title: Association between dairy product intake and abdominal obesity in Azorean adolescents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Some studies have reported an inverse association between dairy product (DP) consumption and weight or fat mass loss.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of our study was to assess the association between DP intake and abdominal obesity (AO) among Azorean adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was a cross-sectional analysis. A total of 903 adolescents (370 boys) aged 15-16 years was evaluated. Anthropometric measurements were collected (weight, height and waist circumference (WC)) and McCarthy's cut-points were used to categorize WC. AO was defined when WC was ≥90th percentile. Adolescent food intake was assessed using a self-administered semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire and DP intake was categorized in <2 and ≥2 servings/day. Data were analyzed separately for girls and boys, and logistical regression was used to estimate the association between DPs and AO adjusting for potential confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of AO was 54.9% (boys: 32.1% and girls: 70.7%, P<0.001). For boys and girls, DP consumption was 2.3±1.9 and 2.1±1.6 servings/day (P=0.185), respectively. In both genders, the proportion of adolescents with WC <90th percentile was higher among individuals who reported a dairy intake of <2 servings/day compared with those with an intake <2 servings/day (boys: 71% vs 65% and girls: 36% vs 24%, P<0.05). After adjustments for confounders, two or more DP servings per day were a negative predictor of AO (odds ratio, 0.217; 95% confidence interval, 0.075-0.633) only in boys.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found a protective association between DP intake and AO only in boys.
authors.affiliation: Research Centre in Physical Activity, Health and Leisure, Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal. sandramrabreu@gmail.com
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abreu
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vale
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Soares-Miranda
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mota
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moreira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001394:Azores / Q000453:epidemiology; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003611:Dairy Products; D004032:Diet; D004034:Diet Surveys; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055105:Waist Circumference