How well do Polish teenagers meet health behaviour guidelines?

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of meeting health behaviour guidelines regarding eating breakfast, fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity and to identify adolescents who accumulate the unhealthy behaviours.

Subject and methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted in 2008 in adolescents aged 13-year-old (N = 574). They self-reported their physical activity (MVPA--Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity), regularity of breakfast eating and fruit and vegetable consumption. The adherence to physical activity and nutritional guidelines were described. Relationships between dependant variables and sex and place of residence were examined. Cluster analysis was used to identify subgroups of youths whose accumulate the unhealthy behaviours.

Results: The proportion of adolescents who met each health recommendation varied: 69% ate breakfast on 5 school days, 46.9% consumed at least once a day fruit and vegetable and 27.5% performed recommended daily physical activity. Boys were significantly more active (p < 0.001) and ate breakfast more frequently than girls (p < 0.04). A gender difference in fruit and vegetable intake was not statistically significant. Only 11.5% of adolescents fulfilled all three recommendations, more often boys than girls (p = 0.020). Almost 54% of adolescents had multiple unfavorable health behaviours, and 14,1% all three of them - significantly more often girls than boys (p = 0.011). For adolescents with two risk behaviours, the most prevalent cluster was formed by not meeting the physical activity and fruit and vegetable recommendations.

Conclusions: The unhealthy behaviours tend to accumulate among teenagers - more often in girls than in boys, becoming the risk factors for different chronic diseases. Widespread dissemination of healthy lifestyle guidelines among adolescents, their parents and teachers, and undertake interventions aimed to reduce unhealthy behaviours could bring health benefits in the future.