title: Regional Disparities in Sedentary Behaviors and Meal Frequency in Iranian Adolescents: The CASPIAN-III Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of obesity is increasing among Iranian youngsters like other developing countries.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was conducted to assess regional disparities in sedentary behaviors and meal frequency in Iranian adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this national survey, 5682 students aged 10 - 18 years from urban and rural districts of 27 provinces of Iran were selected via stratified multi-stage sampling method. The country was classified into four sub-national regions, based on criteria of the combination of geography and socioeconomic status (SES). Mean of meal frequency and physical activity levels as well as prevalence of omitting meals and sedentary behavior were compared across regions with different SES after stratifying with sex and age group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Meal frequency in lower socio-economic regions was significantly higher than two other regions in 10 - 13 and 10 - 18 years old groups (P trend < 0.001). However, the mean of working hours with computer was linearly increased with increasing the SES in studied regions (P trend < 0.001), whereas the corresponding figure was not significant for the mean of watching TV (P trend > 0.05). Frequency of adolescents omitting their meals was higher in higher SES regions especially in West Iran (P < 0.001) in 10 - 13 years old age group. Having personal computer and working with it more than two hours per day mainly was observed in central Iran which ranked as the highest SES group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Efforts to ensure Iranian youth meet healthy food habits and screen time guidelines include limiting access to screen technologies and encouraging parents to monitor their own screen time is required.
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Fereshteh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baygi
authors.affiliation: Chronic Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Ramin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Heshmat
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Child Growth and Development Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Roya
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kelishadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutrition Policy and Planning Research, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mohammadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Esmail
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Motlagh
authors.affiliation: Department of School Health, Bureau of Population, Family and School Health, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Gelayol
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ardalan
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Emergencies, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, IR 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, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Bagher
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Larijani
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, IR Iran ; Chronic Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Qorbani
keywords: Adolescent; Behavior; Obesity