Table 1 Sample characteristics and internal consistency of psychosocial factors
Variable | Total sample (n = 419) | Internal consistency Cronbach alpha |
|---|---|---|
Socio-demographic characteristics | Â | Â |
   Gender (%) |  |  |
Men | 47.3 | Â |
Women | 52.7 | Â |
   Age (mean [SD]) | 48.50 (12.10) |  |
   Educational level (%) |  |  |
No college/university degree | 43.3 | Â |
College/university degree | 56.7 | Â |
   Employment status (%) |  |  |
Unemployed/retired | 29.4 | Â |
Employed | 70.6 | Â |
   Occupation (%) |  |  |
Blue-collar | 19.7 | Â |
White-collar | 80.3 | Â |
   Body Mass Index (mean [SD]) | 24.61 (3.90) |  |
Home-environmental factors (mean [SD]) | Â | Â |
   Number of TVs | 1.65 (0.89) |  |
   Size of largest TV seta | 2.75 (1.04) |  |
   Number of computers | 1.75 (1.15) |  |
Psychosocial factors (mean [SD]) | Â | Â |
   Pros reducing TV viewing (sum of different items)b | 2.59 (0.68) | 0.50 |
I think watching TV is boring | 2.51 (0.96) | Â |
Watching TV takes time away from doing other more important things | 2.80 (1.22) | Â |
I would feel lazy and sluggish if I watched TV for many hours | 3.52 (1.20) | Â |
Watching TV sometimes hurts my eyes and gives me a headache | 1.53 (0.85) | Â |
   Cons reducing TV viewing (sum of different items)b | 2.54 (0.85) | 0.77 |
I enjoy watching TV for many hours at a time | 2.64 (1.13) | Â |
Watching TV is my way to escape from the world | 2.18 (1.09) | Â |
Watching TV is one of my favorite types of entertainment | 2.18 (1.14) | Â |
I find sitting and watching TV very relaxing | 3.17 (1.05) | Â |
   Family social norm TV viewingb |  |  |
My family members think I spend too much time watching TV | 1.62 (0.90) | Â |
   Friends social norm TV viewingb |  |  |
My friends think I spend too much time watching TV | 1.46 (0.72) | Â |
   Self-efficacy reducing TV viewing (sum of different items)c | 3.76 (0.84) | 0.73 |
Turn off the TV even when there is a program on I enjoy | 3.25 (1.15) | Â |
Limit my TV time to one hour a day | 3.59 (1.27) | Â |
Leave the room where the TV is on even if others are watching TV | 4.20 (0.94) | Â |
Plan ahead of time what TV shows I will watch during the week | 4.01 (1.14) | Â |
   Pros reducing Internet use (sum of different items)b | 2.51 (0.80) | 0.50 |
I think using the Internet is boring | 2.59 (1.18) | Â |
Using the Internet takes time away from doing other more important things | 2.40 (1.32) | Â |
I would feel lazy and sluggish if I used the Internet for many hours | 3.39 (1.37) | Â |
Using the Internet sometimes hurts my eyes and gives me a headache | 1.58 (0.95) | Â |
   Cons reducing Internet use (sum of different items)b | 1.79 (0.74) | 0.77 |
I enjoy using the Internet for many hours at a time | 1.85 (0.99) | Â |
The Internet is my way to escape from the world | 1.65 (0.94) | Â |
Using the Internet is one of my favorite forms of entertainment | 1.66 (0.93) | Â |
I find sitting and using Internet very relaxing | 2.13 (1.12) | Â |
   Family social norm Internet useb |  |  |
My family members think that I spend too much time using the Internet | 1.45 (0.78) | Â |
   Friends social norm Internet useb |  |  |
My friends think that I spend too much time using the Internet | 1.31 (0.61) | Â |
   Self-efficacy reducing Internet use (sum of different items)c | 4.14 (0.91) | 0.78 |
Turn off the computer even when I am doing something funny | 3.93 (1.10) | Â |
Limit my leisure-time Internet use to one hour a day | 4.38 (0.95) | Â |
Plan ahead of time how much time I will spend on leisure-time Internet use daily | 4.11 (1.18) | Â |
Sedentary behaviors (mean [SD]) | Â | Â |
   TV viewing time (min/day) | 128.40 (76.74) |  |
   Leisure-time Internet use (min/day) | 43.57 (46.57) |  |