Associations between physical activity patterns and dietary patterns in a representative sample of Polish girls aged 13-21 years: a cross-sectional study (GEBaHealth Project)

Abstract

BackgroundSimilar to other countries, trends of decreasing levels of physical activity (PA) and an increasing prevalence of unhealthy dietary patterns are observed among girls in Poland. Better understanding of potentially inter-related behaviours within this population can help to design tailored interventions. The purpose of this study was to determine associations between PA patterns and dietary patterns in a representative sample of Polish girls.MethodsGirls aged 13-21 years (n = 1107) were randomly selected for the study. PA was assessed using International Physical Activity Questionnaire – Long (IPAQ-L). Dietary data were collected with food frequency questionnaires. PA patterns and dietary patterns were drawn separately by Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Logistic regression was used to find the associations between PA patterns and dietary patterns.ResultsFour major PA patterns (‘School/work activity’, ‘Active recreation’, ‘Yard activity’ and ‘Walking and domestic activity’) and four dietary patterns (‘Traditional Polish’, ‘Fruit & vegetables’, ‘Fast food & sweets’ and ‘Dairy & fats’) were identified. Level of PA was the highest in the upper tertile of ‘School/work activity’ pattern (mean 1372.2 MET-minutes/week, 95 % Confidence Intervals [CI]: 1285.9–1458.5). Girls in upper tertiles of ‘Yard activity’, ‘Active recreation’ and ‘School/work activity’ patterns had significantly higher chances of being in the upper tertile of the ‘Fruit and vegetables’ dietary pattern (odds ratio [OR] 2.17, 95 % CI: 1.50–3.14, p < 0.0001; OR 2.02, 95 % CI: 1.41–2.91; p < 0.001 and OR 1.76, 95 % CI: 1.24–2.51, p < 0.01 respectively; all adjusted for confounders) in comparison to bottom tertiles. Weak, but significant inverse associations were found between upper tertiles of ‘Active recreation’ and ‘Yard activity’ patterns and unhealthy dietary patterns.ConclusionsWe found associations between PA patterns and dietary patterns in the population of Polish girls. Girls with the highest adherence to the ‘School/work activity’ pattern had the highest levels of PA and presented pro-healthy dietary behaviours. School should be recognised as potentially efficient and important setting to maximise girls' PA potential. The after-school time is the area that should also be targeted to increase daily PA or to at least sustain the level of PA after completing education.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-016-3367-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Self-Reported Dietary Restrictions and Dietary Patterns in Polish Girls: A Short Research Report (GEBaHealth Study)

“…Analyses were carried out on data from the Girls’ Eating Behaviour and Health (GEBaHealth) study; details regarding recruitment protocol and methodology have been previously reported [11]. In brief, 2104 girls aged 13–21 years old were contacted using the Universal Electronic System of Population Register (PESEL) database.…”

“…As a result, the final sample included 1107 girls. Among these girls, missing or unreliable data were found to have misreported height ( n = 3), weight ( n = 15), and level of physical activity ( n = 27); these data (but not participants) were removed from the analysis [11]. …”

“…Dietary data collection and detailed methodology regarding dietary patterns identification have been previously described [11]. Briefly, data were collected using three food-frequency questionnaires: the Block Screening Questionnaire for Fruit/Vegetable/Fibre Intake (BSQFVF), the Block Screening Questionnaire for Fat Intake (BSQF), and the Food Intake Variety Questionnaire (FIVeQ).…”

“…From all three questionnaires, data regarding 30 food items were collected and input into Principal Component Analysis (PCA)—with varimax rotation. Four dietary patterns were derived: “traditional Polish”, considered rather unhealthy (comprising of white bread, potatoes, red meats, margarine/butter, and fried chicken); “fruit and vegetables”, considered pro-healthy (comprising of salads, fruit, vegetables, and beans); “fast food and sweets”, considered unhealthy (comprising of fries, chips, burgers, ice-cream, pastries/cakes, salad dressings, sweets, and snacks); and “dairy and fats”, considered rather unhealthy (comprising of cheese, whole milk, margarine/butter, cereals and potatoes, and dairy products) (Table S1) [11]. …”

“…Details regarding data collection and cut-off points for categorical variables have been previously described [11]. In brief, socioeconomic status was assessed by socioeconomic status index (SESI) based on four variables: mother’s education, father’s education, economic status, and description of household.…”