Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to investigate food consumption behavior exercise behavior and the relationship between factors related to overweight, such as gender, family history of obesity, family income, food consumption behavior and exercise behavior. The subjects for the study were 251 students in secondary school grades 7-9 attending the demonstration school at Burapha University, selected by stratified random sampling. Data were collected by interviewing the students and statistically analyzed, using frequencies, percentages, Chi-square test and Odds ratio.
The results of the study revealed that 65.7% of the subjects were in the normal range of nutritional status, 27.5% were overweight and 6.8% were in the lower range of nutritional status. The most common food consumption behaviors for 5-7 days per week were that 68.1% had breakfast and 67.3% had 3 meals/day, but unhealthy practices included 24.7% consuming food when not hungry and 24.3% had more than enough for dinner. As for the type of food, it was found that 70.5% of the subjects consumed meat, 38.6% consumed fresh milk or low fat milk, 33.9% consumed sweet milk and 10.4% consumed snacks.
The results for exercise behaviors demonstrated that 50.6% of the subjects engaged in less than normal physical activities, while 42.2% engaged in proper physical activities, exercising by cleaning the house and jogging.
There were statistically significant relationships between gender, family history of obesity and being overweight. The estimated risk ratio of male and female was 1.82 and the risk ratio of family history of obesity was 3.46, but no significant relationship between family income and being overweight.
Furthermore, the food consumption behaviors that had a significant relationship with being overweight were consumed five food groups, consumed when not hungry, consumed while playing and consumed non-cooked food or raw food, but there was no significant relationship between exercise behavior and being overweight.