title: Gender differences in lifestyle determinants of overweight prevalence in a sample of Southern European children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The association between sleep duration, extracurricular sport, screen-based activities and dietary variables with prevalence of overweight in middle childhood, regarding gender differences, was assessed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study involving 2814 children (age 6-12 years). Measured weight and height and reported lifestyle variables were obtained by health professionals previously trained. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the associations between variables and the likelihood of being overweight.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of overweight (including obesity) was 31.9% in boys and 30.4% in girls. In boys, engaging ≥ 3 h/week in sports activities (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.5-0.9), eating daily breakfast (OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.4-0.9) and consuming ≥ 2 fruits/day (OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.6-0.9) were independent protective factors against overweight, whereas children consuming fast food weekly and sweets daily were estimated to be 30% and 40%, respectively, more likely to be overweight. Only buns consumption resulted associated with overweight in girls (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.7).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevalence of overweight in a sample of Southern European children is high and underlines gender differences in lifestyle determinants. Engaging in extracurricular sport, promoting daily breakfast, adequate fruit consumption and reducing high energy-dense foods, should be encouraged in boys, whereas further investigation on girls behaviours would be valuable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Sciences, Physiology and Toxicology, University of Navarra, Irunlarrea, 1, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain. Electronic address:jalfmtz@unav.es.
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Santiago
authors.forename: Itziar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zazpe
authors.forename: Amelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martí
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cuervo
authors.forename: J Alfredo
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Martínez
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D062408:Breakfast; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004435:Eating; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D057140:Fast Foods; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires