Nutritional Status, Dietary Practices and Physical Activities of Adolescents in Public and Private Schools of Karachi, Pakistan
Journal Title: Obesity Research - Open Journal - Year 2016, Vol 3, Issue 2
Abstract
A comparative study was undertaken to assess the nutritional status, dietary practices and physical activities of school going adolescents in public and private schools (PPSs) of Karachi, Pakistan. A sample of 101 boys and 100 girls from PPSs was randomly selected for their weight, height, waist and hip circumferences, percent body fat and lean body mass measurements. Adolescent boys and girls were interviewed for their dietary practices, socio-economic status, frequency and type of physical activities and their responses were recorded. Results by gender and school type revealed that both the boys and girls of private schools had a significantly lower mean age but significantly higher mean height-for-age Z-score, waist and hip circumferences than the public school adolescents. Food frequency results revealed that the frequency and patterns of breakfast, break-time snack, lunch and dinner of private school going adolescents were more diverse and nutritiously rich. Skipping breakfast was more common among adolescents being higher in girls than boys. Parents of adolescents belonging to private schools had a higher education and socio-economic status. Private school adolescents were physically more active (p<0.05) in terms of frequency and type of physical activities. The study concludes that the adolescents of private schools had a better nutritional status, consumed food and beverages of better quality and were physically more active. However, boys and girls of both the public and private schools failed to meet the national and international dietary guidelines of recommended food servings.
Authors and Affiliations
Parvez I. Paracha
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP554235
- DOI 10.17140/OROJ-3-125
- Views 138
- Downloads 0
Adipocytokines: A Potential Link Between Obesity and CNS Disorders
The interrelationships between obesity and high fat mass with different chronic pathophysiological conditions have been taken into consideration in recent decades along with the growing prevalence of obesity. Epidemiolog...
Impacts of Lifestyle and Socioeconomic Status on Childhood Obesity
Childhood obesity is an important indicator to predict adulthood obesity, so monitoring factors that contribute to childhood obesity plays a constructive role in preventing adulthood chronic diseases and metabolic syndro...
Possible Mechanisms of Insulin Resistance in Obese Subjects
Obesity is characterized by excessive triglyceride accumulation in adipose tissue cells (adipocytes); the adipocytes are not just a reservoir for storage of energy in the form of triglyceride, but more importantly act as...
Reward Deficiency Syndrome in Children: Obesity and Metabolic Disorders are Associated with the SNP TaqIA C32806T of the DRD2 Gene
Background: Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS) is a hypo-dopaminergic state that predisposes to obsessive-compulsive behaviors. Obesity is part of RDS since the individual is predisposed to reward-driven eating behavior th...
Diabetes Prevention in African-American Communities
Type-2 Diabetes (T2D) has reached epidemic proportions with the number of people being diagnosed almost tripling in recent generations.1 T2D is the most common form of diabetes and accounts for about 90% to 95% of all ca...