Study on food preference and dietary behavior to overweight/obesity in school children and adolescents in Guangzhou: a case-control study / 中华流行病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective This study assessed the effect of food preference and dietary behaviors on the risk of overweight or obesity in school children and adolescents aged 6-19 years.Methods A11 overweight or obeoe students,with age-and school-matched controls were recruited for this case-control study from 28 elementary and secondary schools in Guangzhou urban districts from October 2006 to April 2007.Weight and height were measured,and body nlass index was calculated for the classification of obesity.overweight and underweight.Their food preference and behaviors were asesbed using a structured questionnaire completed by their parents.Behavior and food preference were classified into four levels.and the relevant bottom levels were defined as control groups.Logistic regression wfs used to assess independent determinants of overweight and obesity.Results Among 7136 participants,1947 cases and 2136 normal weight controls from 5755 students with valid questionnaire data were included in the study.Results from univariate analysis showed that odds ratios for overweight or obesity were 0.60-0.69 in those with moat preference(top group)on vegetables,fruits,candy,evening snacks,0.50 in the students of less food partiality,1.84,1.30 and 1.26 in those of most preference for pork,beef and deep-fried foods.and 5.14 in students with fastest speed during eating,respectively(all P<0.05).Vegetable intake,evening snacks preference,speed during eating and food partiality remained with significant agsociation with overweight and obesity in multivariate analysis after adjusted for age,sex,family socio-economical status and their parents' body build. The adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of the above items became 0.55 (0.42-0.73), 0.48 (0.35-0.65), 0.50(0.39-0.65),and 4.32(3.23-5.80) as compared to the relevant lowest categories, respecively. Conclusion Behaviors as eating more vegetable and slow-eating might be protective factos against overweight and obesity in school clildren.