[Mass media consumption in adolescence]. / Consumo de los medios de comunicación en la adolescencia.

OBJECTIVES: To describe mass media use in teenagers (television, mobile phones, computers, Internet and video games) and to analyze its influence on teenagers' health and development. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a cross sectional study by means of a survey of 884 teenagers aged between 14 and 18 years old who were in the third and fourth years of high school in six towns in Cantabria (Spain) in June 2003. The statistical analysis consisted of uni- and bivariable descriptive statistics. RESULTS: All the teenagers had a television set at home and 24 % of families had four or more television sets. The presence of distinct mass media in teenagers' rooms was 52.5 % for televisions, 57.8 % for computers, 52 % for the Internet and 38.7 % for games consoles. The most frequently found media in teenagers' bedrooms were radio/cassette players and compact disks with 76.8 % and 67.4 %, respectively. Teenagers watched television for an average of 3 hours per day on weekdays and 3.2 hours per day at weekends. They played games consoles for an average of 0.69 hours per day on weekdays (41 min) and an average of 1.09 hours per day (65 min) at weekends and used the Internet on weekdays for an average of 0.83 hours per day (49 min) and an average of 1.15 hours per day (69 min) at weekends. A total of 87.2 % of the teenagers, especially girls, had a mobile phone (91.6 % of girls versus 82.4 % of boys; p < 0.001). The average age at which teenagers had the first mobile phone was 13 years old. Expenditure on mobile phones amounted to 15 3 a month in girls and 10 3 a month in boys, and mobiles were mainly used for sending messages. Nearly half the teenagers (46.4 %) took their mobile phones to high school and reported they had an average of three mobile phones at home. Most (82.1 %) surfed the net but boys preferred surfing and downloading games and girls preferred chatting and sending e-mails. Sixty-two percent of teenagers had been to a cybercafé and 40.8 % has visited a pornographic web site, especially boys (33.1 % of boys versus 7.7 % of girls; p < 0.001). Nearly two-thirds of teenagers (71.5 %) had a video console, especially boys (87 % of boys versus 57.2 % of girls; p < 0.001) and they started playing with them at an average age of 8.8 years. Boys preferred video games with shooting, fights, sports and driving, while girls preferred adventure video games. Nearly a quarter (22.2 %) spent money on video games and cybercafés (an average of 27.06 3 a month in boys and 16.81 3 a month in girls) with no significant differences between sexes. CONCLUSIONS: Society as a whole and especially health professionals should increase health education on mass media consumption, by stimulating reasonable use of mass media and teaching teenagers to be critical. Parents should set a limit of less than 2 hours/day to the use of mass media and should avoid their presence in teenagers' bedrooms. Prepay mobile phone should be used and switched off in inappropriate places. Parents should supervise and educate teenagers about video games, Internet access and e-mail usage in adolescence.

Consumo de los medios de comunicación en la adolescencia / Mass media consumption in adolescence

