Eva Roos1, Tuuli Pajunen1, Carola Ray1, Christel Lynch2, Asa Gudrun Kristiansdottir3, Thorhallur I Halldorsson3, Inga Thorsdottir3, Saskia J Te Velde4, Michael Krawinkel5, Isabel Behrendt5, Maria Daniel Vaz de Almeida6, Bela Franchini6, Angeliki Papadaki7, Joanna Moschandreas7, Cirila Hlastan Ribič8, Stefka Petrova9, Vesselka Duleva9, Irena Simčič8, Agneta Yngve2. 1. 1Folkhälsan Research Center,Paasikivenkatu 4,00250 Helsinki,Finland. 2. 3Department of Biosciences and Nutrition,Karolinska Institutet,Stockholm,Sweden. 3. 4Unit for Nutrition Research, Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition,School of Health Sciences,University of Iceland & Landspitali University Hospital,Reykjavik,Iceland. 4. 5EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research and the Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics,VU University Medical Center,Amsterdam,The Netherlands. 5. 6Institute of Nutritional Sciences,Unit for International Nutrition, Faculty of Agricultural Nutrition,Environmental Sciences and Home Economics,Justus-Liebig-University,Giessen,Germany. 6. 7Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences,University of Porto,Porto,Portugal. 7. 8Department of Social Medicine,Preventive Medicine & Nutrition Clinic,University of Crete,Heraklion,Crete,Greece. 8. 10National Education Institute of the Republic of Slovenia,Ljubljana,Slovenia. 9. 11National Center for Public Health Protection,Sofia,Bulgaria.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Family meals have been negatively associated with overweight in children, while television (TV) viewing during meals has been associated with a poorer diet. The aim of the present study was to assess the association of eating family breakfast and dinner, and having a TV on during dinner, with overweight in nine European countries and whether these associations differed between Northern and Southern & Eastern Europe. DESIGN: Cross-sectional data. Schoolchildren reported family meals and TV viewing. BMI was based on parental reports on height and weight of their children. Cut-off points for overweight by the International Obesity Task Force were used. Logistic regressions were performed adjusted by age, gender and parental education. SETTING: Schools in Northern European (Sweden, the Netherlands, Iceland, Germany and Finland) and Southern & Eastern European (Portugal, Greece, Bulgaria and Slovenia) countries, participating in the PRO GREENS project. SUBJECTS: Children aged 10-12 years in (n 6316). RESULTS: In the sample, 21 % of the children were overweight, from 35 % in Greece to 10 % in the Netherlands. Only a few associations were found between family meals and TV viewing during dinner with overweight in the nine countries. Northern European children, compared with other regions, were significantly more likely to be overweight if they had fewer family breakfasts and more often viewed TV during dinner. CONCLUSIONS: The associations between family meals and TV viewing during dinner with overweight were few and showed significance only in Northern Europe. Differences in foods consumed during family meals and in health-related lifestyles between Northern and Southern & Eastern Europe may explain these discrepancies.
OBJECTIVE: Family meals have been negatively associated with overweight in children, while television (TV) viewing during meals has been associated with a poorer diet. The aim of the present study was to assess the association of eating family breakfast and dinner, and having a TV on during dinner, with overweight in nine European countries and whether these associations differed between Northern and Southern & Eastern Europe. DESIGN: Cross-sectional data. Schoolchildren reported family meals and TV viewing. BMI was based on parental reports on height and weight of their children. Cut-off points for overweight by the International Obesity Task Force were used. Logistic regressions were performed adjusted by age, gender and parental education. SETTING: Schools in Northern European (Sweden, the Netherlands, Iceland, Germany and Finland) and Southern & Eastern European (Portugal, Greece, Bulgaria and Slovenia) countries, participating in the PRO GREENS project. SUBJECTS:Children aged 10-12 years in (n 6316). RESULTS: In the sample, 21 % of the children were overweight, from 35 % in Greece to 10 % in the Netherlands. Only a few associations were found between family meals and TV viewing during dinner with overweight in the nine countries. Northern European children, compared with other regions, were significantly more likely to be overweight if they had fewer family breakfasts and more often viewed TV during dinner. CONCLUSIONS: The associations between family meals and TV viewing during dinner with overweight were few and showed significance only in Northern Europe. Differences in foods consumed during family meals and in health-related lifestyles between Northern and Southern & Eastern Europe may explain these discrepancies.
Authors: Frøydis N Vik; Saskia J Te Velde; Wendy Van Lippevelde; Yannis Manios; Eva Kovacs; Natasa Jan; Luis A Moreno; Bettina Bringolf-Isler; Johannes Brug; Elling Bere Journal: Prev Med Date: 2016-08-08 Impact factor: 4.018