Weight Status, Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet, Physical Activity Level, and Sleep Behavior of Italian Junior High School Adolescents

Inadequate diet, physical activity, and sleep-related behaviors are potential risk factors for overweight and obese, therefore we investigated the relations between body mass index (BMI) and behavioral factors in a sample of Italian adolescents. Four hundred nine Italian secondary school students (4...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nutrients 2020-02, Vol.12 (2), p.478
Main Authors: Rosi, Alice, Giopp, Francesca, Milioli, Giulia, Melegari, Gabriele, Goldoni, Matteo, Parrino, Liborio, Scazzina, Francesca
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
adolescence
Adolescents
Anthropometry
Body mass
Body mass index
Body size
Body weight
Chronic illnesses
Exercise
Gender
kidmed score
Obesity
Physical activity
physical activity level
Risk analysis
Risk factors
Risk taking
school achievement
school performance
Sleep
Sleep and wakefulness
Sleep deprivation
sleep duration
sleep habits
Sleepiness
students
Teenagers
young
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Summary:Inadequate diet, physical activity, and sleep-related behaviors are potential risk factors for overweight and obese, therefore we investigated the relations between body mass index (BMI) and behavioral factors in a sample of Italian adolescents. Four hundred nine Italian secondary school students (46% females, 12.5 ± 0.6 y.o.) were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Anthropometric measures, adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (KIDMED), physical activity level (PAQ-C), sleep duration, daytime sleepiness (PDSS), sleep quality, and school achievement data were collected through an online questionnaire. The percentage of overweight adolescents was slightly lower (14%) compared to the regional and the national figures. Approximately 88% of the sample reported a medium/high adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and 77% a moderate/vigorous physical activity level. The average sleep duration was in line with the international sleep recommendation for adolescents and 82% had a medium/high sleep quality. No differences were found between genders except for BMI (lower in females). Unexpectedly, no differences were found among the BMI groups (normal weight vs. overweight vs. obese) for lifestyle variables; in contrast, Mediterranean Diet adherence was associated with sleep habits. Further investigation is required to better explore the associations among behavioral variables involved in adolescents' healthy development.
ISSN:2072-6643
2072-6643
DOI:10.3390/nu12020478