Comparison of energy balance-related behaviours and measures of body composition between Turkish adolescents in Turkey and Turkish immigrant adolescents in the Netherlands.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the influences of migration to a Western country on obesity and related risk factors by comparing measures of body composition and energy balance-related behaviours between Turkish adolescents in Turkey (TR-TR) and adolescents from Turkish immigrant ethnicity in the Netherlands (TR-NL).


METHODS
Cross-sectional survey or baseline intervention data from six Dutch school-based studies and one Turkish study.


METHODS
Primary and secondary schools.


METHODS
A total of 915 (49 % girls; mean age 13·1 (sd 0·8) years) TR-TR adolescents and 433 (51 % girls; mean age 11·7 (sd 1·3) years) TR-NL adolescents were included. Outcome measures were self-reported sugar-containing beverage consumption, fruit and vegetable intake, screen time, physical activity, measured body height and weight, BMI, waist and hip circumferences, and skinfold thicknesses.


RESULTS
Our data showed that more TR-NL adolescents were overweight (31 % v. 26 %) and obese (9 % v. 6 %) and had significantly higher mean BMI (21·1 v. 20·0 kg/m2), waist circumference (72·2 v. 71·3 cm) and suprailiac skinfold thickness (19·8 v. 13·1 mm) than TR-TR adolescents. TR-NL adolescents reported significantly higher sugar-containing beverage consumption (1173 v. 115 ml/d), less fruit and vegetable intake (295 v. 647 g/d), less screen time (253 v. 467 min/d) and higher physical activity levels (61 v. 27 min/d) than TR-TR adolescents.


CONCLUSIONS
Immigrant adolescents in the Netherlands were more often overweight and had a less favourable dietary pattern than their peers in Turkey, while their physical activity and screen time patterns were more favourable. These results suggest that adolescents from Turkish immigrant ethnicity in the Netherlands have adopted lifestyles towards the host culture.
1Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences,Gazi University,Emniyet Mah.,Muammer Yasar Bostanci Cad No:16,Besevler,Ankara,Turkey.
Gamze
G
Akbulut
2Department of Public and Occupational Health and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research,VU University Medical Center,Amsterdam,the Netherlands.
Mine
M
Yildirim
1Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences,Gazi University,Emniyet Mah.,Muammer Yasar Bostanci Cad No:16,Besevler,Ankara,Turkey.
Nevin
N
Sanlier
2Department of Public and Occupational Health and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research,VU University Medical Center,Amsterdam,the Netherlands.
Maartje M
MM
van Stralen
1Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences,Gazi University,Emniyet Mah.,Muammer Yasar Bostanci Cad No:16,Besevler,Ankara,Turkey.
Nilufer
N
Acar-Tek
1Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences,Gazi University,Emniyet Mah.,Muammer Yasar Bostanci Cad No:16,Besevler,Ankara,Turkey.
Saniye
S
Bilici
3Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research,VU University Medical Center,Amsterdam,the Netherlands.
Johannes
J
Brug
4Department of Epidemiology,Documentation and Health Promotion,Municipal Health Service of Amsterdam,Amsterdam,the Netherlands.
Judith S B
JS
de Meij
1Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences,Gazi University,Emniyet Mah.,Muammer Yasar Bostanci Cad No:16,Besevler,Ankara,Turkey.
Makbule
M
Gezmen-Karadag
1Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences,Gazi University,Emniyet Mah.,Muammer Yasar Bostanci Cad No:16,Besevler,Ankara,Turkey.
Eda
E
Koksal
5Department of Health Promotion,Maastricht University,Maastricht,the Netherlands.
Anke
A
Oenema
2Department of Public and Occupational Health and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research,VU University Medical Center,Amsterdam,the Netherlands.
Amika S
AS
Singh
3Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research,VU University Medical Center,Amsterdam,the Netherlands.
Saskia J
SJ
te Velde
1Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences,Gazi University,Emniyet Mah.,Muammer Yasar Bostanci Cad No:16,Besevler,Ankara,Turkey.
Hilal
H
Yildiran
2Department of Public and Occupational Health and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research,VU University Medical Center,Amsterdam,the Netherlands.
Mai J M
MJ
Chinapaw
D000293:Adolescent; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D002149:Energy Intake; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D012574:Schools; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D012885:Skinfold Thickness; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D055105:Waist Circumference