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Screen time among Canadian adults: A profile

by Margot Shields and Mark S. Tremblay

Keywords
The data
Findings
Authors

Keywords

computer use, health behaviour, sedentary behaviour, television

The data

The data are from the 2007 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), which covers the household population aged 12 years or older. Residents of Indian reserves, institutions and some remote areas; full-time members of the Canadian Forces; and all residents (military and civilian) of Canadian Forces bases were excluded. Interviews were conducted from January through December, 2007. [Full text]

Findings

Substantial increases in the prevalence of obesity over the past 25 years underscore the importance of identifying and understanding behaviour correlates of obesity. A recent study of adults based on data from the 2007 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) found evidence that screen time (time spent viewing television and using computers) was positively associated with obesity, inactive leisure time and a poor diet. [Full text]

Authors

Margot Shields (613-951-4177; Margot.Shields@statcan.gc.ca) is with the Health Information and Research Division and Mark S. Tremblay (613-951-4385; Mark.Tremblay@statcan.gc.ca) is with the Physical Health Measures Division at Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0T6 and the Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, K1H 8L1.