Abstract
BackgroundThis study contributes to the limited number of studies that have explored the impact of not meeting the recommendations for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, screen time, fruit and vegetable consumption and sleep on overweight and obesity among adolescents.MethodsA cross-sectional study of data from the 2015 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS), a provincially representative survey of students in publically funded schools in Ontario, Canada, was conducted. This study included self-reported data from students aged 11–17 years (n = 9866). The main outcome variable was overweight or obesity, classified using WHO BMI cut-points. Four independent variables for healthy weight behaviours were examined: (1) moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (≥ 60 mins vs. < 60 mins everyday over the last seven days); (2) screen time (< 2 h daily vs. ≥ 2 h daily); (3) fruit and vegetable consumption (≥ 5 times/day vs. < 5 times/day); (4) sleep (adequate based on guidelines vs. inadequate). Covariates included sex, age, Subjective Social Status (SSS), parental education and ethnicity. Binomial and multinomial logistic regression models were fitted to determine whether not meeting the recommendations for healthy weight behaviours was associated with overweight or obesity status.ResultsOnly 2% of students in Ontario met the recommendations for all four healthy weight behaviours and 33% of students did not meet any of the four recommendations. In both the binomial and multinomial models, not meeting the recommendations for MVPA was the only significant healthy weight behaviour associated with both overweight and obesity (AOR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.03–1.62), and solely obesity (AOR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.05–1.99). Males, students with lower SSS ratings, and students with parents with an education of ‘High School’ or less were also at significantly greater odds of being obese.ConclusionFindings from this study show that inadequate levels of MVPA is a critical behavioural predictor of obesity status in adolescents between the ages of 11–17 years, after controlling for differences in screen time, fruit and vegetable consumption, sleep, and demographics. Findings from this study could have implications toward policies and programs targeted at reducing obesity, and increasing the physical activity rates of adolescents.
Highlights
This study contributes to the limited number of studies that have explored the impact of not meeting the recommendations for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, screen time, fruit and vegetable consumption and sleep on overweight and obesity among adolescents
This study indicated that the prevalence of students meeting multiple healthy weight recommendations was surprisingly low, and that out of all four of the behaviours examined, not meeting the recommendations for moderate-to-vigorous-physical activity (MVPA) was the only significant behavioural predictor of obesity status among students within this age demographic
This study highlights the importance of exploring overweight and obesity across multiple lifestyle behaviours and socio-demographic characteristics, in order to accurately account for the collective influence of these factors on adolescent weight status
Summary
This study contributes to the limited number of studies that have explored the impact of not meeting the recommendations for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, screen time, fruit and vegetable consumption and sleep on overweight and obesity among adolescents. Within Canada alone, the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents between the ages of 5–17 years has more than doubled in the last three decades, with nearly onethird of children and adolescents being reported as being either overweight or obese as of 2013 [3, 4]. In consideration of these prominent rates, there is a need to better understand the modifiable risk factors that contribute to increased weight status, in order to better inform policies and interventions aiming to reduce the burden of overweight and obesity among this demographic. Increased MVPA and longer sleep have been associated with lower adiposity indicators among adolescents, while excessive screen time engagement has shown an increased risk for obesity [5,6,7]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
