title: Influence of non-dietary factors on the prevalence of abdominal obesity as a major component of the metabolic syndrome among 17-18-year-old youth.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Youth nutrition and their nutritional status are conditioned by many factors, some of the main ones being: economic, social, climatic, cultural, and psychological factors as well as nutritional knowledge. With the growing problem of overweight and obesity among children and young people, the incidence of the metabolic syndrome is also increasing.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to assess the impact of demographic, sociological and psychological factors on the incidence of obesity among 17-18-year-old adolescents from Wroclaw and vicinity as a major risk factor for the development of the metabolic syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in three upper-secondary schools in Wroclaw, Poland. In the surveyed group (17-18 years old, n = 269) girls accounted for 59.5% and boys constituted 40.5%. Majority of young people were Wroclaw citizens (72.9%). Centile charts elaborated by the Children's Memorial Health Institute were adopted for the evaluation of anthropometric parameters. Evaluation of the impact of non-dietary factors on the manner of nutrition was carried out using own questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Based on the tests, abdominal obesity was determined among 34.5% of adolescents aged 17 years and among 65.5% of these aged 18 years. Obesity was more common in girls carrying genetic burden of the disease. Youth with the largest waist circumference most often declared to use slimming diets - 6.7%, and the lowest hunger sensation in stress - 3.4%. In addition, 30.5% of the adolescents with the smallest waist circumference and 11.5% with the largest waist circumference declared to be non-smoking. Occasional alcohol consumption was declared by 30.1% of young people with the smallest waist circumference, and 13.4% with the largest waist circumference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Youth with abdominal obesity significantly more likely than those with normal waist circumference applied slimming diets. Significant impact on the formation of abdominal obesity among girls had inherited disease burden.
authors: Faculty of Food Science, Human Nutrition Department, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Science, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors: Ewa
authors: E
authors: Piotrowska
authors: Faculty of Food Science, Human Nutrition Department, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Science, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Broniecka
authors: Faculty of Food Science, Human Nutrition Department, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Science, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors: Jadwiga
authors: J
authors: Biernat
authors: Faculty of Food Science, Human Nutrition Department, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Science, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors: Joanna
authors: J
authors: Wyka
authors: Faculty of Food Science, Human Nutrition Department, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Science, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors: Monika
authors: M
authors: Bronkowska
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004032:Diet / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010379:Peer Group; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055105:Waist Circumference