title: Body fatness in relation to physical activity and selected socioeconomic parameters of adolescents aged 15-17 years in Merida, Yucatan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increasing rates of overweight and obesity in adolescents are major concerns in many countries, including Mexico.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study anthropometric and body composition characteristics (BCC) and their relations with socioeconomic status (SES), biological history and physical activity (PA) of school-going adolescent boys and girls in the city of Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study, a sample of 321 adolescents (156 boys and 165 girls) aged 15-17 years from public and private schools in Merida, was taken from a study carried out in 2008-2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Body mass index had significant correlations to BCC (fat mass and fat-free mass). The rate of stunting was higher in girls (18.20%) than in boys (7.69%). Stunted adolescents had higher body fat (%) than normally growing peers. High rates of overweight (boys 26.28%, girls 24.24%) and obesity (boys 10.26%, girls 6.06%) were recorded. SES (parents' age, education and occupation; crowding index in the family; household food expenditure), participants' biological history and PA are related with height and BCC by age and sex.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adolescents with excess weight (overweight + obesity) reported being less physically active. SES and PA were strongly related to growth and body fatness in the studied adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Ecology, Cinvestav-IPN , Merida, Yucatan , Mexico and.
authors.forename: Sudip
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Datta Banik
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dickinson
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Adolescents; fat mass; fat-free mass; physical activity; socioeconomic status