Eating habits of primary school pupils and the problem of obesity in children in the district of Istria country

Main Article Content

TEA VOJSKOVIĆ ŽELJKO JOVANOVIĆ, M.D.

Abstract

Objective: To analyse the eating habits and physical activity of primary school pupils in the Istria County  in order to assess the need to organise educational workshops for students and parents on healthy eating habits and activities for primary school students.


Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted; anonymous questionnaire and descriptive statistical methods were used. The respondents were primary school students in Istria County. 182 respondents aged 7 to 15 participated in the research, which was conducted from May 2022 to January 2023 using a questionnaire created via a Google form.


Results: The majority of students live in rural areas (46%), in families with multiple household members (64%). Of the parents/guardians, the majority have a high school diploma (52.29%), with mothers/guardians mostly having a university or technical university degree (67%) and fathers/guardians having a high school diploma (61%). Of the 175 students, 3 are severely obese (2%), 20 are obese (11%), 29 are overweight (17%), 9 are malnourished (5%), and 1 is severely malnourished (1%). 113 students (64%) have a normal body weight for their age. Fruit (74.86%), dairy products (68.00%), meat products (57.71%) and bakery products (56.57%) are served most frequently at school meals. Water is the most frequently consumed drink for 95% of students. Energy drinks are consumed the least frequently (6%). Just over 26% of respondents consume coffee sometimes or daily, while alcohol is consumed sometimes or daily by around 10% of respondents. Most respondents are also physically active outside of school (73%) and 57% of them spend between 1 and 3 hours a day in front of a computer, mobile phone, etc., while 64% spend 1 to 3 hours a day outdoors. Mostly, 67% think that their body weight is okay and 14% think that they do not eat a healthy diet.


Conclusion: In addition to the problem of overweight and obesity, it was found that there are other lifestyle problems among primary school students (malnutrition, coffee and alcohol consumption). A serious health risk due to overweight or severe obesity and obesity exists in 19% of respondents. The results point to the need to continuously educate students, parents and school staff about the importance of a healthy diet and regular physical activity to promote health and prevent disease.

Keywords: physical activity, primary school students, eating habits, obesity, prevention

Article Details

How to Cite
VOJSKOVIĆ, TEA; JOVANOVIĆ, ŽELJKO. Eating habits of primary school pupils and the problem of obesity in children in the district of Istria country. Medical Research Archives, [S.l.], v. 12, n. 9, sep. 2024. ISSN 2375-1924. Available at: <https://esmed.org/MRA/mra/article/view/5711>. Date accessed: 21 nov. 2024. doi: https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v12i9.5711.
Section
Research Articles

References

1. Lobstein T, Baur L, Uauy R. Obesity in children and young people: a crisis in public health. Obesity Reviews. 2004.; 5(s1):4–85.

2. WHO. Report of the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity. Implementation plan: executive summary. Geneva; 2017.

3. WHO. Obesity and overweight [on line]. World Health Organization. 2021. Available: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight

4. WHO. WHO highlights high cost of physical inactivity in first-ever global report [on line]. WHO. 2022. Available: https://www.who.int/news/item/19-10-2022-who-highlights-high-cost-of-physical-inactivity-in-first-ever-global-report

5. Puder JJ, Munsch S. Psychological correlates of childhood obesity. Int J Obes. 2010.; 34(S2):S37–43.

6. Wang Y, Monteiro C, Popkin BM. Trends of obesity and underweight in older children and adolescents in the United States, Brazil, China, and Russia. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002.; 75(6):971–7.

7. Temple JL, Wrotniak BH, Paluch RA, Roemmich JN, Epstein LH. Relationship between sex of parent and child on weight loss and maintenance in a family-based obesity treatment program. Int J Obes. 2006.; 30(8):1260–4.

8. Nowicka P. Dietitians and exercise professionals in a childhood obesity treatment team. Acta Paediatr. 2007.; 94(448):23–9.

9. Katzmarzyk PT, Barreira T v., Broyles ST, Champagne CM, Chaput JP, Fogelholm M, i ostali. Relationship between lifestyle behaviors and obesity in children ages 9-11: Results from a 12-country study. Obesity. 2015.; 23(8):1696–702.

10. Eurostat. Body mass index (BMI) by sex, age and educational attainment level. 2022. Available from:https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/hlth_ehis_bm1e__custom_8979877/default/table?lang=en&page=time:2019) [pristupljeno 30.01.2024.].

11. Regien B, Hanson M. Childhood Obesity. Im: Puri P. Pediatric Surgery. Springer: Berlin, Heidelberg; 2020; 529–539.

12. Sævarsson ES, Gudmundsdottir SL, Kantomaa M, Arngrimsson SA, Sveinsson T, Skulason S. Above average increases in body fat from 9 to 15 years of age had a negative impact on academic performance, independent of physical activity. Acta Paediatr. 2019;108(2):347–353. doi: 10.1111/ apa.14459.

