title: Potential factors related to waist circumference in urban South Indian children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify important factors (linked to lifestyle, eating and sedentary behaviors) relating to waist circumference among urban South Indian children aged 3 to 16 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross sectional.
  
  
  METHODS
  Urban schools of Bangalore, from August 2008 to January 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  8444 children; 4707 children aged 3-10 years and 3737 children aged 10-16 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected on the frequency of consumption of certain foods, physical activity patterns, sedentary habits at home, sleep duration and behaviors such as habits of snacking, skipping breakfast, eating in front of television and frequency of eating out. Simple linear regression analysis of waist circumference on various food items, physical activity, behavior and parental BMI were performed.  A path model was developed to identify potential causal pathways to increase in waist circumference.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increased consumption of bakery items, non vegetarian foods, increased television viewing, decreased sleep duration, eating while watching television, snacking between meals, family meals, skipping breakfast (in older children), and parental BMI were found to be related to waist circumference. Older children possibly under-reported their intake of unhealthy foods, but not behaviors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study identified potential behaviors related to waist circumference in urban school children in India.  Longitudinal studies with better measures of morbidity and adiposity are warranted in order to derive casual relationships between various determinants and waist circumference.
authors: Division of Nutrition, St John's Research Institute, Bangalore, India. rebecca@sjri.res.in
authors: Rebecca
authors: R
authors: Kuriyan
authors: Tinku
authors: T
authors: Thomas
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Sumithra
authors: Deepa P
authors: DP
authors: Lokesh
authors: Nishita R
authors: NR
authors: Sheth
authors: Renju
authors: R
authors: Joy
authors: Swarnarekha
authors: S
authors: Bhat
authors: Anura V
authors: AV
authors: Kurpad
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055105:Waist Circumference