Dietary habits, physical activity and sleep pattern among in-school adolescents in Lagos, Nigeria

Background: Overnutrition has been documented at epidemic levels in children and adults. The associated risk factors may include poor dietary habits, sedentary behaviour, inadequate sleep and low parental education. Objective: To describe dietary habits, physical activity and sleep patterns among secondary school adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 1,120 adolescents recruited from public and private secondary schools in Lagos, Nigeria, was carried out to study the dietary habits, sleep patterns and physical activity in relation to nutritional status. Results: Ten per cent of the adolescents skipped breakfast, while 28% had fruits on up to five days of the week. Eleven per cent had a sweetened drink every day, while 20 % had a sweetened drink on most days of the week. One out of four (26%) adolescents had more than two hours of screen time daily, and only 5% engaged in sporting activities up to five times weekly. One-third of the students slept for less than six hours daily and experienced sleeping difficulties. Multivariate analysis showed that females were twice as likely not to participate in sports (OR = 2.38, CI = 1.3-4.37, p = 0.002 and to have a higher intake of confectionaries (OR = 1.47, CI = 1.07-2.04, p = 0.01. Conclusion: Poor dietary habits, inadequate physical activity and insufficient sleep were observed among secondary school adolescents. A multi-pronged approach to improve these behaviours is recommended

Behavioral and sociodemographic correlates of the body mass index in Brazilian workers / Correlatos comportamentais e sociodemográficos do índice de massa corporal em trabalhadores brasileiros

An unhealthy body composition has been linked with chronic diseases and premature deaths that could be prevented. It is desirable to understand how modifiable behaviors are linked to the body composition of industrial workers, and identify risk groups among the population to plan inter-ventions and policies. The aim of the study was to identify the sociodemographic, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and nutritional correlates of the body mass index (BMI) of Brazilian industrial workers. Data were used from the "Lifestyle and Leisure Habits of Industrial Workers" study (n = 45,508), conducted between 2006 and 2008, in 24 of the 27 Brazilian states. Gender, physical activ-ity practice, television viewing, consumption of sweetened drinks, weight, and height were reported by the participants, and BMI was calculated. Linear regression analysis was conducted to identify the factors associated with BMI. Women had a lower BMI when compared to men (-1.63 kg/m2, CI95%: -1.71; -1.56). Age and television viewing were positively associated with BMI and physically inactive adults had a BMI of 0.22 kg/m2 (CI95%: 0.15; 0.29) greater than those who were active dur-ing leisure time. There was no association between BMI and sweetened drink consumption. Usually, BMI is higher among men, older individuals, those who watch more hours of TV daily, and those who do not practice physical activity during leisure time. When possible, it is suggested to promote the practice the practice of physical activity during leisure time without directing actions to comply with the recommendation of 150 minutes per week with the understanding that some activity is better than none, as well as stimulate the reduction of TV viewing time among workers

A composição corporal não saudável tem sido associada a doenças crônicas e morte prematura que podem, em parte, serem prevenidas. Dessa forma, destaca-se a importância de compreender como comportamentos modi-ficáveis estão relacionados à composição corporal de trabalhadores da indústria e identificar quais são os grupos de risco. O objetivo do estudo foi identificar a relação entre fatores sociodemográficos, e comportamentais (ati-vidade física, comportamento sedentário e consumo de refrigerante) com o índice de massa corporal (IMC) de trabalhadores brasileiros da indústria. Os dados são do projeto "Estilo de vida e hábitos de trabalho da indús-tria" (n = 45.508), realizado entre 2006 e 2008, em 24 estados brasileiros. Sexo, prática de atividade física, visualização de televisão, consumo de refrigerante, peso e a altura foram relatados pelos participantes. Análise de regressão linear múltipla foi aplicada para identificar fatores associados ao IMC. As mulheres apresentaram menor IMC quando comparado aos homens (-1,63 kg/m2, IC95%: -1,71; -1,56). A idade e tempo de televisão apresentaram associação positiva com o IMC e os adultos fisicamente inativos apresentaram IMC de 0,22 kg/m2 (IC95%: 0,15; 0,29) maior que aqueles ativos durante o tempo de lazer. Não houve associação entre o IMC e o consumo de refrigerante. O IMC tende a ser maior entre os homens, indivíduos mais velhos, aqueles que não praticam AF durante o tempo de lazer e despendem maior tempo assistindo TV diariamente. Portanto, sugerimos a promoção da atividade física sem direcionamento de ações para cumprimento das recomendações de 150 minutos/semana, mas para a compreensão de que fazer alguma coisa é melhor do que nada. Ademais, sugerímos políticas para a redução do tempo de visualização de TV entre os trabalhadores

Seasonal and gender differences of beverage consumption in elementary school students

The purpose of this study was to compare the beverage consumption by gender and season in elementary school children and to investigate the role of beverage consumption patterns on their daily nutrient intakes and BMIs. Beverage consumption and dietary energy intake in 160 elementary school students in the Gyeongnam area were measured by a beverage frequency and quantity questionnaire and three 24-hour dietary recalls during winter and summer. The number of drinking moments per month, the amounts of beverage per day, and the energy from beverage consumption were not different between winter and summer. In summer, the contribution of energy from sweetened beverage to the daily energy intake in girls accounted for 13.5% which was significantly higher compared to 7.7% in boys. In girls, the consumption of health beverage showed a significant correlation with various nutrient intakes in winter. Meanwhile, the sweetened beverage intake was negatively correlated with energy, protein, vitamin A and niacin intake in summer. Consumption of most of the beverages, including sweetened beverages, were not related with BMI in both sexes and both seasons, except functional drinks which were related with BMI in boys in winter.