Last updated 12 October 2010
Children who spend prolonged lengths of time sat in front of a TV or computer screen are at heightened risk of developing psychological problems, scientists have suggested.
A team working at the University of Bristol looked into the entertainment habits, as well as the mental health, of more than 1,000 ten-year-olds, with parents asked to answer a range of questions covering issues such as attention levels, behavioural problems and emotional intelligence.
They found that those children who tended to spend two hours or more in front of a screen on a daily basis were generally more likely to suffer from psychological problems than those who spent more time engaged in activities such as reading or doing homework.
At the same time, the research also served to suggest that physical activity does not compensate for long spells of time spent sedentary in front of a screen.
Lead researcher Dr Angie Page noted: 'Whilst low levels of screen viewing may not be problematic, we cannot rely on physical activity to compensate for long hours of screen viewing.'
News of these latest study findings come soon after a team of scientists working at Cardiff University published a paper arguing that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is caused more by genetics than by lifestyle issues
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