Energy Balance Related Behaviour: Personal, Home- and Friend-Related Factors among Schoolchildren in Europe Studied in the ENERGY-Project

Abstract

ObjectiveTo design interventions that target energy balance-related behaviours, knowledge of primary schoolchildren's perceptions regarding soft drink intake, fruit juice intake, breakfast consumption, TV viewing and physical activity (PA) is essential. The current study describes personal beliefs and attitudes, home- and friend-related variables regarding these behaviours across Europe.DesignCross-sectional study in which personal, family and friend -related variables were assessed by validated questionnaires, and dichotomized as favourable versus unfavourable answers. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate proportions of children giving unfavourable answers and test between-country differences.SettingA survey in eight European countries.SubjectsA total of 7903 10–12 year old primary schoolchildren.ResultsA majority of the children reported unfavourable attitudes, preferences and subjective norms regarding soft drink, fruit juice intake and TV viewing accompanied with high availability and accessibility at home. Few children reported unfavourable attitudes and preferences regarding breakfast consumption and PA. Many children reported unfavourable health beliefs regarding breakfast consumption and TV viewing. Substantial differences between countries were observed, especially for variables regarding soft drink intake, breakfast consumption and TV viewing.ConclusionThe surveyed children demonstrated favourable attitudes to some healthy behaviours (PA, breakfast intake) as well as to some unhealthy behaviours (soft drink consumption, TV viewing). Additionally, many children across Europe have personal beliefs and are exposed to social environments that are not supportive to engagement in healthy behaviours. Moreover, the large differences in personal, family and friend-related variables across Europe argue for implementing different strategies in the different European countries.

The influence of physical activity and eating behaviour on body mass index in children and adolescents: A review the literature

“…Story et al 16 , observed in their study that overweight subjects had strong intentions of choosing a healthier diet; the same was reported by Sabiston & Crocker 24 , possibly because normal weight schoolchildren have no need to change their dietary behaviour to achieve changes in their bodies 13 . Iannotti & Wang 25 say that young whites present many obesogenic behaviours, with excess weight of up to 29.7%.…”

“…Overweight and obese children live in more obesogenic and sedentary environments, closer to fast-food outlets and other sources of very dense, high-energy foods, and where outdoor physical activity is not encouraged due to the availability of indoor entertainment and vehicle travel 14 . Eating a proper breakfast and/or not skipping breakfast, together with higher consumption of dairy products, were related with a healthier diet and lower BMI; consumption of fibre-rich foods (fruit, vegetables and whole-grain products) was related with lower thickness of cutaneous folds 13,18 ; this was corroborated by Vilchis-Gil et al 27 , who found that higher intake of fruit is associated with lower BMI. Furthermore, higher consumption of carbohydrates (traditional foods with added fat), soft drinks and natural fruit juice were associated with a risk of greater obesity 27 .…”

“…Children are strongly attracted by high-sugar soft drinks due to a combination of factors, including the flavour and the image of an effervescent drink. Consumption of these drinks is very worrying, since in most houses they are readily available and there are no rules on their consumption 13 , constituting an 'invitation' to unhealthy habits in the home.…”

“…As a result of these factors, studies have reported a high prevalence of healthdamaging dietary behaviour among school-age adolescentes 9,11 principally girls 12 . Many characteristics of the environment may help to determine a child's physical activity (PA), including the parents' attitude and the stimulus they provide to take part in sports, the percentage of time spent outdoors, the geographical location and the time of year 13,14 . Sedentarism, economic and socio-cultural influences and excessive passive eating are obesogenic factors which lead to an increase in the prevalence of child obesity 15 .…”

Faktor Determinan Jumlah Konsumsi Soft Drink Per Hari Pada Anak Usia 10-12 Tahun Di Pedesaan

“…Dari berbagai negara di Eropa, anak-anak dari Hungaria memiliki sikap dan perilaku konsumsi soft drink yang lebih tinggi dari negara lainnya karena sikap dan perilaku orang tua dan teman sebaya yang mendukung konsumsi soft drink. 20 Uang saku seorang anak dapat mencerminkan tingkat sosial ekonomi keluarga. Seorang anak yang berasal dari keluarga dengan status pekerjaan orang tua yang rendah memiliki kecenderungan untuk mengkonsumsi soft drink lebih banyak 8 .…”