ROCHESTER, N.Y., Feb. 5 (UPI) -- Urban children with asthma engage in an average of an hour more of screen time daily than recommended, U.S. researchers said.

Lead author Kelly M. Conn of Golisano Children's Hospital at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York said that as a part of a larger study on how to more effectively treat asthma, Conn and colleagues surveyed parents of urban children with asthma in Rochester, N.Y., to better understand their screen time viewing habits. Screen time includes TV watching and video tapes, playing video and computer games and using the Internet.

The study, published in journal Academic Pediatrics, found that 74 percent of the 226 children whose parents were surveyed exceeded more than two hours of screen time per day. On average, these children with asthma watched 3.4 hours daily, the study said. In the study, children included were between age 3 and 10.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a maximum of two hours of screen time per day for children.

"Even though these findings are preliminary, a message for parents would be to remain aware of the amount of time your child is spending in front of screens and try to encourage your child to participate in a range of activities," Conn said in a statement.

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