In-school snacking, breakfast consumption, and sleeping patterns of normal and overweight Iranian high school girls: a study in urban and rural areas in Guilan, Iran.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship of snacking during school hours, sleep time, and breakfast consumption by weight status of Iranian high school girls in urban and rural areas in Guilan Province, Iran.


METHODS
Data were collected by self-administered questionnaire and measure of body weight and height.


METHODS
High schools in urban and rural areas in Guilan Province, northern Iran.


METHODS
Representative sample of 2302 school girls (1106 in Rasht City and 1196 in rural areas) selected by multistage cluster sampling.


METHODS
Breakfast skipping, snacking habits at school, sleep habits, body weight, and height.


METHODS
Differences in the frequency of the measured variables between the urban and rural girls and overweight and normal weight girls were tested using the chi-square test, P < .05.


RESULTS
Prevalence of obesity was significantly (P < .05) lower in urban areas (4.1%) than in rural areas (5.2%). Prevalence of overweight was significantly higher in those who usually skipped breakfast (P < .001). Consumption of food items of low nutrient density as snacks during the school day was common in this population, especially in rural areas.


CONCLUSIONS
The school environment may contribute to the high prevalence of overweight/obesity observed among Iranian adolescent females. Students should be encouraged to eat breakfast and choose nutritious snacks during the school day.
Maddah
Mohsen
M
Department of Human Nutrition, School of Public Health, Guilan University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Rasht, IR Iran. maddahm@yahoo.com
Rashidi
Arash
A
Mohammadpour
Behnoush
B
Vafa
Reza
R
Karandish
Majid
M
D000293:Adolescent; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012574:Schools; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*