Skip to main content

Influence of physical activity and screen time on the retinal microvasculature in young children.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Gopinath, B; Baur, LA; Wang, JJ; Hardy, LL; Teber, E; Kifley, A; Wong, TY; Mitchell, P
Published in: Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol
May 2011

OBJECTIVE: It is not clear whether physical activity and sedentary behavior affect retinal microvascular caliber. We investigated associations among physical activity (outdoor and indoor sporting activities), sedentary behaviors (including screen time, television [TV] viewing, and computer and videogame usage), and retinal microvascular caliber in schoolchildren. METHODS AND RESULTS: Six-year-old students (1765/2238) from a random cluster sample of 34 Sydney schools were examined. Parents completed questionnaires about physical and sedentary activities. Retinal images were taken, and retinal vessel caliber was quantified. After adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, eye color, axial length, body mass index, birth weight, and mean arterial blood pressure, children who spent more time in outdoor sporting activities (in the highest tertile of activity) had 2.2 μm (95% CI 0.65 to 3.71) wider mean retinal arteriolar caliber than those in the lowest tertile (Ptrend=0.004). Increasing quartiles of time spent watching TV were associated with narrower mean retinal arteriolar caliber≈2.3 μm (95% CI 0.73 to 3.92), Ptrend=0.003. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that physical activity could have a beneficial influence, whereas screen time has a potential adverse influence on retinal microvascular structure. The magnitude of arteriolar narrowing associated with each hour daily of TV viewing is similar to that associated with a 10-mm Hg increase in systolic blood pressure in children.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol

DOI

EISSN

1524-4636

Publication Date

May 2011

Volume

31

Issue

5

Start / End Page

1233 / 1239

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Video Games
  • Time Factors
  • Television
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Sedentary Behavior
  • Risk Factors
  • Risk Assessment
  • Retinal Vessels
  • New South Wales
  • Microvessels
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Gopinath, B., Baur, L. A., Wang, J. J., Hardy, L. L., Teber, E., Kifley, A., … Mitchell, P. (2011). Influence of physical activity and screen time on the retinal microvasculature in young children. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, 31(5), 1233–1239. https://doi.org/10.1161/ATVBAHA.110.219451
Gopinath, Bamini, Louise A. Baur, Jie Jin Wang, Louise L. Hardy, Erdahl Teber, Annette Kifley, Tien Y. Wong, and Paul Mitchell. “Influence of physical activity and screen time on the retinal microvasculature in young children.Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 31, no. 5 (May 2011): 1233–39. https://doi.org/10.1161/ATVBAHA.110.219451.
Gopinath B, Baur LA, Wang JJ, Hardy LL, Teber E, Kifley A, et al. Influence of physical activity and screen time on the retinal microvasculature in young children. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2011 May;31(5):1233–9.
Gopinath, Bamini, et al. “Influence of physical activity and screen time on the retinal microvasculature in young children.Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, vol. 31, no. 5, May 2011, pp. 1233–39. Pubmed, doi:10.1161/ATVBAHA.110.219451.
Gopinath B, Baur LA, Wang JJ, Hardy LL, Teber E, Kifley A, Wong TY, Mitchell P. Influence of physical activity and screen time on the retinal microvasculature in young children. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2011 May;31(5):1233–1239.

Published In

Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol

DOI

EISSN

1524-4636

Publication Date

May 2011

Volume

31

Issue

5

Start / End Page

1233 / 1239

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Video Games
  • Time Factors
  • Television
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Sedentary Behavior
  • Risk Factors
  • Risk Assessment
  • Retinal Vessels
  • New South Wales
  • Microvessels