Family factors and health behaviour of thin adolescent boys and girls

Relationship between Weight Status and Health-Related Quality of Life in a Sample of Early Adolescents from Central and Northern Italy: A Cross-Sectional Study of the AVATAR Project Participants

Among the various factors that could influence health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adolescence, body mass index (BMI) seems to play a key role as a main anthropometric parameter. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine, in a sample of Italian adolescents, whether HRQoL is associated with the different weight status categories (underweight, normal weight, overweight, obese), according to BMI cut-off points for children, even considering sex differences. Data were collected from 1707 adolescents (n = 828 males) in seven schools. HRQoL was analyzed using the Italian version of KIDSCREEN-52. Males were more overweight and obese than females (13% vs. 10% and 4% vs. 2%, p < 0.05, respectively). In females, BMI categories are associated with physical well-being (p < 0.05), emotion/mood (p < 0.05), self-perception (p < 0.001), financial resources (p < 0.05), and bullying behavior (p < 0.05). In males, weight status is linked to physical well-being dimension (p < 0.001) and perception of self (p < 0.05). Our results may suggest that there is an association between weight status categories and HRQoL, more pronounced in females than in males. Interestingly, the weight status correlated more with the psychological dimension mainly in females, whereas in males, a stronger association between weight and physical status was observed, suggesting that given the complex, multifaceted, and dynamic nature of relationship between health-related quality of life and weight status in adolescents, multiple factors must be considered.

The Negative Impact of Parental Smoking on Adolescents' Health-Promoting Behaviors: A Cross-Sectional Study

The literature has indicated that adolescents’ exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) and having smoking parents were positively associated with current tobacco smoking. Few studies have explored the association between parental smoking and adolescent’s health-promoting behaviors. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of SHS and the relationship between parental smoking at home and adolescent’s health-promoting behaviors in rural areas. Methods: A school-based and cross-sectional study was conducted from March to December 2019 in western coastal Yunlin County, Taiwan. A total of 1227 adolescents, including 51% boys, anonymously participated in this study. Three parental smoking situations and eight questions of adolescents’ habits extracted from previous studies were applied. A linear regression model was used to analyze the factors associated with adopting health-promoting behaviors. Results: More than half (67.7%) of adolescents experienced parental smoking at home, 90.2% reported their family smoked around them, and 48.8% of participants “sometimes” or “never” avoided SHS. Many participants showed a low frequency of water (49.6%), vegetable (49.1%), and fruit (63.2%) intake, using dental floss (84.7%), and regular exercise (60.6%). The determinants of adolescents’ health-promoting scores were highly associated with avoidance of SHS, less associated with parental smoking, and parents smoking at home and around adolescents. Conclusion: The findings showed that in the rural area, a high prevalence of parental smoking at home and parental smoking around adolescents was noted. It is an important issue that parental smoking was negatively associated with adolescent’s health-promoting behaviors.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Thinness in Rural Polish Children

A lot of attention has been focused on obesity, however, the other extreme—thinness—may lead to inhibition of physical and intellectual development. The aim was to assess the prevalence of thinness and determine the associated factors in children from rural populations. We used data from the cross-sectional sample of 3048 children, examined in schools from a district in southern Poland. The sample included 89% of the district departments, and included a proportion of rural and small town populations—a representative one for the region. Thinness was determined based on the criteria proposed by Cole and Lobstein. Biological, sociodemographic and lifestyle factors were analysed. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using logistic regression analysis. The prevalence of thinness was 11.5% in boys and 13.5% in girls. In the younger group, it was similar in boys and girls at 11.8%; whereas in the older group, it was 11.1% and 14.5%, respectively. The prevalence of thinness Grade 3 in girls was two times higher than in boys. The increased index of leisure time physical activity was connected with thinness in prepubertal boys. The mechanism determining the development of thinness is very complex and further exploration of this trend is recommended.

The association of weight status and weight perception with number of confidants in adolescents

Weight status and self-weight perception are related to social relationship issues. Studies have suggested links between non-normal weight status or weight perception and youths having fewer confidants, but these relationships are unclear and remain to be studied. This preliminary cross-sectional study examined the effects of weight status and weight perception on the number of confidants in adolescents. Self-report data from 15,279 grade 7–12 students (54.2% boys) were analyzed. The number of confidants (0–3 or ≥ 4) was examined, according to five weight status categories (underweight, low-normal weight, mid-normal weight (reference), high-normal weight, overweight, with Body Mass Index corresponding to ≤ 18.5, ≤ 20.0, ≤ 22.5, ≤ 25.0 and > 25.0 in adults, respectively), and five weight perception categories (too thin, a bit thin, good (reference), a bit fat, too fat). Boys and girls who were overweight and those who perceived themselves to be too fat were significantly more likely to have few confidants. High-normal weight in girls and self-perception of being a bit fat in boys were also associated with having few confidants. In boys, underweight and self-perception of being too thin were additionally associated with having few confidants. Adolescents with non-normal weight status or weight perception may have fewer confidants and require more social support.

Thinness in a population of rural girls in Poland: 14-year changes and regional differentiation

Worldwide data indicate a growing number of energy homeostasis disorders, which are especially dangerous in childhood. The distribution and growing trends of overweight and obesity in children have been widely investigated, unlike the prevalence of too-low body weight and its determinants. This study aimed to estimate the frequency of body mass deficiency in Polish rural girls and differences among four Polish regions - Choszczno and Leszno in the north-west, and Ostrów Mazowiecka and Suwałki in the north-east. Data were taken from 7764 rural girls aged 9-18 years examined in 1987, when the country was in economic crisis, and 9431 such girls examined in 2001, when the country was undergoing political transformation. The frequency of weight deficiency was estimated based on BMI by applying the international standards of Cole. An Extent of Overweight (EOW) index was used to create an Extent of Thinness (EOT) index. A significant increase in weight deficiency was found in the rural girls - from 7.5% in 1987 to 8.9% in 2001 - and an increase in the EOT index from 0.37 in 1987 to 0.43 in 2001. Analysis by area of residence demonstrated significant differentiation. In the regions in north-west Poland, mainly inhabited by non-farming families, the prevalence of weight deficiency in girls almost doubled from 1987 to 2001, probably because of the mass and long-term unemployment that resulted from the closure of state farms in 1992. In contrast, in the north-east regions, the prevalence of weight deficiency remained almost unchanged over this period, with only a slight decrease, probably because the inhabitants were mainly farm and farm/working families with better living conditions. Despite the overall increase in thinness prevalence in rural girls in Poland, different living conditions have had different biological effects.