Assessment of Eating Habits and Perceived Benefits of Physical Activity and Body Attractiveness among Adolescents from Northeastern Romania

Dana-Teodora Anton-Păduraru,Maria-Liliana Iliescu,Ioan Gotcă,Veronica Mocanu,Vasile-Lucian Boiculese,Egidia-Gabriela Miftode,Veronica Popescu

doi:10.3390/app112211042

Dana-Teodora Anton-Păduraru, Maria-Liliana Iliescu + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/app112211042

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Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to present the results of the evaluation of 1320 adolescents from 4 high schools in Iaşi, Romania regarding their eating habits and perceived benefits of physical activity and body attractiveness after they completed an anonymous questionnaire. The data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS version 18. The analysis of the nutritional status showed that over 70% of adolescents were of a normal weight. Most of them (63.56%) consumed 3–4 meals/day, with breakfast being the most skipped meal (60.53%). Compared with the boys, the girls consumed fewer whole grains, dairy products, and meat, but the girls consumed fruits and vegetables in approximately the same percentage. The adolescents studied consumed more fruits than vegetables, but the servings of fruits and vegetables consumed were not sufficient in the diets of many adolescents (39.31%). Among the adolescents, 5.68% consumed at least 2 alcoholic drinks daily, and 37.87% consumed caffeine products one or more times per week. Among the boys, 95.20% practiced regular physical activity, and 97.20% of the girls considered that the right nutrition plays a role in the prevention of obesity. The study of the self-perception profile showed that 89.8% of boys and 79.5% of girls considered that they had attractive bodies. According to the BMI, 86.7% of normal-weight adolescents and 84.8% of underweight adolescents considered themselves as having attractive bodies, while this was only considered by 73.5% of overweight and 56.7% of obese adolescents. It is necessary to introduce nutritional education in schools for the improvement of eating habits in children and adolescents. More studies are needed to appreciate the social behaviors (e.g., food intake, physical activity, and recreation time) and then develop interventions and national health programs to promote a healthy lifestyle, particularly healthy eating habits.

Highlights

Adolescence, a critical period and a bridge between childhood and adulthood, is the most important and sensitive period in life
This was a cross-sectional study, and it was performed with the participation of adolescents enrolled in four high schools located in Iasi in the northeastern region of Romania
The information was obtained via an administered questionnaire which was divided into three sections: (1) the food frequency questionnaire; (2) the Revised Physical Self-Perception Profile; and (3) physical activity

Summary

Introduction

Adolescence, a critical period and a bridge between childhood and adulthood, is the most important and sensitive period in life. It is a period of curiosity in which adolescents can engage in different risky activities (e.g., alcohol consumption, smoking, drug abuse, and unprotected sex). Children try to assume responsibility for their eating habits, health attitude, and behavior, with adequate nutrition and physical activity being important factors that influence their health and quality of life [2]. It is recommended to have an adequate and well-balanced diet with a variety of foods that will provide macro-and micronutrients [5]

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