How Screen Time Affects Greek Schoolchildren’s Eating Habits and Sleep?

Background: Television (TV), video games, PC and devices such as tablets and smart phones have become part of everyday life at an ever-younger age. Increased screen time correlates with unhealthy eating habits and reduced sleep duration among children. Methods: 374 children aged 9-12 years and their parents (n=159), from 3 schools in Lemnos and 5 schools in Thessaloniki, Greece, took part in this cross-sectional study. The children completed the KIDMED score and a questionnaire about their physical activity, time spent watching TV, PC and playing electronic games, the frequency of cooking or shopping with their parents, the frequency of eating fast food and soft drinks. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSSS-29.0, using One Way ANOVA, T-test, Cross Tabulation, Reliability Statistics, Bivariate, Bonferoni, Post-hoc, Kolmogorov – Smirnov and Pearson chi-square. Results: There was a statistically significant difference between soft drinks consumption and hours of television viewing (p=0.03). A statistically significant difference detected between television (p=0,024), video games (p=0,028), all screen categories (p=0,011) and fast-food consumption. The more hours children spent in front of screens, the less adherence they had to the Mediterranean Diet. Sleep hours and screen time were correlated (p=0.002). Conclusions: The results suggest that screen time seem to be interrelated and affect children’s eating behaviors and sleep duration. The study concluded that the longer the screen time the unhealthier dietary habits and lifestyle profile have schoolchildren. Future research should focus on reducing screen time, as a means of improving dietary patterns, sleeping and potentially reducing childhood obesity.