13. Buoncristiano M et al. Socioeconomic inequalities in overweight and obesity among 6-to 9-year old children in 24 countries from the World Health Organization European region. Obesity Reviews. 2021;22:e13213.).

14. Musić Milanović S, Lang Morović M, Križan H. European Childhood Obesity Monitoring Initiative, Croatia 2018/2019. (CroCOSI). Croatian Institute of Public Health: Zagreb; 2021 Available from: https://www.hzjz. hr/wp-content/uploads/2021/). [

15. WHO. Report on the fifth round of data collection, 2018–2020: WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI)[Internet]. World Health Organization; 2022. [pristupljeno 13.02.2024.]. Available: https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/363950/WHO-EURO-2022-6594-46360-67071-eng.pdf?sequence=2

16. World Obesity Federation, World Obesity Atlas 2023. Available: https://data.worldobesity.org/publications/?cat=19) .

17. OECD. Heavy Burden of Obesity: The Economics of Prevention - A quick guide for policy makers. 2019;16.[Internet]. OECD; 2019. Available: https://www.oecd.org/health/healthsystems/ Heavy-burden-of-obesity-Policy-Brief-2019.pdf.

18. Jovanović Ž, Šarić M, et al. 2024;The Physical Activity and Dietary Habits of Nursing Students, Medical Research Archives, [online] 12(1). https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v12i1.4911

19. de Onis M, Blössner M, Borghi E. Global prevalence and trends of overweight and obesity among preschool children. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010.; 92(5):1257–64.

20. Gudeljević M, Jovanović Ž. Habits and attitudes about nutrition of Medical School graduates. Journal of Applied Health Sciences = Journal of Applied Health Sciences [Internet]. 2022 [accessed on 30.03.2023]; 8(1):83-96. https://doi.org/10.24141/1/8/1/8

21. World Health Organization. Global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases 2013-2020. Geneva; 2013. Available from: https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/94384

22. Monitoring noncommunicable disease commitments in Europe 2021: are we on track to reach targets 10 years after the Moscow Declaration and First United Nations High-Level Meeting? Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe; 2021. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO

23. Musić Milanović S, Križan H, Lang Morović M, Meštrić S, Šlaus N, Pezo A. Europska inicijativa praćenja debljine u djece, Hrvatska 2021./2022. (CroCOSI). Hrvatski zavod za javno zdravstvo: Zagreb, 2024.

24. Gurzkowska B, Grajda A, Kułaga Z, Napieralska E, Litwin M. Distribution of body mass index categories among Polish children and adolescents from rural and urban areas. Med Wieku Rozwoj. 2011.; 15(3):250–7.

25. Gibson EL, Cooke L. Understanding Food Fussiness and Its Implications for Food Choice, Health, Weight and Interventions in Young Children: The Impact of Professor Jane Wardle. Curr Obes Rep. 2017.; 6(1):46–56.

26. Mazur A, Klimek K, Telega G, Filip R, Małecka-Tendera E. Ten-year secular trend of overweight and obesity in school children in south-eastern Poland. Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine. 2014.; 21(3):634–8.

27. Araromi, N., Okoronkwo, C., Erinne, O., Dada, T., Falade, I., Annonye, B., Agada, A., Okobi, R., Okobi, O., Akpamgbo, E., & Obodo, O. (2024). Managing obesity with lifestyle modification, outcomes, and recommendations. Medical Research Archives, 12(7). doi:10.18103/mra.v12i7.5425

28. Umoke M, Umoke PCI, Onyeke NG, Victor-Aigbodion V, Eseadi C, Ebizie EN, i ostali. Influence of parental education levels on eating habits of pupils in Nigerian primary schools. Medicine. 2020.; 99(43):e22953.

29. Potter C, Gibson EL, Ferriday D, Griggs RL, Coxon C, Crossman M, i ostali. Associations between number of siblings, birth order, eating rate and adiposity in children and adults. Clin Obes. 2021.; 11(3):e12438.

30.Gortmaker SL, Must A, Perrin JM, Sobol AM, Dietz WH. Social and Economic Consequences of Overweight in Adolescence and Young Adulthood. New England Journal of Medicine. 1993.; 329(14):1008–12.

31. Ross MM, Kolbash S, Cohen GM, Skelton JA. Multidisciplinary Treatment of Pediatric Obesity: Nutrition Evaluation and Management. Nutrition in Clinical Practice. 2010.; 25(4):327–34.

32. Daniels SR, Hassink SG, Abrams SA, Corkins MR, de Ferranti SD, Golden NH, i ostali. The Role of the Pediatrician in Primary Prevention of Obesity. Pediatrics. 2015.; 136(1):e275–92.

33. Schwimmer JB. Health-Related Quality of Life of Severely Obese Children and Adolescents. JAMA. 2003.; 289(14):1813.

34. Botella-Carretero JI, Alvarez-Blasco F, Villafruela JJ, Balsa JA, Vázquez C, Escobar-Morreale HF. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with the metabolic syndrome in morbid obesity. Clinical Nutrition. 2007.; 26(5):573–80.

