title: Lifestyle Habits: Diet, physical activity and sleep duration among Omani adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate the lifestyle habits-physical activity (PA), eating habits (EH), and sleep duration (SD)-of Omani adolescents, and to examine gender differences in such variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  802 Omani adolescents (442 females and 360 males), aged 15-18 years were randomly recruited. Anthropometric indices, PA level, and EH and SD were evaluated by the Arab Teenage Lifestyle questionnaire. A semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire for dietary assessment was also administered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that although the study subjects had a sedentary lifestyle (lack of PA, average of 6.7 hours sleep, and consumption of high calorie foods), they maintained a normal body mass (less than 25 Kg/m(2)). Males were more than twice as active as females. With respect to EH, there were few gender differences, except in dairy and meat consumption where 62.5% and 55.5% of males consumed more than 3 servings, respectively, compared to 18.78 % and 35.2% of females, respectively. In addition, waist/height ratio, height, reasons for being active, energy drinks, potato consumption, eating sweets, vigorous PA and breakfast EHs were statistically significant independent predictors for BMI, P <0.05 for both males and females.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study revealed a high prevalence of sedentary behaviors and a low level of physical activity, especially among females. Unhealthy dietary habits were also widely found among both genders. There is an urgent need for more research as well as a national policy promoting active living and healthy eating and discouraging sedentary behaviour among Omani adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education, College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman;
authors.forename: Hashem
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kilani
authors.forename: Hazzaa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Al-Hazzaa
authors.forename: Mostafa I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Waly
authors.forename: Abdulrahman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Musaiger
keywords: Adolescent; Dietary Habits; Habits; Index, Body Mass; Lifestyle; Oman; Physical Activity; Sleep