title: Weight status, gender, and race/ethnicity: are there differences in meeting recommended health behavior guidelines for adolescents?
abstract: Healthy behaviors including limited screen time (ST), high physical activity (PA), and adequate fruits and vegetables consumption (FV) are recommended for adolescents, but it is unclear how gender, race/ethnicity, and weight status relate to these public health guidelines in diverse urban adolescents. Participants (N = 384) were recruited from three public high schools in or near New Haven, Connecticut. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were conducted. Most adolescents exceeded recommended levels of ST (70.5%) and did not meet guidelines for PA (87.2%) and FV (72.6%). Only 3.5% of the sample met all three guidelines. Boys were more likely to meet guidelines for PA (p < .01), while girls were engaged in less ST (p < .001). Black, non-Latinos were less likely to meet PA guidelines (p < .05). There were no significant differences in meeting ST, PA, or FV guidelines by weight status for the overall sample or when stratified by gender or race/ethnicity. We found alarmingly low levels of healthy behaviors in normal weight and overweight/obese adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Yale University School of Nursing, Orange, CT, USA karl.minges@yale.edu.
authors.forename: Karl E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Minges
authors.affiliation: Yale University School of Nursing, Orange, CT, USA.
authors.forename: Ariana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.affiliation: Yale University School of Nursing, Orange, CT, USA.
authors.forename: Soohyun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.affiliation: Yale University School of Nursing, Orange, CT, USA.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grey
authors.affiliation: Yale University School of Nursing, Orange, CT, USA.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Whittemore
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D001835:Body Weight; D003237:Connecticut; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000379:methods; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D014505:Urban Population
keywords: adolescence; body weight; exercise; health behavior; nutrition; obesity; physical fitness; school nursing; sedentary lifestyle; youth