35. Berge JM, MacLehose R, Loth KA, Eisenberg M, Bucchianeri MM, Neumark-Sztainer D. Parent Conversations About Healthful Eating and Weight. JAMA Pediatr. 2013.; 167(8):746.

36. Al-Khudairy L, Loveman E, Colquitt JL, Mead E, Johnson RE, Fraser H, i ostali. Diet, physical activity and behavioural interventions for the treatment of overweight or obese adolescents aged 12 to 17 years. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2017.; 2017(6).

37. Irby M, Kaplan S, Garner-Edwards D, Kolbash S, Skelton JA. Motivational interviewing in a family-based pediatric obesity program: A case study. Families, Systems, & Health. 2010.; 28(3):236–46.

38. Tian X, Wang H. The Impact of Having One Parent Absent on Children' Food Consumption and Nutrition in China. Nutrients, 2029; 11(12), E3077.

39. van Ansem WJ, Schrijvers CT, Rodenburg G, van de Mheen D. Maternal educational level and children's healthy eating behaviour: role of the home food environment (cross-sectional results from the INPACT study). The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2014 Sep;11:113. DOI: 10.1186/s12966-014-0113-0. PMID: 25212228; PMCID: PMC4177694.

40. Xu J. The Roles of Family and School Members in Influencing Children’s Eating Behaviours in China: A Narrative Review. Children. 2022; 9(3):315. https://doi.org/10.3390/children9030315

41. Canadian Paediatric Society, Digital Health Task Force, Ottawa, Ontario . Screen time and young children: Promoting health and development in a digital world [published correction appears in Paediatr Child Health. 2018 Feb;23(1):83. doi: 10.1093/pch/pxx197]. Paediatr Child Health. 2017;22(8):461-477. doi:10.1093/pch/pxx123

42. Mizia S, Felińczak A, Włodarek D, Syrkiewicz-Świtała M. Evaluation of Eating Habits and Their Impact on Health among Adolescents and Young Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(8):3996. Published 2021 Apr 10. doi:10.3390/ijerph18083996

43. Andrade de Medeiros Moreira R, Ricardo Moreira T, Dias da Costa G, Vidigal Castro LC, Minardi Mitre Cotta R. Multilevel analysis of factors that influence overweight in children: research in schools enrolled in northern Brazil School Health Program. BMC Pediatr. 2020;20(1):188. Published 2020 Apr 28. doi:10.1186/s12887-020-02096-8

44. Tani Y, Doi S, Isumi A, Fujiwara T. Association of home cooking with caregiver-child interaction and child mental health: results from the Adachi Child Health Impact of Living Difficulty (A-CHILD) study. Public Health Nutr. 2021;24(13):4257-4267. doi:10.1017/S1368980021001075

45. Gubbels JS. Environmental Influences on Dietary Intake of Children and Adolescents. Nutrients. 2020;12(4):922. Published 2020 Mar 27. doi:10.3390/nu12040922

46. Brunborg GS, Raninen J, Burdzovic Andreas J. Energy drinks and alcohol use among adolescents: A longitudinal study. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2022; 241:109666.doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109666

47. Miller KE, Dermen KH, Lucke JF. Caffeinated energy drink use by U.S. adolescents aged 13-17: A national profile. Psychol Addict Behav. 2018;3 2(6):647-659. doi:10.1037/adb0000389

48. Al-Shaar L, Vercammen K, Lu C, Richardson S, Tamez M, Mattei J. Health Effects and Public Health Concerns of Energy Drink Consumption in the United States: A Mini-Review. Front Public Health. 2017;5:225. Published 2017 Aug 31. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2017.00225

49. Hassan MA, Liu W, McDonough DJ, Su X, Gao Z. Comparative Effectiveness of Physical Activity Intervention Programs on Motor Skills in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(19):11914. Published 2022 Sep 21. doi:10.3390/ijerph191911914

50. Marques A, Holzweg M, Scheuer C, Repond R M, Correia C, Santo R E, Onofre M. Extracurricular sports in European schools: A descriptive study. International Sport Studies. 2021; 36(1), 63-72.

51. Staiano AE, Beyl RA, Guan W, Hendrick CA, Hsia DS, Newton RL Jr. Home-based exergaming among children with overweight and obesity: a randomized clinical trial. Pediatr Obes. 2018;13(11) :724-733. doi:10.1111/ijpo.12438

52. Sirirassamee T, Phoolsawat S, Limkhunthammo S. Relationship between body weight perception and weight-related behaviours. J Int Med Res. 2018;46(9):3796-3808. doi:10.1177/0300060518780138

53. HZJZ. Results of the fifth round of the European Childhood Obesity Monitoring Initiative (2018-2022) published [online]. HZJZ. 2021. Available at: https://www.hzjz.hr/sluzba-promicanje-zdravlja/objavljeni-rezultati-petog-kruga-europske-inicijative-za-pracenje-debljine-u-djece-2018-2022/