Eating habits, lifestyle factors, and body weight status among Turkish private educational institution students

Students’ transition from high school to university is accompanied by lifestyle changes. This study aimed to assess trends in students’ body weight status, perception, management practices and eating habits from 2000 to 2017. Three cross-sectional surveys were carried out among the first-year students of five Kaunas (Lithuania) universities in 2000, 2010 and 2017. The self-administered questionnaires were filled in during lectures. Altogether, 3275 students aged 20.0 (1.5) years participated in the survey. The prevalence of self-reported overweight increased among male students from 11.3% in 2000 to 24.3% in 2017 and female students from 5.2 to 9.6%. The intake frequency of fruits, vegetables and cereals increased, and red meat decreased. At a normal BMI, more female than male students perceived themselves as being ‘too fat’ (19.4% and 8.8% in 2017), while more male than female students perceived themselves as being ‘too thin’ (37.2% and 4.5% in 2017). More females than males were dissatisfied with their weight, worried about gaining weight and tried to lose weight. Weight-management practices were associated with body weight, self-perception, dissatisfaction, worries about weight gain and eating behaviours. Our study highlights the need for interventions to increase the accuracy of weight perception and to promote the appropriate weight-management methods, addressing gender differences.

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Parental Misperception of Their Child's Body Weight Status Impedes the Assessment of the Child's Lifestyle Behaviors

International Journal of Pediatrics ◽

10.1155/2010/306703 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 2010 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Marie-Eve Mathieu ◽

Vicky Drapeau ◽

Angelo Tremblay

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Weight Status ◽

Eating Habits ◽

Normal Weight ◽

Lifestyle Behaviors ◽

Lifestyle Habits ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Highly Educated ◽

Body Weight Status ◽

Healthy Body Weight

Objectives. To examine if distinct characteristics are associated with parental misclassification of underweight (UW), normal weight (NW), and overweight or obese (OWOB) children and the implications of misclassification on the parental evaluation of the child's lifestyle habits.Methods. Cross-sectional analysis (2004 sample) of the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (1998–2010) (n=1,125).Results. 16%, 55%, and 77% of NW, UW and OWOB children were perceived inaccurately, respectively. Misperception was significantly higher in nonimmigrant parents of UW children, in highly educated parents of NW children and in NW and OWOB children with lower BMI percentiles. Erroneous body weight status identification impedes the evaluation of eating habits of all children as well as physical activity and fitness levels of UW and OWOB children.Conclusion. Parental misclassification of the child's body weight status and lifestyle habits constitutes an unfavorable context for healthy body weight management.

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PROP taster status interacts with the built environment to influence children's food acceptance and body weight status

Obesity ◽

10.1002/oby.20059 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 786-794 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Carlye Burd ◽

Araliya Senerat ◽

Earle Chambers ◽

Kathleen L. Keller

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Built Environment ◽

Weight Status ◽

Food Acceptance ◽

Body Weight Status

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Is overweight/obesity a risk factor for atopic allergic disease in prepubertal children? A case–control study

Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism ◽

10.1515/jpem-2021-0051 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Aysel Vehapoglu ◽

Zeynep Ebru Cakın ◽

Feyza Ustabas Kahraman ◽

Mustafa Atilla Nursoy ◽

Ali Toprak

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Allergic Disease ◽

Weight Status ◽

Normal Weight ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

University Hospital ◽

Healthy Children ◽

Prepubertal Children ◽

Body Weight Status ◽

Increased Risk

Abstract Objectives It is unclear whether body weight status (underweight/normal weight/overweight/obese) is associated with allergic disease. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between body weight status (body mass index; BMI) and atopic allergic disease in prepubertal children, and to compare children with atopic allergic diseases with non atopic healthy children. Methods A prospective cross sectional study of 707 prepubertal children aged 3–10 years was performed; the participants were 278 atopic children with physician-diagnosed allergic disease (allergic rhinitis and asthma) (serum total IgE level >100 kU/l and eosinophilia >4%, or positivity to at least one allergen in skin test) and 429 non atopic healthy age- and sex-matched controls. Data were collected between December 2019 and November 2020 at the Pediatric General and Pediatric Allergy Outpatient Clinics of Bezmialem Vakıf University Hospital. Results Underweight was observed in 11.6% of all participants (10.8% of atopic children, 12.2% of healthy controls), and obesity in 14.9% of all participants (18.0% of atopic children, 12.8% of controls). Obese (OR 1.71; 95% CI: 1.08–2.71, p=0.021), and overweight status (OR 1.62; 95% CI: 1.06–2.50, p=0.026) were associated with an increased risk of atopic allergic disease compared to normal weight in pre-pubertal children. This association did not differ by gender. There was no relationship between underweight status and atopic allergic disease (OR 1.03; 95% CI: 0.63–1.68, p=0.894). Conclusions Overweight and obesity were associated with an increased risk of atopic allergic disease compared to normal weight among middle-income and high-income pre pubertal children living in Istanbul.

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