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Table 2 Family and home environment and likelihood of adolescents watching television ≥ 2 hours/day.

From: Family and home correlates of television viewing in 12–13 year old adolescents: The Nepean Study

Explanatory variables

Prevalence (%) ≥ 2 hrs TV/day (n)

OR (95% CI)†

Family characteristics

Socioeconomic status

  

   Low

76.5 (26)

1.0

   Middle

65.2 (146)

0.6 (0.3, 1.3)

   High

62.7 (52)

0.5 (0.2, 1.3)

Parental status

   Dual parents

66.1 (199)

1.0

   Single parent

64.3 (27)

0.9 (0.5, 1.8)

Siblings

   No

47.8 (11)

1.0

   Yes

67.2 (215)

2.2 (1.0, 5.2)

Family television/video/DVD viewing practices

Mother

  

   < 2 hrs/day

60.2 (148)

1.0

   ≥ 2 hrs/day

79.3 (73)

2.5 (1.5, 4.5)*

Father

  

   < 2 hrs/day

62.4 (108)

1.0

   ≥ 2 hrs/day

70.0 (84)

1.4 (0.9, 2.3)

Adolescent watches television with parents

  

   < 1 time/week

47.3 (35)

1.0

   => 1 time/week

71.2 (190)

2.8 (1.6, 4.7)**

Televisions in the home

Televisions in home

  

   < 3

62.3 (149)

1.0

   ≥ 3

73.8 (76)

1.7 (1.0, 2.8)

Television in bedroom

  

   No

63.0 (138)

1.0

   Yes

70.7 (87)

1.4 (0.9, 2.3)

Pay television

  

   No

62.1 (157)

1.0

   Yes

76.4 (68)

2.0 (1.1, 3.4)*

DVD

  

   No

60.4 (99)

1.0

   Yes

70.8 (126)

1.6 (1.0, 2.5)

Adolescent eating practices associated with television/video/DVD viewing

Eats dinner in front of television

  

< 1 time/week

58.1 (104)

1.0

≥ 1 time/week

74.7 (121)

2.1 (1.3, 3.4)*

Eats snacks in front of television

  

< 1 time/week

44.1 (41)

1.0

≥ 1 time/week

73.8 (183)

3.6 (2.2, 5.9)*

Eats dinner with parents in front of television

  

< 1 time/week

60.7 (119)

1.0

≥ 1 time/week

72.6 (106)

1.7 (1.1, 2.7)*

Eat snacks with parents in front of television

  

< 1 time/week

61.1 (135)

1.0

≥ 1 time/week

74.2 (89)

1.8 (1.1, 3.0)*

Adolescents' perception of parents' beliefs & rules

My parents make sure I don't watch too much television

  

Disagree

63.9 (69)

1.0

Agree

65.3 (111)

1.1 (0.6, 1.8)

My parents switch off the television if they think I am watching too much

  

Disagree

65.4 (104)

1.0

Agree

73.9 (88)

1.5 (0.9, 2.5)

My parents let me watch television when I do something good

  

Disagree

66.3 (110)

1.0

Agree

65.6 (63)

1.0 (0.6, 1.7)

My parents monitor my activity levels so I wouldn't watch too much television

  

Disagree

66.3 (126)

1.0

Agree

64.9 (61)

0.9 (0.6, 1.6)

Parents' rules for adolescent's television/video/DVD viewing‡

I do not allow the television on during meal times

  

Agree

70.2 (66)

1.0

Disagree

72.4 (118)

1.0 (0.9, 1.2)

I allow my child to watch any television show he/she chooses

  

Disagree

63.1 (154)

1.0

Agree

69.4 (43)

1.3 (0.7, 2.4)

I restrict how much time my child spends watching television

  

Disagree

73.2 (30)

1.0

Agree

63.0 (133)

0.6 (0.3, 1.3)

My child is not allowed to watch television or play electronic games until his/her homework is done

  

Disagree

68.2 (30)

1.0

Agree

64.5 (136)

0.9 (0.4, 1.7)

My partner and I have the same views about how much television our child should watch

  

Disagree

60.0 (12)

1.0

Agree

63.6 (145)

1.2 (0.5, 3.0)

My partner supports the rules I make about when our child is able to watch television

  

Disagree

56.3 (9)

1.0

Agree

64.1 (152)

1.4 (0.5, 3.9)

  1. † Odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) derived from chi-squared analysis; ‡ Parent report
  2. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.001