Objective: To identify certain risk factors associated with childhood obesity related to lifestyle; dietary patterns, physical activity, and sedentary behavior.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 977 schoolchildren (473 boys and 449 girls) aged 7-18 years. Children were selected randomly from three main cities in Jordan: Amman, Irbid, and Mafraq by using multistage cluster sampling method. Sedentary behaviors, physical activity and child eating behaviors were measured by using validated questionnaires. Overweight and obesity were defined by International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) criteria.
Results: Sedentary activities increase the risk of overweight among schoolchildren by 2-fold [RR(Relative risk) = 2.0, 95% CI(Confidence interval) (1.1-3.6), p = 0.02]. Whereas, sedentary activities for less than 3 h increased the risk of overweight by 0.8-fold [RR = 0.8, 95%CI (0.6-1.3), P = 0.388], Schoolchildren who spent<30 min/day in exercising decreased the risk of overweight by 0.5-fold [RR = 0.5, 95% CI (0.2-1.0), P = 0.06)]. Both Students who ate one meal daily and daily ate snacks from schools cafeterias had a higher tendency to be obese [(RR = 1.8, 95%CI (0.5-5.9), P = 0.368], and [RR = 1.5, 95%CI (0.9-2.5), P = 0.169] respectively.
Conclusions: Physical activity, eating meals regularly and homemade food, all together play a significant role in decreasing obesity among Jordanian schoolchildren, thus a national policy that promoting active living and healthy eating among schoolchildren is warranted.
Keywords: Obesity; Overweight; Physical activity; Schoolchildren; Sedentary behaviors.
Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.