7.6% School-aged children in Latvia are Overweight

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7.6% School-aged children in Latvia are Overweight
 

– Reported, January 30, 2012

 

Results from this large scale international survey among school-aged youth, utilising standardized methods for data collection, and international cut-offs to define overweight1 showed that overweight prevalence was >10% in most nations are 7.6% in Latvia which is one of the lowest in the world. In USA it is 28.8%.

To examine overweight prevalence and its association with demographic and lifestyle factors in 11–15 year olds in the HBSC 2005–2006 survey.
Self-reports of height, weight, eating patterns, physical activity and sedentary behaviours were obtained from nationally representative samples in 41 countries (n=205,939).
Overweight prevalence was highest in USA (28.8%) and lowest in Latvia (7.6%). In most countries, overweight was more prevalent in boys than girls. Overweight was consistently negatively associated with breakfast consumption and moderate to vigorous physical activity; OR range: 0.48–0.79 and 0.50–0.78, respectively.
Overweight prevalence in youth remained high across the countries examined. The primary factors linked to overweight were breakfast consumption and physical activity. These data should contribute to formulating preventive programs and policies.

Overweight negatively impacts the present and future psycho-social and physical aspects of health of youth. Data on overweight in young persons are, however, still lacking in many countries including those undergoing transition. To better understand the global prevalence and circumstances associated with overweight in youth, there is a need to provide comparable updated information on the burden of overweight in young persons across several nations by using nationally representative samples and standardized international definitions for overweight.
Considering the complex aetiology of overweight and the lack of agreement on its determinants, it is important to concomitantly examine the relations of overweight with several demographic and potentially modifiable lifestyle factors such as eating habits, physical activity and sedentary behaviours of youth. There is growing literature on the association between eating patterns and overweight, particularly on breakfast habits. The findings generally support that skipping breakfast is associated with increased probability of being overweight. For the association of fruit and vegetable intake and soft drink consumption with overweight, however, the evidence is less consistent. In contrast, most studies support that childhood physical activity is negatively related to overweight and that this association endures into adulthood. Studies examining sedentary behaviour also show an independent and causal effect on weight status.
If consistent associations between overweight and potentially modifiable lifestyle factors are observed across countries, such information could provide substantive evidence to support preventive policies and programs to reduce overweight and associated health risks in young persons in the national- and international-context.

Usual eating habits were assessed by asking participants how many times a week they eat fruit, vegetables and soft drinks. The possible responses were: “never”, “less than once a week”, “about once a week”, “two to four days a week”, “five to six days a week”, “once a day, every day”, “every day, more than once”. For each of these variables, responses were dichotomised: less than daily and daily.

Not having soft drinks daily was reported by a majority of young people across all countries and regions. In most countries girls were less likely to consume soft drinks than boys. Soft drink consumption was highest in Bulgaria (~50%) and lowest in Sweden, Iceland, Finland, and Estonia – countries in Northern-Europe – where only 10% or less had soft drinks daily.

With respect to television-viewing, electronic games and computer use (each = 2 hour/day) girls were more likely to report engaging in these sedentary behaviours than boys in almost all countries.

Studies examining both sedentary behaviour and physical activity report weak or no relations between them and yet there is evidence that each has an independent effect on weight status. In the current study, overweight status had a negative relationship with television-viewing and electronic game playing in many countries; this supports former findings8 and current guidelines but demonstrates variations across countries.
In conclusion, the results of this large multinational survey indicate that overweight in youth continues to be a public health concern. Furthermore, the strong and consistent negative association of overweight with certain lifestyle factors including breakfast consumption and MVPA suggest the importance of formulating and strengthening preventive public health policies concerning these practices.

Credits: Ellen Haug,Mette Rasmussen,Oddrun Samdal,Ron Iannotti,Colette Kelly,Alberto Borraccino,Carine Vereecken,Ole Melkevik,Giacomo Lazzeri,Mariano Giacchi,Oya Ercan,Pernille Due,Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer,Candace Currie,Antony Morgan and Namanjeet Ahluwalia, the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Obesity Working Group

More Information at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2735089/?tool=pubmed

 

 

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