研究：“屏幕時間”過多會影響兒童健康

英國衛生部下屬機構——英國公共衛生日前發佈研究報告稱，看電視、碟片，以及玩電腦遊戲時間過長會影響兒童的身心健康。有證據表明，長時間“盯屏幕”的孩子出現情緒沮喪、焦慮和抑鬱等狀況的機率更高。此前已有醫生指出，兒童缺乏鍛鍊會導致更多不健康的生活方式，目前英國11歲的兒童中有三分之一爲超重或肥胖。研究發現，每天玩電腦遊戲時間在一小時以內的孩子幸福感是每天玩遊戲四小時以上孩子的三倍。衛生部意在通過這一系列研究證據讓人們知道，參加體育活動會讓孩子學習時注意力更集中，與同學關係更融洽，同時減少憂慮、抑鬱等狀況的出現。

該報告還引述聯合國兒童基金會近期發佈的一份報告稱，全球29個富裕國家中，英國兒童的健康狀況排名第16位。報告指出，英國11歲、13歲和15歲的青少年每個工作日看電視時間超過2小時的比例分別爲62%、71%和68%；而瑞士三個年齡段青少年的這一比例均低於35%。

Spending too much time in front of television, DVDs and computer games is taking its toll on children's physical and mental health, according to a government-commissioned report published on Wednesday.

Public Health England says there is evidence that children who spend more time watching screens tend to have higher levels of emotional distress, anxiety and depression.

The agency, which is using the data as the basis of a campaign to encourage families to adopt healthier behaviour, claims over 70% of young people did not undertake the recommended daily hour of physical activity.

The research echoes concerns raised by doctors last week that children's lack of exercise was leading to more unhealthy lifestyles. A third of 11-year-olds are now either overweight or obese.

The proportion of young people with a low estimation of their own wellbeing almost doubles from 14% to 24% between 11 and 15, according to the independent NatCen Social Research organisation, which presented new analysis of a broad set of data for the Department of Health.

Young people who spent less than one hour a day playing computer games were almost three times more likely to say they enjoyed good wellbeing as those who played four hours or more, according to the research.

Similarly those who shared an evening meal with their family on at least six days a week were more likely to be happy about their circumstances.

Government health leaders are using such evidence, only the latest in a growing library, to bolster their message that more physical activity will make children more likely to concentrate in school, enjoy better relationships with classmates and be less worried, anxious or depressed.

The latest report uses data from the Millenium Cohort study of children born in 2000 by the Institute of Education in London, and the UK Household Longitudinal Study, led by Essex University. It was commissioned by the Department of Health in England to inform public health policy and help its executive agency Public Health England (PHE)and local councils deliver the Change4Life programme, a key element in official attempts to "nudge" rather than dictate behavioural change in the population.

Other evidence being cited by the PHE includes a recent Unicef report which put the UK 16th among 29 of the world's richest countries for children's wellbeing.

It said 62% of 11-year-olds, 71% of 13-year-olds and 68% of 15-year-olds reported watching more than two hours TV every weekday, compared with Switzerland where the figure was less than 35% across all three age groups. In England, the proportion of young people playing computer games for two hours or more a night increased from 42% to 55% among boys and 14% to 20% among girls between 2006 and 2010, said the WHO's survey on health behaviour in school-aged children.