TV and AD/HD

*There is no meaningful relationship between television exposure and
symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.*

Pediatrics. 2006 Mar;117(3):665-72

Authors: Stevens T, Mulsow M

OBJECTIVE: The recent but methodologically limited longitudinal study of
the adverse attentional effects of television viewing in early childhood
suggests a possible association. The purpose of the present study was to
extend this investigation to a more current sample of kindergarten
students using structural equation modeling, which allows for the
simultaneous evaluation of predictors.

METHODS: Two samples were randomly selected from nationally
representative data collected from the Early Childhood Longitudinal
Study. A structural equation model was developed positing a relationship
between kindergartners' television exposure and subsequent first-grade
symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) while
controlling for variables related to socioeconomic status and parent
involvement. Variables were selected rather than developed and do not
include an acceptable measure of ADHD, which limited the scope of the
measures used. The model was tested by using the first sample and then
cross-validated to the second sample.

RESULTS: Although the adequate fit of the model to the data suggests
that children's television exposure during kindergarten was related to
symptoms of ADHD during the first grade, the amount of variance
accounted for in the ADHD-symptoms variable revealed television exposure
as a weak predictor of later ADHD symptoms. Effect sizes for the
relationship between television exposure and symptoms of ADHD were close
to zero and not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS: Methodologic issues, including participant age, the
measurement of ADHD symptoms, and evaluation of the importance of
variables, may explain the differences between the present study and the
results of others who have found television exposure to be related to
attention problems. The measurement of ADHD symptoms through the use of
longitudinal databases is an important limitation, because only a small
number of items can be selected to represent symptoms. Future research
is necessary to address these issues.

PMID: 16510645 [PubMed - in process]

Mark Probert wrote:
*There is no meaningful relationship between television exposure and
symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.*

[snip]

TRANSLATION: The ways by which a person can be distracted in our
socitey are extensive and protracted ...

Read a book
Play a computer game
Take up cooking as a hobby
Go rambling ...
Usenet

YAUS ( Yet Another Useless Study )

... Typical.

Raving Loonie