Screen time to healthfulness: Mapping sport and nutrition representations in early childhood television content through dual theoretical lenses.

This study examines how healthfulness—encompassing sport and physical activity, nutrition, and body image—is represented in early childhood television programming targeting children aged birth to six. Analyzing 330 episodes from eight Israeli preschool channels featuring predominantly internationally distributed content, the research identifies a paradoxical portrayal: physical activity is shown as joyful and routine but rarely linked explicitly to health benefits, while nutrition messages contrast healthy foods as wellness-promoting with unhealthy foods depicted as sources of entertainment or social rewards. Body image representations reveal thin or average-bodied child characters alongside larger-bodied adult authority figures, with no explicit commentary on body shape. Integrating social cognitive theory and health-related motive orientation theory, the study highlights the ambivalence and implicit nature of health messages in children's media and suggests implications for content creators, educators, and policy-makers aiming to enhance clear, consistent health promotion in early childhood media.