Television habits in paediatric hospitals

Aim: of this study was to investigate children’s television watching habits in hospital compared with those at home as well as the factors which influence them. MATERIAL-Method: A random sample of 546 school aged children hospitalized in Athens pediatric hospitals has been studied. Data were collected by an anonymous questionnaire. Results: The mean age of hospitalized children was 9 years old and the mean duration of hospitalization was 6.6 days. Children’s television watching time in the hospital was found higher compared to that at home. The characteristics which influence this result are the duration of hospitalization, the television rent, who does the program selection and the frequency of visits (P<0.001 for all tests). Conclusions: Children watch more television during their hospitalization rather than their usual day life at home, and they mention that the main reason is the lack of interests and alternative ways of activities.