https://doi.org/10.37527/2021.71.S1
1Department of Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health, Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain, 2MOVE-IT Research Group, Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Education Sciences, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain, 3Biomedical Research and Innovation Institute of Cádiz (INiBICA) Research Unit, Puerta del Mar University Hospital, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain, 4Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain, 5Salus Infirmorum Nursing School, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain, 6GALENO research group, Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Education Sciences, University of Cadiz, Puerto Real, Spain. Biomedical Research and Innovation Institute of Cadiz (INiBICA) Research Unit, Cádiz, Spain., Puerto Real, Spain.
Background. Many aspects of prepared-food make it suspect to the associated increases in overweight and obesity.
Objective. The objective of this study was to analyse the association between body weight status and eating prepared-food of schoolchildren enrolled in the 3rd year of Primary Education in the province of Cádiz.
Methods. A sample of 864 schoolchildren between 8 and 9 years old of the province of Cádiz was analysed. Schoolchildren were administered a set of questionnaires to assess nutritional, including a questionnaire on eating habits. The body weight status was established following the cut-off points of the Body Mass Index (BMI) proposed by the World Obesity Federation. To check the association between body weight status and eating prepared-food, a UNIANOVA analysis was applied.
Results. When analyzing the association between body weight status and fast-food intake, it was found that those who had a worse body weight status were those who never ate fast-food, those who ate it less than 3 times a week and those who ate it more than 3 times respectively (BMI=18.45vs18.29vs17.65) (p=0.087). The same happened when analyzing by sex (BMI=18.47vs18.41vs17.76 for boys) (p>0.05) and (BMI=18.41vs18.16vs17.52 for girls) (p>0.05). However, the opposite occurred with restaurant-food. Schoolchildren who ate restaurant-food every day had a worse body weight status than those who ate it 3 or more times a week, less than 3 times a week and never BMI=20.58vs17.89vs18.21vs17.91) (all p<0.05). The same happened when analyzing by sex (BMI=19.52vs18.04vs18.27vs18.23 for boys) (all p>0.05) and (BMI=22.56vs17.72vs18.15vs17.54 for girls) (all p<0.05).
Conclusions. Eating prepared food seems to be negatively associated with the body weight status of schoolchildren. In the case of restaurant-food, it was clearly seen in the study: the schoolchildren who consumed restaurant-food more frequently had a worse body weight status. In the case of fast-food, it was not seen because parents, as a preventive way, in accordance with health recommendations, did not allow the children who had a worse body weight status to eat fast-food very often, but parents of children with better body weight status did allow them to eat fastfood more often.
Keywords: childhood obesity, prepared-food, fast-food, homemade-food.