Running head: RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Research Proposal: Television and Obesity Correlation Heidi J. Goss Grand Canyon University: PSY 550 January 23, 2013

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Research Proposal: Television and Obesity Correlation. Introduction Children watching television are engaged in an activity that is entertaining as well as potentially educational. However, the effect of this activity on childrens health is of great concern as it is a potential contributing factor to the epidemic of childhood obesity. Mostly, as children watch television, there is minimal physical exercise accomplished while food consumption remains either constant or increases due to boredom or the influence of the programming being watched. Whenever the balance between calories consumed and calories expended is effected negatively, weight gain and obesity can result. Obesity is a body condition in which there is an excessive accumulation of body fat, and more Americans seek treatment for obesity than for all other health conditions combined (Straub, 2007). Specifically, childhood obesity has more than tripled in the last three and a half decades (Dennison & Edmunds, 2008). Watching television has, in a multitude of studies, been link with this worsening problem (Dennison &

consistently found to have a significant

Edmunds, 2008). Importantly, efforts by parents and educators which were successful in reducing the number of hours that children spent watching television are thought to have led to a reduction in obesity in those same children (Dennison & Edmunds, 2008). This research study investigate whether there is a correlation between the activity of watching television in terms of hours per day and the prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents in America.

Hypotheses

RESEARCH PROPOSAL Research hypothesis: Children and adolescents who are obese watch more television than children and adolescents who are not obese. . Null hypothesis: The amount of time spent watching television by children and adolescents who are obese is not significantly different from the amount of time spent watching television by children and adolescents who are not obese. Review of Literature Before reviewing the relevant literature to this research proposal, it is important to note that research on obesity is not limited to studies concerning children and adolescents or the connection between obesity and television viewing habits. According to Jeffords (2010), obesity is a body disorder that can affect any person of any age; it is not specific in terms of age. About 20 to 30 percent of the United States population is currently classified as obese, and studies indicate that almost 120 million people in the United States will suffer from obesity within the next five years (Jeffords, 2010). In addition, over the past few decades, the disorder is becoming increasingly prevalent amongst the younger generations (Jeffords, 2010). This increase in body weight amongst children and adolescents is due in part to consumption of foods high in fat and carbohydrates which increase the concetration of fat in the body (Jeffords, 2010). Another contributing variable is reduced levels of physcial activity (Jeffords, 2010). Television Viewing and Obesity Many studies suggest a link between television viewing and obesity (Dennison & Edmunds, 2008). One such study, which was conducted nearly twenty-five years ago, identified an association between the amount of time spent watching television and obesity in children as young as twelve (Dennison & Edmunds, 2008). This study indicated that the likelihood of adolescents between the ages of twelve and seventeen being obese increased by two percent for

RESEARCH PROPOSAL every hour spent watching television per day (Dennison & Edmunds, 2008). Similar results were returned in a longitudinal study that followed children from preschool through age eleven (Dennison & Edmunds, 2008). The data of that study showed a positive correlation between body fat and hours spent watching television; as the hours spent watching increased, so did the childrens body fat (Dennison & Edmunds, 2008). On average, American children spend five hours watching television every day (Jeffords, 2010). When added to the number of hours that children are seated at a desk at school, this results in lives that are predominantly sedentary (Jeffords, 2010). As a general rule, children tend to eat snacks and consume beverages while watching television (Jeffords, 2010), and it is important to note that at least one study has shown that the average caloric intake for school-age children increased by one-hundred-sixty-seven calories for each hour of television viewing per day (Dennison & Edmunds, 2008). Increased television viewing by children and adolescents has also been linked to the consumption of poorer quality foods, specifically foods that are higher in calories and lower in nutritional value (Dennison & Edmunds, 2008). Eating while watching television also leads to eating foods higher in fats while eating fewer fruits, vegetables, and healthy dairy products (Dennison & Edmunds, 2008).

Research methodology. This section of the research proposal is mainly concerned with the research methodology used to collect the data. The section of the research proposal will also contain a description of the the target population or participants, the data collection method, procedures, and the overall research design.

