Abstract
Sri Lankan mass media from time to time have published reports that many school children in cities are overweight or obese. How serious is the problem? Is Television viewing the most probable cause for health problems connected with children? The aim of this research was to investigate the association between assumed risk factors and Body Mass Index (BMI) in children in urban schools in Sri Lanka. Specifically, the study attempts to identify the relationship between television viewing, fast foods, physical activity, and vegetable consumption in relation to BMI. Using a multiple cluster sample, out of nine provinces of Sri Lanka six provinces were purposely chosen for this study representing urban and semi-urban districts. This study was conducted through a mix approach including all ethnic groups in Sri Lanka. Our findings indicate that in both groups (male and female) there was a positive association between television viewing and BMI and there was evidence that the more television was watched the higher the BMI. We found that physical activity in both groups was negatively associated with BMI, although the effect size was small. In both groups eating vegetables (+nuts) were associated with a lower BMI, and there was a dose-effect. In girls eating fast food was positively associated with BMI, but in boys was negatively associated with BMI.
Highlights
An opening of Leisure parks, exercise, and bodybuilding shops, new cloth shops catering for plus-sized population, hospitals opening new clinics to reduce body fat and offering advice, how to maintain and cultivate a slim body and how to eat nutritious and healthy food is a recent phenomenon in urban cities in Sri Lanka
To establish the connection between obesity among school children and television advertisements, to find out whether there is any link between food habits of school children and television advertisements, to examine the legal framework pertaining to laws of advertising and marketing unhealthy policies, to recognize many genres of programming viewed by children, to find out how much awareness do parents and school authorities have on consequences of fast food consumption, and to recommend policymakers to establish healthy food practices
We identify the association between postulated risk factors and Body Mass Index (BMI) in girls and boys in school children
Summary
An opening of Leisure parks, exercise, and bodybuilding shops, new cloth shops catering for plus-sized population, hospitals opening new clinics to reduce body fat and offering advice, how to maintain and cultivate a slim body and how to eat nutritious and healthy food is a recent phenomenon in urban cities in Sri Lanka. These trends are spawning even in semi-urban and rural areas of Sri Lanka. It will be followed by the methodology and the findings, both quantitative as well as qualitative limitations and the bibliography
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