Nutritional status of urban adolescents: individual, household and neighborhood factors based on data from The BH Health Study

How Family Structure Can Influence Adolescents' Eating Habits: An Italian Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) 2022 Sample

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Adolescence is an important period of psychophysical development. In this phase of life people acquire greater self-awareness and adopt behaviors that will later shape their lifestyle in adulthood. This study aimed to assess whether family structure can influence adolescents' eating habits.

METHODS

Data were acquired from a survey titled 'Italian Health Behaviour in School-aged Children' (HBSC) given to a representative sample of Tuscan adolescents aged 11, 13, 15 and 17 years of age. Participants (3210) filled out a validated questionnaire answering questions about their eating habits and family structure. After adjusting for covariates, some interesting trends were highlighted in the survey results.

RESULTS

Adolescents living in single-mother families reported a lower intake of fruits (OR 0.68, 95% CI = 0.55-0.83) and vegetables (OR 0.66, 95% CI = 0.53-0.81) and a higher intake of sugar-added soft drinks (OR 1.33, 95% CI = 1.08-1.64). Living in a mother and stepfather family was associated with a higher intake of sugar-added soft drinks (OR 1.53, 95% CI = 1.02-2.28), whereas living in a father and stepmother family was associated only with a lower intake of fruits (OR 0.48, 95% CI = 0.26-0.87). Participants living with other family types reported a lower intake of vegetables (OR 0.68, 95% CI = 0.47-0.98).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study show a correlation between family structure and adolescents' eating habits.

Prevalence of overweight and obesity among Brazilian adolescents over time: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the burden of excess weight in Brazilian adolescents.

DESIGN

Systematic review with meta-analysis.

SETTING

We searched the literature in four databases (MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, SciELO and LILACS). Studies were included if they had cross-sectional or cohort design and enrolled Brazilian adolescents. Studies based on self-reported measures were excluded. Random effect models were used to calculate prevalence estimates and their 95 % CI.

PARTICIPANTS

Brazilian adolescents (10 to 19 years old).

RESULTS

One hundred and fifty-one studies were included. Trend analyses showed a significant increase in the prevalence of excess weight in the last decades: 8·2 % (95 % CI 7·7, 8·7) until year 2000, 18·9 (95 % CI 14·7, 23·2) from 2000 to 2009, and 25·1 % (95 % CI 23·4, 26·8) in 2010 and after. A similar temporal pattern was observed in the prevalence of overweight and obesity separately. In sensitivity analyses, lower prevalence of excess weight was found in older adolescents and those defined using International Obesity Task Force cut-off points. The Southeast and South regions had the highest prevalence of excess weight, overweight and obesity. No significant difference in prevalence by sex was found, except for studies before the year 2000.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of overweight and obesity in Brazilian adolescents is high and continues to rise. Public policies on an individual level and targeting modifications in the obesogenic environment are necessary.