The influence of media on food consumption and the nutritional status of children: Integrative Review

Abstract

Children are being exposed to the media at an increasingly early age and for long periods. The habit of watching television has been directly related to the consumption of unhealthy food and increased incidence of childhood obesity. This exposure contributes to the development of several chronic non transmissible diseases. This work aims to evaluate the influence of media and electronics on food consumption and nutritional status of children. It is an integrative review of the literature in the databases SCIELO, PUBMED and CAPES, using the descriptors "Media" "Food consumption" "Nutritional status", "Childhood". The filter "year of publication" was applied, seeking articles published between 2015 and 2020. The exclusion criteria were studies published by areas of knowledge other than nutrition and articles published in media other than scientific journals. We found 235 articles, 24 of which were selected because they met the inclusion criteria. When a child is exposed for a long period to the media without constant parental observation, they can modulate and modify their behavior regarding food choice and consumption. It was observed that children who spend more than 3 hours daily watching television and playing electronic games try to consume more often ultra processed foods, besides making children sedentary, with a tendency to overweight and obesity. It was found that media and electronics influence children's food choices as well as their nutritional status.