Objetivos: Describir la utilización de distintos medios de comunicación en los adolescentes (televisión, móvil, ordenador, internet y videojuegos) y analizar la influencia en su salud y desarrollo. Material y métodos: Estudio transversal realizado mediante la cumplimentación de una encuesta por parte de 884 adolescentes de 14 a 18 años de Cantabria, que cursaban 3.º y 4.º de ESO en los institutos pertenecientes a seis poblaciones de Cantabria en junio de 2003. El análisis estadístico consistió en una estadística descriptiva univariable y bivariable. Resultados: Todos los adolescentes tenían televisor en su domicilio, y el 24 % de las familias, cuatro o más. La presencia de los distintos medios de comunicación en la habitación del adolescente fue del 52,5 % para la TV, el 57,8 % para el ordenador, el 52 % para el internet y el 38,7 % para la videoconsola. El radiocasete y el reproductor de CD son los más presentes en el dormitorio, con el 76,8 y el 67,4 %, respectivamente. Los adolescentes ven una media de 3 h/día de televisión entre semana y 3,2 h/día el fin de semana; usan la videoconsola entre semana una media de 0,69 h/día (41 min), y una media de 1,09 h/día (65 min) el fin de semana. En el caso de internet entre semana, lo utilizan una media de 0,83 h/día (49 min), y una media de 1,15 h/día (69 min) el fin de semana. El 87,2 % de los adolescentes tienen móvil, y son las mujeres adolescentes las que más disponen del mismo (91,6 % frente al 82,4 %; p < 0,001); la media de edad para tener el primer móvil es de 13 años. El gasto en teléfono móvil es de 15 3/mes en las mujeres y 10 3/mes en los varones, y lo utilizan sobre todo para enviar mensajes. El 46,4 % de los adolescentes llevan móvil al instituto y refieren que hay una media de tres móviles por familia. El 82,1 % de los adolescentes navega solo en internet y de forma significativa los varones prefieren navegar y descargarse juegos de la red, mientras que las mujeres chatean y envían más correos electrónicos. El 62 % de los adolescentes han acudido a una ciberteca, y el 40,8 % ha visitado una página pornográfica en internet, aunque son los varones los que más las visitan (33,1 % de varones frente al 7,7 % de mujeres; p < 000,1). El 71,5 % de los adolescentes tienen videoconsola, y son los varones los que más la usan (87 % frente al 57,2 % de las mujeres; p < 0,001), y juegan desde una media de edad de 8,8 años. Los videojuegos de disparos y lucha, deporte y conducción son preferidos de manera significativa por los varones, mientras que las chicas adolescentes eligen los videojuegos de aventuras. El 22,2 % de los adolescentes tienen un gasto en videojuegos, incluyendo cibersalas, de 27,06 3/mes los varones y de 16,81 3/mes las mujeres, sin diferencias significativas por sexo. Conclusiones: La sociedad en general y los profesionales sanitarios en particular deben realizar una mayor educación sanitaria respecto al consumo de los diferentes medios de comunicación, estimulando una utilización racional de los mismos, y enseñándoles a ser críticos. Los padres deben limitar el consumo acumulativo de los distintos medios de comunicación a menos de 2 h diarias, evitar su presencia en las habitaciones de los adolescentes, utilizar móviles de tarjeta prepago, con desconexión del aparato en lugares que resulten inapropiados, supervisar y orientar sobre el contenido de los videojuegos, las páginas de acceso a internet y el uso del correo electrónico entre los adolescentes

Objectives: To describe mass media use in teenagers (television, mobile phones, computers, Internet and video games) and to analyze its influence on teenagers' health and development. Material and methods: We performed a cross sectional study by means of a survey of 884 teenagers aged between 14 and 18 years old who were in the third and fourth years of high school in six towns in Cantabria (Spain) in June 2003. The statistical analysis consisted of uni- and bivariable descriptive statistics. Results: All the teenagers had a television set at home and 24 % of families had four or more television sets. The presence of distinct mass media in teenagers' rooms was 52.5 % for televisions, 57.8 % for computers, 52 % for the Internet and 38.7 % for games consoles. The most frequently found media in teenagers' bedrooms were radio/cassette players and compact disks with 76.8 % and 67.4 %, respectively. Teenagers watched television for an average of 3 hours per day on weekdays and 3.2 hours per day at weekends. They played games consoles for an average of 0.69 hours per day on weekdays (41 min) and an average of 1.09 hours per day (65 min) at weekends and used the Internet on weekdays for an average of 0.83 hours per day (49 min) and an average of 1.15 hours per day (69 min) at weekends. A total of 87.2 % of the teenagers, especially girls, had a mobile phone (91.6 % of girls versus 82.4 % of boys; p < 0.001). The average age at which teenagers had the first mobile phone was 13 years old. Expenditure on mobile phones amounted to 15 3 a month in girls and 10 3 a month in boys, and mobiles were mainly used for sending messages. Nearly half the teenagers (46.4 %) took their mobile phones to high school and reported they had an average of three mobile phones at home. Most (82.1 %) surfed the net but boys preferred surfing and downloading games and girls preferred chatting and sending e-mails. Sixty-two percent of teenagers had been to a cybercafé and 40.8 % has visited a pornographic web site, especially boys (33.1 % of boys versus 7.7 % of girls; p < 0.001). Nearly two-thirds of teenagers (71.5 %) had a video console, especially boys (87 % of boys versus 57.2 % of girls; p < 0.001) and they started playing with them at an average age of 8.8 years. Boys preferred video games with shooting, fights, sports and driving, while girls preferred adventure video games. Nearly a quarter (22.2 %) spent money on video games and cybercafés (an average of 27.06 3 a month in boys and 16.81 3 a month in girls) with no significant differences between sexes. Conclusions: Society as a whole and especially health professionals should increase health education on mass media consumption, by stimulating reasonable use of mass media and teaching teenagers to be critical. Parents should set a limit of less than 2 hours/day to the use of mass media and should avoid their presence in teenagers' bedrooms. Prepay mobile phone should be used and switched off in inappropriate places. Parents should supervise and educate teenagers about video games, Internet access and e-mail usage in adolescence