Effect of electronic time monitors on children's television watching: Pilot trial of a home-based intervention

Parental influences on television watching among children living on the Texas–Mexico border

“…Parental TV rules may be specifically relevant for children who have a TV in their bedroom. Future intervention research on parental TV limits may be informed by research on the efficacy of electronic time monitors in reducing children's TV watching time (Ni Mhurchu et al, 2009) as well as research on authoritative parenting style, which has been found to be inversely associated with a range of youth risk behaviors (Simons-Morton and Hartos, 2002).…”

A Review of Different Behavior Modification Strategies Designed to Reduce Sedentary Screen Behaviors in Children

“…Five studies combined the use of an optional electronic TV monitoring device (i.e., TV Allowances or Token TV) with behavioral modification strategies [49, 54–57]. While the electronic TV monitoring devices were attached to participants' TVs, they were not a mandatory part of the intervention treatment.…”

“…In another study [55], although not significant, the treatment group children reduced TV media use by 0.41 h/day in comparison to an increase of 0.10 h/day in the control group. In the third study that did not reach significance [57], the treatment group decreased TV viewing by 0.60 h/day and the control group's daily TV viewing did not change (−0.01 h/day). The three studies that did not significantly reduce media use used a similar number of behavior modification strategies, but they were shorter in duration than the two that did reduce media use.…”

“…The validity and the sensitivity of the different questionnaires to detect change in television viewing habits may vary by the age of the child and whether the parent or the child does the reporting [51]. Measuring sedentary screen behaviors via self-report is prone to reporting and measurement bias [57]. In households where TV provides background noise to daily activities, parent or child perceptions of “watching time” could be different [74].…”

Time machines: A promising attempt to reduce TV watching

“…Firstly, TV watching has become part of multitasking involving mobile phones, computers, and TV; and secondly, sedentary behaviors, overeating, and obesity are closely correlated (e.g., Swinburn and Shelly, 2008). This is why we find the pilot trial reported by Ni Mhurchu et al (2009) in this month's issue of Preventive Medicine so promising. The authors randomized 29 children aged 9 to 12 years who usually watch TV more than 20 h per week into two groups.…”