631 - Understanding the association between screen time and youth diabetes risk

Poster Number: 631
Publication Number: 631.2827

Background: Earlier literature suggested a link between excessive television time and negative metabolic health outcomes in youth. With increasing screen time that includes additional screen types such as smartphones and tablets, and the rising prevalence of prediabetes and diabetes (preDM/DM) among youth, it is crucial to investigate the impact of screen time on youth diabetes risk.

Objective: To assess the association between screen time and youth preDM/DM risk.

Design/Methods: We analyzed the cross-sectional data from a nationally representative sample of 1,494 adolescents aged 12-17 years, drawn from the 2011-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. PreDM/DM was defined according to the American Diabetes Association guidelines using hemoglobin A1c (≥ 5.7 mg/dL) and/or fasting plasma glucose (≥ 100 mg/dL). Screen time was defined based on daily average hours of computer use and television or video watching. To examine the association between screen time and preDM/DM, we used logistic regression models with and without adjusting for relevant sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, body mass index (BMI), and accounting for survey design elements.

Results: The prevalence of preDM/DM was 31.2% overall, and increased significantly in recent years (range: 18.2%-33.1%; Table 1). The median daily screen time was 4.7 (2.2, 7.3) hours and 4.0 (1.9, 7.1) hours among those with and without preDM/DM, respectively. Screen time was significantly associated with preDM/DM risk only in the model adjusted for sociodemographic variables, including age, sex, and race/ethnicity, poverty, and insurance status (OR=1.0423, 95% CI: 1.0013-1.0849; Table 2). The association was not significant in the crude model or models additionally adjusting for lifestyle factors and BMI.

Conclusion(s): Longer screen time was found to be associated with increasing preDM/DM risk among youth when adjusting for sociodemographic factors, suggesting screen time as a potential modifiable risk factor for PreDM/DM. Additional longitudinal studies examining the link between screen time and preDM/DM among youth are warranted.