title: Dietary habits and physical activity levels in Jordanian adolescents attending private versus public schools.
abstract: The present study examined differences in dietary habits and physical activity levels between students attending private and public high schools in Jordan. A total of 386 secondary-school males and 349 females aged 14-18 years were randomly recruited using a multistage, stratified, cluster sampling technique. Dietary habits and physical activity level were self-reported in a validated questionnaire. The prevalence of obesity was significantly higher among adolescents in private (26.0%) than in public schools (16.7%). The frequency of breakfast intake was significantly higher among adolescents in private schools, whereas French fries and sweets intake was significantly higher in public schools. Television viewing showed a significant interaction with school type by sex. A higher rate of inactivity was found among students attending private schools. Despite a slightly better overall dietary profile for students in private schools, they had a higher rate of overweight and obesity compared with those in public schools.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan.
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Tayyem
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Exercise Physiology Research Laboratory, College of Education, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Al-Hazzaa
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Abu-Mweis
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Technology, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan.
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Bawadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Hammad
authors.affiliation: Arab Center for Nutrition, Manama, Bahrain, and Nutrition and Health Studies Unit, Deanship of Scientific Research, University of Bahrain, Sakheer, Bahrain.
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Musaiger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007597:Jordan; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D017149:Private Sector; D017150:Public Sector; D012574:Schools; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires