Spending too much time sitting in front of screens may be linked to poorer bone health in teen boys, according to a new study from Norway, and reported by WebMD.
It included 484 boys and 463 girls, aged 15 to 18, who underwent bone mineral density tests. They were asked about lifestyle habits, including how much time they spent in front of the television or computer on weekends, and their levels of physical activity.
Boys had higher levels of screen time than girls, the researchers found. And the more time boys spent in front of a computer and the TV, the lower their bone mineral density throughout the body.
However, girls with four to six hours of screen time had higher bone mineral density than those with less than 1.5 hours of screen time per day.
The study was scheduled for presentation Friday at the World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases, in Seville, Spain. The findings also appear in the April issue ofOsteoporosis International, reported WebMD.
While the study found an association between teens' screen time and their bone density levels, it did not establish a cause-and-effect relationship.
About one in five men older than 50 will suffer a fracture due to osteoporosis, but levels of awareness about osteoporosis risk and bone health in males are extremely low, the report in WebMD stated.
