Physical Fitness, Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, or Diet—What Are the Correlates of Obesity in Polish School Children?

Stanisław H. Czyż, Abel L. Toriola, Wojciech Starościak, Marek Lewandowski, Yvonne Paul and Adewale L. Oyeyemi
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Stanisław H. Czyż: Physical Activity, Sport, and Recreation Focus Area, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
Abel L. Toriola: Department of Sport, Rehabilitation and Dental Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria 0183, South Africa
Wojciech Starościak: Department of Sport Didactics, University School of Physical Education in Wroclaw, 51-612 Wroclaw, Poland
Marek Lewandowski: Department of Pedagogy, College of Management Edukacja, 50-001 Wroclaw, Poland
Yvonne Paul: Department of Sport, Rehabilitation and Dental Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria 0183, South Africa
Adewale L. Oyeyemi: Department of Physiotherapy, College of Medical Sciences, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri P.M.B 1069, Nigeria

IJERPH, 2017, vol. 14, issue 6, 1-21

Abstract: There is substantial evidence of rising prevalence of overweight and obesity and its co-morbidities among children in western-high income developed countries. In the European Union, the prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing fastest among Polish children. Yet, there is paucity of evidence on the relationship of behavioral factors with body weight status of children in Poland. This study examined the association of obesity with physical fitness, physical activity, sedentary behavior and diet among Polish children. A total of 641 children (10–15 years) recruited from the Lower Silesia region of Poland participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants’ anthropometrics, physical fitness, physical activity, sedentary behavior and dietary intake were assessed. Outcome variables were weight categories (according to body mass index [BMI], waist-to-hip ratio [WHR], and percentage body fat [% BF]). The strongest negative correlation was found between VO 2 max and %BF ( r = ?0.39, p <0.05). Significant negative correlation was also found between VO 2 max and weight categories ( r = ?0.15). Results of the multinomial logit analysis showed that VO 2 max increased in groups of overweight, normal weight and underweight children by 13%, 26% and 19%, respectively as compared to the group of obese children. VO 2 max and weight and obesity indices were strongly correlated in both gender and age groups. Education and intervention programs to increase physical fitness (VO 2 max) through aerobic training are recommended for Physical Education teachers, parents and children in order to reduce the rate of overweight and obesity among children in the Lower Silesia region of Poland.

Keywords: obesity; overweight; children; Polish population; physical activity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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