Effects of Screen-based Sedentary Activities on Energy Intake (ESSAY)

Comparative effects of television, computer games, and video games on acute energy intake in boys aged 9-12 years: a randomised crossover trial

Status

Not yet recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ANZCTR

Registry ID

ACTRN12612001103853

Acronym

ESSAY

Enrollment

Registered

2012-10-16

Start date

2012-11-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2020-01-13

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

None listed

Brief summary

More than one third of NZ children and young people are overweight or obese. Young people spend an average of 3h 40 min/day engaged in screen-based sedentary activities, such as watching TV, which have been linked to overweight. Proposed mechanisms to explain this relationship include the effects of advertising and displacement of physical activity; however, the adverse effects of screen-based activities on food intake provide the strongest evidence to explain the relationship. Recent research suggests that children may eat more while watching TV and playing video games compared with sitting quietly. However, no studies have compared the effects of different screen-based activities on food intake. This study aims to compare the effects of television viewing, sedentary video game play, and computer game play on food and drink intake in children and adolescents. A better understanding of how food consumption differs between these activities will help inform future programs aimed at decreasing sedentary behaviours and body weight.

Interventions

Subjects will be exposed to three 1-h conditions in random order: watching television, sedentary video game play, and computer game play. Television is considered the exposure condition. During each condition the subject will have access to a variety or food and drink. Each subject will undergo a 1-week washout period between conditions.

Study design

Allocation

Randomised controlled trial

Intervention model

Crossover

Primary purpose

Prevention

Masking

Open (masking not used)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

Male

Age

9 Years to 12 Years

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

1. Aged 9-12 years 2. Healthy, normal-weight (5th percentile to less than 85th percentile) boys 3. Able to provide informed consent 4. Able to read and understand English

Exclusion criteria

1. Unstable body weight during the previous 6 months (defined as a change in body weight of at least 4kg) 2. Inability to understand and/or comply with study protocol 3. Known food allergies

Outcome results