Assessment of nutrition and physical activity of
6th-7th grade schoolchildren in the city of Vilnius,
Lithuania

• Authors: Vaida Skurdenyte , Gene Surkiene , Rimantas Stukas , Kestutis Zagminas , Vincentas Giedraitis , Andrius Kavaliunas
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Background: Evaluation of eating habits and
physical activity is very important for health interventions.
Our aim in this study was to assess the characteristics
of eating and physical activity of 6-7th grade schoolchildren
in the city of Vilnius, Lithuania, as well as the
association between dietary habits and physical activity.
Methods: The study was conducted within the project
“Education of healthy diets and physical activity in
schools”. The sample consisted of 1008 schoolchildren
from 22 schools in the city of Vilnius, and was based on
empirical methods, including a questionnaire poll and
comparative analysis. Statistical software Stata v.12.1
(Stata corp LP) was used to analyze the data. Results: Our study showed that less than half (37.1%) of
study participants had physically active leisure time.
Boys were significantly more physically active than girls.
More than half (61.4%) of children ate breakfast every
day. Girls were more likely to eat vegetables and sweets.
Schoolchildren who ate vegetables and dairy products as
well as those who got enough information about physical
activity and spoke about it with their family members
were more physically active. Conclusions: The results of the study confirmed that
schoolchildren were not sufficiently physically active. It
was found that low physical activity is related to dietary
and other factors, such as lack of information about physical
activity and its benefits.

Keywords

EN

Child and adolescent health; nutrition anddiet; physical activity and sport

• Publisher: De Gruyter Open
• Journal: Open Medicine
• Year: 2014
• Volume: 10
• Issue: 1

Dates

online

16 - 1 - 2015

received

19 - 6 - 2014

accepted

22 - 11 - 2014

Contributors

author

Vaida Skurdenyte

• Vilnius University
  Vilnius, Lithuania

author

Gene Surkiene

• Vilnius University
  Vilnius, Lithuania

author

Rimantas Stukas

• Vilnius University
  Vilnius, Lithuania

author

Kestutis Zagminas

• Vilnius University
  Vilnius, Lithuania

author

Vincentas Giedraitis

• Vilnius University
  Vilnius, Lithuania

author

Andrius Kavaliunas

• Public Health Institute,
  Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, M.K. Ciurlionio 21, Vilnius,
  Lithuania

