Associations between Lifestyle Patterns and Body Mass Index in a Sample of Greek Children and Adolescents

• Published in: Journal of the American Dietetic Association 2010-02, Vol.110 (2), p.215-221
• Main Authors: Kontogianni, Meropi D., PhD, Farmaki, Anastasia-Eleni, MSc, Vidra, Nikoletta, MSc, Sofrona, Stavroula, MBA, Magkanari, Flora, MSc, Yannakoulia, Mary, PhD
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; adolescent nutrition; adolescents; basal metabolic rate; Biological and medical sciences; Body Mass Index; Child; child nutrition; Child, Preschool; children; Children & youth; Cluster Analysis; Cross-Sectional Studies; diet; Diet, Mediterranean - statistics & numerical data; Dietary Guidelines; Eating disorders; eating habits; energy intake; Feeding Behavior; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Greece; Health Behavior; Humans; Internal Medicine; Interviews as Topic; Leisure Activities; Life Style; lifestyle; Lifestyles; Linear Models; low calorie diet; Male; Nutrition Policy; nutritional adequacy; Obesity; Obesity - prevention & control; Overweight - prevention & control; physical activity; Principal Component Analysis; sociodemographic characteristics; Telephone; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems
• ISSN: 0002-8223; 2212-2672; 1878-3570; 2212-2680
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jada.2009.10.035

Abstract Background Although eating and physical activity behaviors have been previously individually investigated with regard to overweight in children, multidimensional lifestyle patterns, based on these behaviors, have not been explored. Objective To assess lifestyle patterns in relation to body mass index (BMI), in a nationally representative sample of the Greek pediatric population Design Cross-sectional study. Data were collected from May through July 2007. Subjects The sample consisted of 1,305 children and adolescents (ages 3 to 18 years). Main outcome measures Information on participants' dietary intake, eating behaviors, physical activity habits, and BMI were collected. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet guidelines was evaluated using the KIDMED Mediterranean diet quality index; the higher the score in this index the more favorable the dietary pattern. The Goldberg cut-off limits for the ratio of energy intake/basal metabolic rate were used to evaluate dietary low energy reporting and participants were accordingly classified as low-energy reporters. Statistical analysis Principal component analysis was performed to identify participants' lifestyle patterns. Associations between BMI and lifestyle patterns were further evaluated using multiple linear regression analyses, after controlling for potential confounders. Results Principal component analysis identified seven lifestyle patterns explaining 85% of the total variance of lifestyle habits. A lifestyle pattern characterized by higher eating frequency, breakfast consumption and higher KIDMED score was negatively associated with BMI (standardized β=−.125, P