[Epidemiology of overweight and obesity among Italian early adolescents: relation with physical activity and sedentary behaviour].
OBJECTIVE
The prevalence of overweight and obesity and the role of possible related factors were analysed among Italian early adolescents.


METHODS
The survey reported here is part of the larger "Health Behaviour in School Aged Children" (HBSC) trans-national study, which is co-ordinated by the European Office of the World Health Organization. The data were gathered through self-administered questionnaires filled out by a representative sample of 4,386 (48.4% males) Italian students (11-, 13- and 15-year old).


RESULTS
The overall prevalence is 16.7% for overweight and 2.5% for obesity. Boys are more at risk than girls for the two phenomena. Moreover, age group, mother's education, area of residence, physical activity, and sedentary behaviour show a significant association with both outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings of the present study are in agreement with similar studies carried out on early adolescents population, showing that prevalence in overweight and obesity decreases during this phase and is more diffused among boys than girls. The prevalence of both diseases is higher in the South and Islands. Sedentary behaviour and physical activity are substantive factors which preventive interventions could act on.
Vieno
Alessio
A
Dipartimento di Psicologia dello Sviluppo e della Socializzazione, Università di Padova, Padova. alessio.vieno@unipd.it
Santinello
Massimo
M
Martini
Maria Cristiana
MC
D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D015995:Prevalence