The relationship between habits of television viewing among school-age children and their behaviors: A cross-sectional study

Background: For all children, television serves as a window to the outside world. Watching too much television leads to several health issues in children of all ages. Aim: This study aimed to determine the relationship between school-age children's behavior and their TV-watching habits. Materials and Methods: A quantitative research approach began on October 15, 2022, and ended on April 25, 2023, for conducting cross-sectional studies in primary schools in the province of Babylon. To assess the effect of TV viewing habits among school-age children on their behaviors, a non-probability sample of 150 students was used. After the study questionnaire was distributed to 10 experts, the validity of the tool was determined. All rational and scientific viewpoints put forward by the experts were taken into account. Data analysis was done using both descriptive and inferential statistical methods to conclude. Results: The results of the existing study illustrate that 64.7% of the sample showed a fair attitude toward TV viewing habits, and 73.3% of the sample showed fair behavior. Furthermore, the results show that TV-watching habits have an impact on children's behavior overall, with a p-value of less than 0.05. Conclusions: The current study concludes that more than half of the study sample had fair habits, and more than two-thirds of the sample had fair behaviors toward TV viewing. In addition, the present study indicates that the habit of TV viewing has an influence on the behavior of children.