Longitudinal association between television watching and computer use and risk markers in diabetes in the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study

Background: The study provides evidence of the longitudinal association between screen time with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and cardiovascular risk markers among youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Objective: To examine the longitudinal relationship of screen time with HbA1c and serum lipids among youth with diabetes.

Subjects: Youth with T1D and T2D.

Methods: We followed up 1049 youth (≥10 yr old) with recently diagnosed T1D and T2D participating in the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study.

Results: Increased television watching on weekdays and during the week over time was associated with larger increases in HbA1c among youth with T1D and T2D (p-value <0.05). Among youth with T1D, significant longitudinal associations were observed between television watching and TG (p-value <0.05) (week days and whole week), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c, p-value <0.05) (whole week). For example, for youth who watched 1 h of television per weekday at the outset and 3 h per weekday 5 yr later, the longitudinal model predicted greater absolute increases in HbA1c (2.19% for T1D and 2.16% for T2D); whereas for youth who watched television 3 h per weekday at the outset and 1 h per weekday 5 yr later, the model predicted lesser absolute increases in HbA1c (2.08% for T1D and 1.06% for T2D).

Conclusions: Youth with T2D who increased their television watching over time vs. those who decreased it had larger increases in HbA1c over 5 yr. Youth with T1D who increased their television watching over time had increases in LDL-c, TG, and to a lesser extent HbA1c.