title: Association of junk food consumption with high blood pressure and obesity in Iranian children and adolescents: the CASPIAN-IV Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to evaluate the association of junk food consumption with hypertension and obesity in a national sample of Iranian children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  This nationwide study was conducted in 2011-2012 among 14,880 students, aged 6-18 years, selected by cluster sampling from 30 provinces. Weight, height, waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), as well as systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) were measured. Junk food was divided into four categories, including salty snacks, sweets, sweetened beverages, and fast food. Subjects reported how many times they had consumed each item (daily, weekly, and seldom).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The intake of sweets was significantly associated with anthropometric indices and BP levels. Moreover, a significant association was found between fast food consumption, BP levels, and anthropometric indices (except for WHtR and WHR). Sweet beverages consumption was significantly associated with anthropometric indices; however, the consumption of salty snacks was only significantly associated with height, HC, and WHR. The risk of general obesity (OR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.65-0.87) and abdominal obesity (OR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.72-0.92) among participants who seldom consumed sweets was less than those who consumed daily. Also, the risk of general obesity (OR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.74-0.97) among students that seldom consumed sweetened beverages was less than subjects who consumed them on a daily basis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was found that junk food consumption increased the risk of both general and abdominal obesity; therefore, consumption of junk food should be reduced via restricting TV advertisements and increasing taxes on junk foods.
authors.affiliation: Obesity and Eating Habits Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Moloud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Payab
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Child Growth and Development Research Center, Research Institute for Primary Prevention of Non-communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Roya
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kelishadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran; Chronic Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: mqorbani1379@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Qorbani
authors.affiliation: Department of School Health, Bureau of Population, Family and School Health, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran; Department of Pediatrics, Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Esmaeil
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Motlagh
authors.affiliation: Obesity and Eating Habits Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Shirin Hasani
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ranjbar
authors.affiliation: Department of School Health, Bureau of Population, Family and School Health, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Gelayol
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ardalan
authors.affiliation: Obesity and Eating Habits Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hoda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zahedi
authors.affiliation: Bureau of Health and Fitness, Ministry of Education and Training, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chinian
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Emergencies, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Asayesh
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Bagher
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Larijani
authors.affiliation: Chronic Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: rheshmat@tums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Ramin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Heshmat
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000009:adverse effects; D057140:Fast Foods / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D062410:Snacks; D055105:Waist Circumference / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D019422:Dietary Sucrose
keywords: Anthropometric measures; High blood pressure; Hipertensão Arterial; Junk Food; Junk food; Medidas antropométricas; Obesidade; Obesity