Association of Television Viewing With Fasting and 2-h Postchallenge Plasma Glucose Levels in Adults Without Diagnosed Diabetes

  1. David W. Dunstan, PHD1,
  2. Jo Salmon, PHD2,
  3. Genevieve N. Healy, MPH3,
  4. Jonathan E. Shaw, MD1,
  5. Damien Jolley, MSC4,
  6. Paul Z. Zimmet, MD1,
  7. Neville Owen, PHD3 and
  8. on behalf of the AusDiab Steering Committee
  1. 1International Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia
  2. 2School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
  3. 3Cancer Prevention Research Centre, School of Population Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
  4. 4Monash Institute of Health Services Research, Melbourne, Australia
  1. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. David Dunstan, International Diabetes Institute, 250 Kooyong Rd., Caulfield, Victoria, Australia 3162. E-mail: ddunstan{at}idi.org.au

Abstract

OBJECTIVE—We examined the associations of television viewing time with fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and 2-h postchallenge plasma glucose (2-h PG) levels in Australian adults.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—A total of 8,357 adults aged >35 years who were free from diagnosed diabetes and who attended a population-based cross-sectional study (Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study [AusDiab]) were evaluated. Measures of FPG and 2-h PG were obtained from an oral glucose tolerance test. Self-reported television viewing time (in the previous week) was assessed using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) of insulin sensitivity (HOMA-%S) and β-cell function (HOMA-%B) were calculated based on fasting glucose and insulin concentrations.

RESULTS—After adjustment for confounders and physical activity time, time spent watching television in women was positively associated with 2-h PG, log fasting insulin, and log HOMA-%B and inversely associated with log HOMA-%S (P < 0.05) but not with FPG. No significant associations were observed with glycemic measures in men. The β-coefficients across categories of average hours spent watching television per day (<1.0, 1.0–1.9, 2.0–2.9, 3.0–3.9, and ≥4.0) for 2-h PG in women were 0 (reference), 0.009, 0.047, 0.473, and 0.501, respectively (P for trend = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS—Our findings highlight the unique deleterious relationship of sedentary behavior (indicated by television viewing time) and glycemic measures independent of physical activity time and adiposity status. These relationships differed according to sex and type of glucose measurement, with the 2-h PG measure being more strongly associated with television viewing. The findings suggest an important role for reducing sedentary behavior in the prevention of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, especially in women.

Footnotes

  • A table elsewhere in this issue shows conventional and Système International (SI) units and conversion factors for many substances.

    The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked “advertisement” in accordance with 18 U.S.C Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

    • Accepted December 9, 2006.
    • Received September 25, 2006.
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  1. doi: 10.2337/dc06-1996 Diabetes Care March 2007 vol. 30 no. 3 516-522
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