Abstract

HECTOR POLETTI, Oscar  and  BARRIOS, Lilian. Overweight, obesity, eating habits, physical activity, and use of leisure time in students from Corrientes, Argentina . Rev Cubana Pediatr [online]. 2007, vol.79, n.1, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-3119.

The aim of the present paper is to asses the prevalence of overweight and obesity, the eating habit trends, the physical activity, and the use of free time among the students from Corrientes city, Argentina. Students of both sexes aged 10-15, attending the  schools selected from all the ones existing in the center of the city by a randomized  nonstratified  lottery sampling, were studied. The variables used in the study were: sex, age, height, and body weight, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, hours spent in front of the TV, eating habits, and socioeconomic level. Of the 2 507 studied students, 17.1 % were overweight, and 4.5 % were obese. The average  daily time spent watching  TV was  2.5 hours. The studied group presented a high prevalence of  overweight and obesity, inadequate eaating behaviors, and a low level of physical activity. 36 % did not carry out any physical activity out of school.

Keywords : Overweight; obesity; students; food; physical activity.

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