Diet, Physical Activity, and Sedentary Behaviors as Risk Factors for Overweight in Adolescence

Kevin Patrick, Gregory J. Norman, Karen J. Calfas, James F. Sallis, Marion F. Zabinski, Joan Rupp, John Cella
2004 Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine  
The proportion of overweight adolescents has increased, but the behavioral risk factors for overweight youth are not well understood. Objective: To examine how diet, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors relate to overweight status in adolescents. Design and Setting: Baseline data from the Patient-Centered Assessment and Counseling for Exercise Plus Nutrition Project, a randomized controlled trial of adolescents to determine the effects of a clinic-based intervention on physical activity
more » ... d dietary behaviors. Participants: A total of 878 adolescents aged 11 to 15 years, 42% of whom were from minority backgrounds. Main Outcome Measure: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention body mass index-for-age percentiles divided into 2 categories: normal weight (Ͻ85th percentile) and at risk for overweight plus overweight (AR+O) (Ն85th percentile). Results: Overall, 45.7% of the sample was classified as AR+O with a body mass index for age at the 85th percentile or higher. More girls from minority backgrounds (54.8%) were AR + O compared with non-Hispanic white girls (42%) ( 2 1 = 7.6; P = .006). Bivariate analyses indicated that girls and boys in the AR+O group did fewer minutes per day of vigorous physical activity, consumed fewer total kilojoules per day, and had fewer
doi:10.1001/archpedi.158.4.385 pmid:15066880 fatcat:fhsvjxtknndk3orblcygeopuzq