Skipping breakfast, alcohol consumption and physical inactivity as risk factors for overweight and obesity in adolescents: results of the E-MOVO project

• Published in: European journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 63; no. 3; pp. 405 - 412
• Main Authors: Croezen, S, Visscher, T.L.S, Bogt, N.C.W. ter, Veling, M.L, Haveman-Nies, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Nature Publishing Group 01.03.2009
• Subjects: Adolescent; adolescent nutrition; Adolescents; adulthood; age; Alcohol; Alcohol Drinking - adverse effects; Alcohol use; Alcoholic beverages; anthropometric measurements; behaviors; Biological and medical sciences; Body mass; Body Mass Index; Body size; Body weight; Community health care; Diet; diet-related diseases; dietary restriction; Drinking of alcoholic beverages; dutch children; E-MOVO Project; eating habits; Exercise; Feeding behavior; Feeding Behavior - physiology; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; food; Food habits; food intake; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; health; Health aspects; Health behavior; Health services; height; human diseases; human nutrition; Humans; Leisure Activities; life-style; Male; measured height; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Netherlands; Nutrition research; Obesity; Obesity - etiology; Obesity in adolescence; Odds Ratio; Overweight; Overweight - etiology; physical activity; Risk analysis; Risk factors; Schools; self-reported weight; Socioeconomic Factors; Statistical analysis; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teenagers; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Netherlands; Human; Consumption; Physical exercise; Obesity; Breakfast; Health; adolescents; Nutrition disorder; Alcohol; Metabolic diseases; alcohol consumption; Overweight; physical activity; Survey; electronic health survey; Surveillance; Adolescent; Risk factor; Nutritional status
• ISSN: 0954-3007; 1476-5640
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602950

Objective/Background: To investigate the association between skipping breakfast, alcohol consumption and physical inactivity with overweight and obesity in adolescents. The design comprises cross-sectional electronic health survey (E-MOVO). Subjects/Methods: Over 35 000 Dutch adolescents in grade 2 (13-14 years of age) and grade 4 (15-16 years of age) of secondary educational schools were recruited by seven community health services. Analyses were performed on 25 176 adolescents. Body mass index was calculated from self-reported body weight and height. Frequency of skipping breakfast per week, amount of alcoholic drinks consumed per occasion, and numbers of physical active days per week were considered as determinants for overweight and obesity. Results: In grade 2, adjusted odds ratios for the association with overweight were 2.17 (95% CI: 1.66-2.85) for skipping breakfast, 1.86 (1.36-2.55) for alcohol consumption and 1.73 (1.19-2.51) for physical inactivity. Statistically significant associations with overweight were also found in grade 4. In grade 2, dose-response relations (P for trend <0.05) were present between all risk factors and overweight. In a multivariate model containing all risk factors, breakfast skipping showed the strongest relation with overweight (OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.43-1.97 for grade 2, OR 1.32 95% CI 1.14-1.54 for grade 4) and obesity. Conclusions: Skipping breakfast, alcohol consumption and physical inactivity were associated with overweight in second and fourth grade adolescents. The associations were strongest for younger adolescents. The most important risk factor for overweight and obesity was skipping breakfast.