Association between television viewing frequency and anthropometric indices among Peruvian women: Evidence from the 2019 demographic health survey

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the association between television viewing frequency and anthropometric indices in Peruvian women aged 15–49 years. Methods: A secondary analysis of the 2019 Demographic and Family Health Survey of Peru was conducted. Anthropometric measures related to increased cardio-metabolic risk, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), Waist to Height Ratio (WHtR), and Conicity Index (CnI), were evaluated as outcomes. Television viewing frequency during a typical week (never [0 times per month]; occasionally [1 to 3 times per month]; and frequently [≥1 time per week]) was the exposure variable. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was performed considering confounding values as age, education level, current employment status, wealth index, residence area, region of residence, and current smoking status. Results: A total of 13,249 women aged 15–49 years were included in the analysis. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 39.3% and 25.0%, respectively. Watching television frequently increased the odds of being overweight or obese (aOR: 1.51; 95% CI: 1.07 to 2.12; p = 0.019), as well as having higher tertiles for WC (aOR: 1.57; 95% CI: 1.12 to 2.20; p = 0.008), WHtR (aOR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.12 to 2.26; p = 0.010), and CnI (aOR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.04 to 2.09; p = 0.031), compared to those who never watched television. Conclusions: A higher television viewing frequency was associated with obesity and increased values of WC, WHtR, and CnI. These insights underscore the potential impact of television habits on weight-related outcomes and provide valuable considerations for public health initiatives.