References

• [1] Lalonde M: A New Perspective on the Health of Canadians.Working document. Ottawa; 1974.
• [2] World Health Organization: 2008-2013 Action Plan for theGlobal Strategy for the Prevention and Control of NoncommunicableDiseases. Geneva; 2008.
• [3] World Health Organization: School Policy Framework:Implementation of the WHO Global Strategy on Diet, PhysicalActivity and Health. Geneva; 2008.
• [4] Commission of the European Communities: White paper onA Strategy for Europe on Nutrition, Overweight and Obesityrelated health issues. Brussels; 2007.
• [5] Gudžinskienė V, Česnavičienė J, Suboč V: Sveikos gyvensenosugdymas mokyklose. Vilnius: Vilniaus pedagoginisunivesitetas, 2007.
• [6] World Health Organization: Global Recommendations onPhysical Activity for Health. Geneva; 2010.
• [7] Currie C, et al.(Eds): Inequalities in Young People‘s Health.Health Behaviour in School-aged Chldren (HBSC) study:international report from the 2005/2006 survey. World HealthOrganization, Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen; 2008.
• [8] Currie C, et al.(Eds): Social determinants of health andwell-being among young people : Health Behaviour inSchool-Aged Children (HBSC) study : international report fromthe 2009/2010 survey. World Health Organization, RegionalOffice for Europe, Copenhagen; 2012.
• [9] Jackson E, Eagle T, Leidal A, Gurm R, Smolarski J, Goldberg C,Rogers B, Eagle K: Childhood obesity: A comparison of healthhabits of middle-school schoolchildren from two communities.Clinical Epidemiology 2009, 1:133–139.[Crossref]
• [10] Currie C, et al.(Eds): Young People‘s Health in Context: HealthBehaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study: internationalreport from the 2001/2002 survey. World Health Organization,Regional Office for Europe; Copenhagen, 2012.
• [11] Kennedy C, Floriani V: Translating Research on HealthyLifestyles for Children: Meeting the Needs of DiversePopulations. Nurs Clin North Am 2008, 43(3): 397.[WoS][Crossref]
• [12] Huang Y, Wong SH, Salmon J, Hui SS: Reliability and validityof psychosocial and environmental correlates measures ofphysical activity and screen-based behaviors among Chinesechildren in Hong Kong. International Journal of BehavioralNutrition and Physical Activity 2011, 8:16.[WoS][Crossref]
• [13] Lawman HG, Wilson DK, Horn MLV, Resnicow K, Kitzman-UlrichH: The Relationship between Psychosocial Correlates andPhysical Activity in Underserved Adolescent Boys and Girls inthe ACT Trial. J Phys Act Health 2011, 8(2):253–261.[Crossref][WoS]
• [14] Currie J, Stabile M: Socioeconomic Status and Child Health:Why is the Relationship Stronger for Older Children? TheAmerican Economic Review 2003, 93(5):1813-1823.[Crossref]
• [15] Bradley R H, Corwyn R F: Socioeconomic Status and ChildDevelopment. Annual Review of Psychology 2002, 53:371-399.[Crossref]
• [16] Irwin L G, Siddiqi A, Hertzman C: Early Child Development:A Powerful Equalizer. Final Report for the World HealthOrganization’s Commission on the Social Determinants ofHealth, 2007.
• [17] Eurostat. Newsrelease, euroindicators, 112/2009, 31 July.
• [18] Eurostat. Newsrelease, euroindicators, 121/2009, 24 August.
• [19] Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee (PAGAC).Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Report.Washington, DC, US Department of Health and HumanServices, 2008.
• [20] Laskienė S, Zuozienė I, Zuoza A: Ketvirtos klasės mokiniųfiziškai aktyvių ir pasyvių lasvlaikio leidimo formų analizė.Visuomenės sveikata 2009, 1(44):70-77.
• [21] Purslow L, Hill C, Saxton J, Corder K, Wardle J: Differencesin physical activity and sedentary time in relation to weightin 8–9 year old children. International Journal of BehavioralNutrition and Physical Activity 2008, 5:67.[WoS][Crossref]
• [22] Sketerskienė R, Šurkienė G, Žagminas K: Mokinių mokymosikrūvio bei sveikatos ir dienos režimo sąsajos. Medicina(Kaunas) 2009, 45(5):395-404.
• [23] Dregval L, Petrauskienė A: Associations between physicalactivity of primary school first-graders during leisure timeand family socioeconomic status. Medicina (Kaunas) 2009,45(7):549-556.
• [24] Yuasa K, et al: Effects of lifestyle habits and eating mealstogether with the family on the prevalence of obesity amongschoolchildren in Tokushima, Japan: a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey. The Journal of Medical Investigation2008, 55:71-77.
• [25] Abudayya A, Stigum H, Shi Z, Abed Y, Holmboe-Ottesen G:Sociodemographic correlates of food habits among schooladolescents (12–15 year) in north Gaza Strip. BMC Public Health2009, 9:185.[Crossref][WoS]
• [26] Lazarou C, Panagiotakos D, Kouta C, Matalas A: Dietary andother lifestyle characteristics of Cypriot schoolchildren: resultsfrom the nationwide CYKIDS study. BMC Public Health 2009,9:147.[Crossref]
• [27] Dubois et al.: Household food insecurity and childhoodoverweight in Jamaica and Québec: a gender-based analysis.BMC Public Health 2011, 11:199.[Crossref]
• [28] Vaitkevičius J, Miliūnienė L, Vaitkevičienė A: Šiaulių apskritiesmoksleivių mitybos įpročiai ir savijauta. Visuomenės sveikata2008, 1(40):37-42.

Identifiers

DOI

10.1515/med-2015-0024