Lifestyle of school children: representative survey in metropolitan elementary schools. Part one.
OBJECTIVE
The prevalence of overweight and obesity among school children is increasing dramatically. Obesity is multifactorial and depends on lifestyle as well as genetic components. The purpose of the survey was to investigate the lifestyle of 7- to 14-year-old children attending elementary schools in Budapest.


METHODS
The research was questionnaire-based. Children were asked to answer questions about their leisure activities, physical exercise, nutritional, eating, and smoking habits.


RESULTS
Many children live a sedentary life and are dissatisfied with their body weight. One in 5 boys and 1 in 3 girls have been on a slimming diet at least once. About two-thirds of the children regularly consumed vitamin and/or mineral supplements and at the same time just over half of them knew how much fruit should be eaten daily. School children in the upper classes did not eat 5 times a day. More than 5% of the 11- to 14-year-old boys and more than 10% of the girls smoked regularly.


CONCLUSIONS
According to our results, the unfavorable lifestyle of the great majority of Hungarian school children may have implications for their health during adulthood.
Péter
Szabolcs
S
National Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Budapest, Hungary. yurphan@freemail.hu
Regöly-Mérei
Andrea
A
Biró
Lajos
L
Nagy
Katalin
K
Arató
Györgyi
G
Szabó
Csaba
C
Vámos
Adrienn
A
Martos
Eva
E
Antal
Magda
M
D000293:Adolescent; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012574:Schools; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires