Association of TV Viewing and All-Cause Mortality in Older Adults With Hypertension: A 6-Year Longitudinal Study

The purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal association between television (TV) viewing and all-cause mortality in older adults with hypertension. Sedentary behavior, physical activity, hypertension, and other chronic diseases were assessed by face-to-face interviews and confirmed by medical history. Mortality was reported by relatives and confirmed in medical records of the National Health System. The fully adjusted model showed a direct association between high TV viewing time and all-cause mortality; hazard ratio: 1.65 (95% confidence interval [1.02-2.68]). Women with high TV viewing were more likely to die than men. Higher TV viewing time was associated with all-cause mortality among those with diabetes and hypertension; hazard ratio: 3.54 (95% confidence interval [1.64-7.66]). The findings from this longitudinal study show that higher TV viewing time is associated with higher risk for all-cause mortality among older adults with hypertension, independently of physical activity, and other potential confounders.