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Association between food intake frequency and obesity among adolescent girls in Saudi Arabia

  • Abdulrahman O. Musaiger EMAIL logo , Mariam Al-Mannai and Nisreen Zagzoog
Published/Copyright: April 20, 2013
International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health
From the journal International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health Volume 26 Issue 1

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to discover the association between the intake of certain foods and the occurrence of obesity among adolescent girls in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional multistage sampling method was conducted among girls aged 12–19 years in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The total sample was 512. Obesity was calculated based on the International Obesity Task Force standards. Findings revealed that obese girls were less likely to eat fruit, vegetables, meat, chicken and dairy products than non-obese girls, but the differences were not statistically significant. However, the risk of being obese was greater for those who consumed chocolates and sweets (odds ratio=1.57) and fast foods (odds ratio=1.35) more than three times a week. Thus, programs to promote a healthy lifestyle for schoolchildren should include appropriate intervention on changing dietary habits.

Keywords: food frequency; obesity; Saudi Arabia
Corresponding author: Abdulrahman O. Musaiger, Head of Nutrition and Health Studies Unit, Deanship of Scientific Research, University of Bahrain, Head of Arab Center for Nutrition, P.O. Box 26923, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain, Phone: +00973-17343460, Fax: +00973-17346339, E-mail:

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Received: 2012-12-4
Accepted: 2013-1-29
Published Online: 2013-04-20
Published in Print: 2014-02-01

©2014 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin Boston

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https://doi.org/10.1515/ijamh-2012-0115
Keywords for this article
food frequency; obesity; Saudi Arabia

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Masthead
  2. Masthead
  3. Editorial
  4. To vaccinate or not to vaccinate
  5. Review
  6. Sexual and reproductive health of Portuguese adolescents
  7. Original articles
  8. Tobacco consumption among 12- to 15-year-old schoolchildren in Delhi
  9. Perceptions of communication, family adaptability and cohesion: a comparison of adolescents newly diagnosed with cancer and their parents
  10. The prevalence of bullying and cyberbullying in high school: a 2011 survey
  11. Short- and medium-term impact of a residential weight-loss camp for overweight adolescents
  12. Personal and family attributes of pregnant teenagers: findings from a community-based study in Sri Lanka
  13. Adolescents with anorectal malformation: physical outcome, sexual health and quality of life
  14. What sources do adolescents turn to for information about their health concerns?
  15. Experiences of returning to elite alpine skiing after ACL injury and ACL reconstruction
  16. Hyperandrogenemia in male autistic children and adolescents: relation to disease severity
  17. The career aspirations of adolescents with eating disorders: an exploratory study and suggested links to adolescent self-concept development
  18. Differential effects of religiosity on sexual initiation among Nigerian in-school adolescents
  19. Prevalence of menstrual disorders among adolescent girls in Osogbo, South Western Nigeria
  20. The concepts of work, study, and leisure of parents and children
  21. How do Iranian female adolescents express their health education needs? A needs assessment with qualitative thematic analysis
  22. Attitudes and knowledge levels of nurses and residents caring for adolescents with an eating disorder
  23. Predictors of suicide ideation and risk for HIV among juvenile offenders in Georgia
  24. Short Communication
  25. Association between food intake frequency and obesity among adolescent girls in Saudi Arabia
  26. Case reports
  27. Unusual cause of urethral bleeding in an adolescent: a case in dilemma
  28. Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome: a specific cause of cyclical vomiting
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