[Cross-sectional association between eating behaviors and overweight/obesity among children and adolescents in Chengdu city].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate eating behaviors of children and adolescents in Chengdu city, and to explore the associations between eating behaviors and overweight/ obesity among children.

METHODS: A total of 2179 children and adolescents aged 7-15 years were recruited from Chengdu city by cluster random sampling method. A self-designed food frequency questionnaire was used to collect information on eating behaviors among children. Anthropometric data were measured to calculate percent body fat (PBF) and BMI Z-score.

RESULTS: Obese girls consumed sugar-sweetened beverages less frequently than normal-weight girls and overweight girls (P = 0. 0406). Obese or overweight girls consumed snacks less frequently than normal-weight girls ( P = 0. 0304 ). Boys with higher consumption of snacks had lower BMI Z-score. Boys who often had dinner with their parents had higher PBF and BMI Z-score (P =0. 0010 and P =0. 0339, respectively). Moreover, PBF of boys who had extra meal was significantly higher than those who did not. However, similar results were not observed among girls. Girls who ate breakfast regularly and often had dinner with their parents had lower PBF (P = 0.0004 and P < 0.0001, respectively).

CONCLUSION: Some of poor eating behaviors, like more frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, not eating breakfast regularly and not having dinner with parents often, may be risk factors of overweight and obesity among children.