Parental Body Mass Index in association with the prevalence of overweight/obesity among adolescents in Greece; dietary and lifestyle habits in the context of the family environment: the Vyronas study

Appetite. 2008 Jul;51(1):218-22. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2008.02.001. Epub 2008 Feb 14.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether Parental Body Mass Index is associated with overweight/obesity in a sample of Greek adolescents, taking into consideration dietary and lifestyle habits. The Vyronas study is a cross-sectional health and nutrition survey. During 2004/2005, 2008 schoolchildren were selected. BMI was calculated for both parents and adolescents. A semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire was applied. Results demonstrated that there is a strong positive association between the parental overweight/obesity status and their offspring's BMI. Some dietary and lifestyle habits seem to affect boys and girls BMI in relation to parental status differently.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
  • Body Mass Index
  • Child
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Feeding Behavior*
  • Female
  • Greece / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Life Style*
  • Male
  • Nutrition Surveys
  • Obesity / epidemiology*
  • Obesity / etiology
  • Obesity / psychology
  • Overweight / epidemiology*
  • Overweight / etiology
  • Overweight / psychology
  • Parent-Child Relations*
  • Parents / psychology*
  • Prevalence
  • Sex Factors
  • Surveys and Questionnaires