, A.M., Kovacs, E., Barba, G., Loit, H.-M., Kourides, Y., Pala, V., Pohlabeln, H., De Henauw, S., Buchecker, K., Ahrens, W. and Reisch, L. (2012) Television Habits in Relation to Overweight, Diet and Taste Preferences in European Children: The IDEFICS Study. European Journal of Epidemiology, 27, 705-715. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10654-012-9718-2
[12]	Mamun, A.A., O’Callaghan, M.J., Williams, G. and Najman, J.M. (2013) Television Watching from Adolescence to Adulthood and Its Association with BMI, Waist Circumference, Waist-to-Hip Ratio and Obesity: A Longitudinal Study. Public Health Nutrition, 16, 54-64. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1368980012002832
[13]	Perez, A., Hoelscher, D.M., Springer, A.E., Brown, H.S., Barroso, C.S., Kelder, S.H. and Castrucci, B.C. (2011) Physical Activity, Watching Television and the Risk of Obesity in Students, Texas, 2004-2005. Preventing Chronic Disease, 8, A61.
[14]	Al-Ghamdi, S.H. (2013) The Association between Watching Television and Obesity in Children of School-Age in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Family and Community Medicine, 20, 83-89. http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/2230-8229.114767
[15]	Das, S.K., Chisti, M.J., Huq, S., Malek, M.A., Vanderlee, L., Kaur, G., Salam, M.A., Ahmed, T., Faruque, A.S.G. and Mamun, A.A. (2013) Clinical Characteristics, Etiology and Antimicrobial Susceptibility among Overweight and Obese Individuals with Diarrhea: Observed at a Large Diarrheal Disease Hospital, Bangladesh. PLoS ONE, 8, e70402. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0070402
[16]	WHO (2013) The WHO Child Growth Standards. http://www.who.int/childgrowth/en/
[17]	NOO (2011) A Simple Guide to Classifying Body Mass Index in Children. National Obesity Observatory, on Behalf of Public Health Observatories in England.
[18]	Stoll, B.J., Glass, R.I., Huq, M.I., Khan, M.U., Holt, J.E. and Banu, H. (1982) Surveillance of Patients Attending a Diarrhoeal Disease Hospital in Bangladesh. British Medical Journal, 285, 1185-1188.
[19]	Thibault, H., Contrand, B., Saubusse, E., Baine, M. and Maurice-Tison, S. (2010) Risk Factors for Overweight and Obesity in French Adolescents: Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Parental Characteristics. Nutrition, 26, 192-200. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2009.03.015
[20]	Danielzik, S., Czerwinski-Mast, M., Langnase, K., Dilba, B. and Muller, M.J. (2004) Parental Overweight, Socioeconomic Status and High Birth Weight are the Major Determinants of Overweight and Obesity in 5-7 Year-Old Children: Baseline Data of the Kiel Obesity Prevention Study (KOPS). International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 28, 1494-1502.