Consumption of sugar products and associated life- and school-satisfaction and self-esteem factors among schoolchildren in Kuwait.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to assess how frequently schoolchildren report consuming sweets, soft drinks, and cakes, and whether life- and school-satisfaction and self-esteem factors are associated with the consumption of these sugar products.


METHODS
A total of 2,312 schoolchildren between the ages of 11 and 13 years from the government schools in Kuwait completed an anonymous structured questionnaire during 2002 and 2003. A representative sample of children from all six governorates of the country was drawn into the study. The questionnaire of the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) survey was translated from English to Arabic and was used after modification to suit Kuwaitis. The chi-square test and logistic regression model were used in the analysis.


RESULTS
A large proportion of children reported consuming sweets (42%), soft drinks (43%), and cakes (31%) several times a day. Almost every fourth child reported consuming all these sugar products more than once a day. All life-satisfaction and self-esteem variables and almost all school-satisfaction variables seemed to associate with more-than-once-a-day consumption of sugar products. When all the associated variables were analyzed together using the logistic regression model, the life- and school-satisfaction and self-esteem factors seemed to have a stronger association with frequent sugar consumption than did gender, grade, or nationality.


CONCLUSIONS
Consumption of sugar products was common among schoolchildren in Kuwait, and both positive and negative life-satisfaction and self-esteem factors were associated.
Honkala
Sisko
S
Department of Developmental and Preventive Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Kuwait University, Kuwait. siskohonkala@yahoo.co.uk
Honkala
Eino
E
Al-Sahli
Nameer
N
D000293:Adolescent; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007730:Kuwait; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012574:Schools; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D019422:Dietary Sucrose