Abstract
Dietary habits are an important factor in the protection of adolescent health. The quality and frequency of breakfast and the various food groups can affect the wellbeing of this population group in both the short and long term. Research indicates that there is a range of relevant variables in the study of diet at this stage: following a weight loss diet, body mass index and the practice of physical exercise, amongst others. In this paper, all three variables are analysed, together with others of a demographic nature (sex and age). This is a descriptive cross-sectional survey that was carried out on 1318 adolescents aged 11 to 18. The Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) international study questionnaire, sponsored by the World Health Organisation, was used. In general terms, the data revealed that the majority of adolescents do not have adequate eating patterns. The quality and frequency of breakfast and the consumption of food types are associated with almost all the variables under study; additionally, there are significant differences by sex and school year. Finally, proposals are made to prevent eating disorders, which are appearing at an increasingly young age.
Highlights
Our diet, together with physical activity (PA), are the main factors contributing to the protection of our health in all stages of life
(76.2% against 61.1%); breakfast quality worsens as the body mass index (BMI) of the adolescents increases (16.8% are underweight against 29.4% who are obese); practice of PA is a conditioning factor for active students to have a good breakfast in a higher percentage than sedentary students (75.6% against 68.6%)
The findings of this research study reveal that sex and age are relevant for the quality of breakfast and the consumption of the various food groups
Summary
Together with physical activity (PA), are the main factors contributing to the protection of our health in all stages of life. Adopting and maintaining healthy habits in both spheres provides numerous benefits and contributes to the maintenance or improvement of our quality of life [1,2]. In Spain, overweight and obesity affect 34.4% of the young population between 5 and 19 years of age [5], making it a public health priority on account of the consequences this may have in the later stages of life [6,7]. Research studies [11,12,13] highlight that the percentage of young people who maintain eating patterns that are not consistent with a healthy diet is Nutrients 2020, 12, 2294; doi:10.3390/nu12082294 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients
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