Prevalence of overweight/obesity in relation to dietary habits and lifestyle among 7–17 years old children and adolescents in Lithuania

BMC Public Health

Research Article

Veslava Babinska¹  Lina Karinauskiene¹  Kerstin Albertsson-Wikland²  Natalija Smetanina³  Rasa Verkauskiene³  Edita Albaviciute⁴  Ausra Petrauskiene⁴ 

[1] Faculty of Medicine, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Mickeviciaus str. 9, LT-44307, Kaunas, Lithuania;Goteborg Pediatric Growth Research Centre, Sahlgrenska Academy, Goteborg University, SE-41685, Goteborg, Sweden;Institute of Endocrinology, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Eiveniu str. 2, LT-50009, Kaunas, Lithuania;Laboratory of Child and Youth Health, Institute of Health Research, Faculty of Public Health, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Eiveniu str. 4, LT-50009, Kaunas, Lithuania;

关键词: Overweight;    Obesity;    Underweight;    Children;    Adolescents;    Schoolchildren;    Body mass index;    Dietary habits;    Physical activity;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12889-015-2340-y

 received in 2015-01-14, accepted in 2015-09-23,  发布年份 2015

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundUntil recently increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity among pediatric population in Europe and worldwide contributes to major well-known risks for metabolic consequences in later life. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of overweight/obesity among children and adolescents in Lithuania and assess its association with energy balance related behaviors as well as familial demographic and socioeconomic factors.MethodsCross-sectional study included 3990 7–17 years old schoolchildren from 40 schools of Kaunas region, Lithuania. Study participants underwent anthropometric measurements. Body mass index (BMI) was evaluated according to International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) criteria for children and adolescents. Children and adolescents and their parents filled in the questionnaires on parental sociodemographic characteristics, dietary habits, TV watching time, and family socioeconomic status.ResultsThe prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity among boys and girls was 6.9 and 11.7 % (P < 0.05), 12.6 and 12.6 % (P > 0.05), and 4.9 and 3.4 % (P < 0.05), respectively. Obesity was significantly more prevalent in the 7–9 years old group (6.7 and 4.8 % in boys and girls, respectively, P < 0.05). Lower meals frequency and breakfast skipping were directly associated with overweight/obesity (P < 0.05); however, physical inactivity was not associated with higher BMI. Children‘s overweight/obesity was directly associated with lower paternal education and unemployment (OR 1.30, P = 0.013 and OR 1.56, P = 0.003, respectively).ConclusionsThe prevalence of overweight and obesity among 7–17 years old Lithuanian children and adolescents was more prevalent in younger age, still being one of the lowest across the European countries. Meals frequency, breakfast skipping, paternal education and unemployment as well as a family history of arterial hypertension were found to be associated with children’s and adolescents’ overweight/obesity.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Smetanina et al. 2015