Too much computer use biggest health concern for Australian parents: survey

Excessive computer use, and its related health problems, has been identified as the most worrying health concern for children by Australian parents, a study has found.

The Australian Child Health Poll, which had 2,000 respondents, asked parents to pick the biggest health issues confronting their kids from 29 pre-selected options.

The survey, run by Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital, found that 58 percent of parents thought excessive screen time, due to the associated lack of exercise, was the No. 1 childhood health problem.

Dr Anthea Rhodes, director of the Australian Child Health Poll, said that while she expected the option to poll high -- as overuse of electronic devices has been long linked to poor health -- she was nevertheless surprised it topped the chart.

"Screen time has been linked to a number of health problems in children," Rhodes told Fairfax Media on Wednesday.

"Research has shown that it is linked to sedentary behaviours which can lead to obesity. There is a lot of interplay with the modern lifestyle of children in our results."

A recent report from the Cancer Council and National Heart Foundation, which looked at 9,000 secondary students, found that 77 percent were spending more than the recommended two-hour-a-day maximum on electronic devices -- only 24 percent got the 60-minute minimum for outside, physical activity a day.

Obesity itself ranked second with parents (55 percent), however, only 8 percent felt their kids were at risk of becoming overweight.

"There is research that shows people, for whatever reason, are less likely to perceive this problem in their own children, this appears to confirm that," Rhodes said.

Overall, the top 10 child health concerns, in descending order, were: excessive screen time, obesity, not enough physical activity, unhealthy diet, bullying, illegal drug use, family domestic violence, internet safety, child abuse and neglect and suicide.

In 2012, asthma was said to be leading cause for concern for parents, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Endit