Doctoral Level RESEARCH PROPOSAL **DUE 12/6/2020 by 12 PM (EST)** PLEASE READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS

Running head: RESEARCH PROPOSAL 1

Research Proposal

Athenia L. Adams

Ashford University

RES7400: Research Design & Methods Quantitative (QAB2044A)

Dr. Candy Mazze

November 2, 2020

RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2

Research Proposal: Step One

Research topic: Relationship between the time of exposure to television and the risk of obesity

among children.

Rationale

Cases of obesity among children have increased in the recent past. Obesity is a complex eup in.

Some of the behaviors that have been attributed to obesity in children include the lack of social

activity and spending a lot of time on-screen devices like television (CDC, 2020). Research has

supported some of negative effects of television on children and one of those research results

suggests that television inhibits physical activity in children (Stiglic & Viner, 2019). Despite this,

the use of television among children has continued to increase as research shows that 50% to

70% of children have television sets in their bedrooms (Assathiany et. al, 2018).

Past researchers have proposed that television viewing among children contributes to

obesity. This is because it facilitates behavior that leads to obesity such as lack of physical

exercise and low energy expenditure (Jackson & Cunningham, 2017). Siegel et. al, (2018)

suggests, while past researches have linked childhood obesity to television viewing, there is a

gap in establishing if there is a direct correlation between child obesity and television viewing.

Therefore, this research aims to bridge the gap by assessing whether there is a direct

correlation between the use of television and child obesity. In theory, the conducted research will

determine if the length of exposure to television has a direct relationship with the risk of obesity.

Upon successful completion of the research, there will be a plan to reduce the prevalence of

obesity among children. According to Clinical Pediatrics (2018), aside from health problems,

this issue also leads the child to develop problems with self-esteem which causes social

RESEARCH PROPOSAL 3

alienation. It’s important to understand both the direct and indirect causes of the problem. This

research will differentiate between the pros and cons that important in the field of psychology as

it involves the study of behavior among children.

Research Questions

The main concepts in this research are exposure to television viewing and the risk of

child obesity. Child obesity is the condition of a child being above the normal weight for their

height and age.

The research questions that this research will seek to answer is:

1. Is there a correlation between the length of television exposure and childhood obesity?

2. Are children exposed to television for long hours at greater risks of obesity than those

who are not?

Hypotheses

The dependent variable in this research will be television exposure among children. The

independent variable on the other hand will be obesity. This research seeks to test various

hypotheses which include:

H01: There is a direct correlation between the length of television exposure and child obesity.

HA1: There is no direct correlation between the length of television exposure and child obesity.

H02: There is substantial evidence that children who are exposed to long hours of television

viewing are at a higher risk of obesity.

HA2: There is no substantial evidence that children who are exposed to long hours of television

viewing are at a higher risk of obesity.

RESEARCH PROPOSAL 4

References

Assathiany, R., Guery, E., Caron, F. M., Cheymol, J., Picherot, G., Foucaud, P., & Gelbert, N.

(2018). Children and screens: A survey by French pediatricians. Archives de Pediatrie :

Organe Officiel de La Societe Francaise de Pediatrie, 25(2), 84–88. https://doi-

org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/10.1016/j.arcped.2017.11.001

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2020. Childhood obesity causes and

consequences. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/causes.html

Cygan, H., Reed, M., Lui, K., & Mullen, M. (2018). The Chronic Care Model to Improve

Management of Childhood Obesity. Clinical Pediatrics, 57(6), 72

Jackson, S. L., & Cunningham, S. A. (2017). The stability of children’s weight status over time,

and the role of television, physical activity, and diet. Preventive Medicine, 229–234.

https://doi-org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/10.1016/j.ypmed.2017.04.026

Siegel, R. M., Haemer, M., Kharofa, R. Y., Christison, A. L., Hampl, S. E., Tinajero-Deck, L.,

Lockhart, M. K., Reich, S., Pont, S. J., Stratbucker, W., Robinson, T. N., Shaffer, L. A.,

& Woolford, S. J. (2018). Community healthcare and technology to enhance

communication in pediatric obesity care. Childhood Obesity, 14(7), 453–460. https://doi-

org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/10.1089/chi.2017.0339

Stiglic, N., & Viner, R. M. (2019). Effects of screentime on the health and well-being of children

and adolescents: a systematic review of reviews. BMJ Open, 9(1), e023191. https://doi-

org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023191