ESTIMATION OF DIETARY HABITS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AMONG YOUNG POPULATION IN VOJVODINA: BMI-FOR-AGE APPROACH
DOI:
UDK:
364.65-053.6:613.21:796(497.113)
JOURNAL No:
Volume 45, Issue 2
PAGES
159-168
KEYWORDS
young population, diet quality, meal frequency, body mass index, physical activity
Zita I. Šereš1, Ferenc E. Kiš2, Dragana M. Šoronja Simović1, Peter Raspor3, Marijana Z. Djordjević1, Miljana Z. Djordjević*1, Sonja Smole-Možina3, Nikola R. Maravić1, Jana J. Zahorec1
1 University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technology, Department of Carbohydrate Food Engineering, 21000 Novi Sad, Bulevar cara Lazara 1, Serbia
2 University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technology, Department of General Education Subjects, 21000
Novi Sad, Bulevar cara Lazara 1, Serbia
3 University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Food Science and Technology, 1000 Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, Slovenia
2 University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technology, Department of General Education Subjects, 21000
Novi Sad, Bulevar cara Lazara 1, Serbia
3 University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Food Science and Technology, 1000 Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, Slovenia
ABSTRACT
Healthy diet and development of proper dietary habits in adolescence combined with sufficient physical activity are recognized as the key factors of a long-term health. This study was conducted to gain an insight into the dietary habits, the frequency of meal intake and physical activity of the young population by applying a survey. Surveyed participants were Hungarian nationality students who attended elementary and high schools in the province of Vojvodina, Serbia. The total number of participants was 525 (42.5% males and 57.5% females) most of which were from the rural area. To address the nutritional status and risk for overweight among the young population, body mass index (BMI) of the participants was determined. The majority of participants had normal range nutritional status (70.48%) followed by overweight (19.81%) and obese (7.62%). Overweight and obese nutritional statuses were more common among male participants. Increasing number of participants with overweight nutritional status was noticed in the 7th grade of elementary school (25.81%). Insufficient physical activity and irregularities in meals intake were also noticed within the studied population which is an indicator of potential obesity development in adulthood.