RESEARCH PROPOSAL Target population. The participants in the study will be conprised of youths between the ages of four and eighteen. These participants will be randomly selected to represent the target population of children and adolescents. The height and weight of participants will be used to determine the participants body mass index which will be used to determine whether or not the participants meet the medical definition of obese. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, a body mass index of thirty or greater is considered obese (Calculate your body mass index). Using this definition, ten members of the target population who are obese and ten who are not obese will be randomly selected to participate in the study. Data collection method Data will be collected through technological means. The number of hours spent watching television will be captured by a device attached to the childrens television set. Procedures The random selection of participants will be divided into two groups, obese and not obese, based on body mass index scores. The number of hours spent watching television by the two groups will be statistically analyzed and compared. Research design The proposed study will be conducted using a correlational research method. The correlational research method assesses the degree to which two variables are related (Jackson, 2011). The variables will be clearly identified as obese or not obese and hours spent watching television, but these variables will not be intentionally manipulated by the researchers.

RESEARCH PROPOSAL Results This section of the research proposal includes the appropriate statistic, the alpha level, the degrees of freedom, and the critical value that will be needed to determine the decision regarding the null hypothesis should be reject or fail to reject. Statistical test The data gathered regarding the two groups television watching habits will be compared using a one-tailed, independent-groups t test. The independent-groups t test is statistical test used to compare the performance data gathered from two different samples of participants (Jackson, 2011). Alpha level The data will be analyzed at the 0.05 alpha level. Degrees of freedom The total number of participants will equal twenty children and adolescents. With ten participants in each group, there will be eighteen degrees of freedom. Critical value For a one-tailed test with eighteen degrees of freedom, the critical value of t at an 0.05 level equals 1.734 (Jackson, 2011). Discussion

RESEARCH PROPOSAL The discussion section will cover the possible significance of the research findings, the strengths and weaknesses of the study, future possibilities for research, and ethical concerns about the study. Significance of findings The results will indicate the significance of the correlation between childhood obesity and the amount of hours spent watching television. If the research hypothesis is supported by the statistical analysis, the results could be used to advocate the campaign against childhood obesity. In practical terms, the results could be used to persuade educators, medical professionals, parents, and the target population about the importance of being more physically active and spending less time watching television to reduce the risk of obesity and related lifelong health complications. Strengths and Limitations of the study The study proposed would further the research efforts made to explain the prevalence of childhood obesity. However, the manner of collecting the data regarding the number of hours spent watching television is not foolproof, and the data could be adversely affected by other family members watching the same television, the data-capturing device being turned off, or the television being left on while not actually being watched. Essentially, the reliability of the data is dependent on the honesty and commitment of the research participants. Future possibilities for research Assuming the data analyzed indicates that there is a positive correlation between obesity and watching television, future studies could be conducted to determine if any extraneous

RESEARCH PROPOSAL variables exist which influenced the amount of time spent in front of the television or the obesity. In addition, future studies could be conducted to guage the impact of advertising on eating habits. Ethical concerns Childhood obesity is a genuine concern, but it is also a situation that leads to low self esteem and hurt feelings in the children dealing with the problem. Obesity carries with it a stigma, and the participants in this type of study can not be placed at risk emotionally. Working with children carries an ethical concern by itself, and identifying children as obese can pose a risk to those childrens mental and emotional well-being. One possible way of reducing this risk is to isolate participants from one another so that there is no awareness of the criteria used to delineate the two groups during the study. Providing healthy educational resources to eliminate the obesity problem within the participants at the end of the study would also offset the ethical concerns. Appendices Sample bar graph for data

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6 5 4 Hours spent watching 3 television 2 1 0 Obese Not Obese

Sample Scatterplot for data

Comparison of BMI to Hours Spent Watching Television

40 35 30 25 BMI 20 15 10 5 0 0 2 4 6 8 10 Hours spent watching television

RESEARCH PROPOSAL References Burniat, W. (2002). Child and Adolescent Obesity: Causes and Consequences, Prevention and Management (illustrated, reprint ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Calculate your body mass index. (n.d.). Retrieved from National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: http://nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ Dennison, B. A., & Edmunds, L. S. (2008, September). The Role of Television in Childhood Obesity. Progress in Pediatric Cardiology, 25(2), 191-197. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org.library.gcu.edu:2048/10.1016/j.ppedcard.2008.05.010 Jackson, S. L. (2011). Research Methods: A Modular Approach (2nd ed.). Mason, OH: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Jeffords, J. M. (2010). Causes of Obesity. 1-19. Straub, R. O. (2007). Health Psychology: A Biopsychosocial Approach (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

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