The Impact of Physical Activity at School on Eating Behaviour and Leisure Time of Early Adolescents

(1) Background: Diet and physical activity (PA) significantly impact health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of long-term increase in organized PA level at school on the eating behaviour and leisure time of early adolescences in the period from the age of 10 to 12. (2) Methods: Children born in 2007 (n = 278) in groups with a standard (control group) and increased level of organized PA at school (4 and 10 h a week) were subjected to an anonymous follow-up survey. The questionnaire included 22 questions related to the eating behaviour and ways and frequency of leisure time PA. The study was conducted in the same groups in three assessment sessions in September 2017, 2018 and 2019. (3) Results: During the course of the study, it was shown improvement of eating behaviour in the increased PA group whereas decline in the standard PA one. The share of children with good and very good scores of eating behaviour decreased in the standard PA group from 56.89% to 54.54% and increased in the increased PA from 58.06% to 60.29%. In the increased PA group children more frequently than standard PA ate vegetables, fruits, fish, poultry meat, wholemeal bakery products, milk, dairy products and drinking tea without sugar, as well as ate breakfast. The standard PA children more frequently than increased PA ate high sugar and/or fat content food as sweets, savoury snacks and drank fizzy drinks as well as fast foods. The frequency of often undertaken leisure time PA increased in the increased PA group from 67% to 74%, while decreased in the standard PA from 58% to 52%. (4) Conclusions: Increase in organized PA at school beneficially influenced early adolescents’ eating behaviour and frequency of leisure time PA during 2 years observation. It also increased early adolescents’ awareness of healthy diet. Increased PA at school helps shaping healthy lifestyle among early adolescents.

[1]  J. Krajewska,et al.  Nutritional habits according to age and BMI of 6–17-year-old children from the urban municipality in Poland , 2022, Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition.

[2]  J. Trafiałek,et al.  Increased Physical Activity at School Benefits Arterial Blood Pressure in Children—A Prospective Follow-Up Cohort Study , 2022, International journal of environmental research and public health.

[3]  J. Trafiałek,et al.  The Impact of Physical Activity at School on Children’s Body Mass during 2 Years of Observation , 2022, International journal of environmental research and public health.

[4]  E. Świętochowska,et al.  The Analysis of the Nutritional Status and Dietary Habits among Children Aged 6–10 Years Old Attending Primary Schools in Poland , 2022, International journal of environmental research and public health.

[5]  S. Gopalakrishnan,et al.  Dietary Habits and Obesity among Adolescent School Children: A Case Control Study in an Urban Area of Kancheepuram District , 2021, Indian journal of community medicine : official publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine.

[6]  M. González,et al.  Nutrition, Physical Activity, and New Technology Programs on Obesity Prevention in Primary Education: A Systematic Review , 2021, International journal of environmental research and public health.

[7]  T. Petrušič,et al.  Nutrition and Physical Activity Behavior in 11–14-Year-Old Schoolchildren in Serbia , 2021, Children.

[8]  Anna Kawalec,et al.  Breakfast Frequency and Composition in a Group of Polish Children Aged 7–10 Years , 2021, Nutrients.

[9]  G. Miller,et al.  Global Review of Dairy Recommendations in Food-Based Dietary Guidelines , 2021, Frontiers in Nutrition.

[10]  E. Świętochowska,et al.  The analysis of the degree of 10–13-year-old children’s nutrition, dietary habits and physical activity in the selected rural and urban areas of Silesian Province (Poland) , 2021, Egyptian Pediatric Association Gazette.

[11]  M. Brzeziński,et al.  Physical activity, screen time and the COVID-19 school closures in Europe – An observational study in 10 countries , 2021, European journal of sport science.

[12]  M. Jay,et al.  Childhood and Adolescent Obesity: A Review , 2021, Frontiers in Pediatrics.

[13]  D. Reihmane,et al.  Comparative Analysis of the Effects of Daily Eating Habits and Physical Activity on Anthropometric Parameters in Elementary School Children in Latvia: Pach Study , 2020, Nutrients.

[14]  M. Buman,et al.  World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour , 2020, British Journal of Sports Medicine.

[15]  J. Trafiałek,et al.  Eating Behaviour and Physical Fitness in 10-Year-Old Children Attending General Education and Sports Classes , 2020, International journal of environmental research and public health.

[16]  J. Breda,et al.  A Snapshot of European Children’s Eating Habits: Results from the Fourth Round of the WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) , 2020, Nutrients.

[17]  L. Burke,et al.  The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC) position statement on disordered eating in high performance sport , 2020, British Journal of Sports Medicine.

[18]  É. A. Silveira,et al.  The health-related determinants of eating pattern of high school athletes in Goiás, Brazil , 2020, Archives of Public Health.

[19]  J. Breda,et al.  Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) in Poland: Implementation of Two Rounds of the Study in the Context of International Methodological Assumptions , 2020, Journal of mother and child.

[20]  Alfredo Jiménez-Eguizábal,et al.  The Influence of Physical Activity, Diet, Weight Status and Substance Abuse on Students’ Self-Perceived Health , 2020, International journal of environmental research and public health.

[21]  S. M. Dimitratos,et al.  Adolescent Obesity: Diet Quality, Psychosocial Health, and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors , 2019, Nutrients.

[22]  É. A. Silveira,et al.  Sport Types and Time Spent Playing Sport Are Associated with Eating Pattern Among Young Brazilian Athletes , 2019, Asian Journal of Sports Medicine.

[23]  Gretchen A. Stevens,et al.  The epidemiological burden of obesity in childhood: a worldwide epidemic requiring urgent action , 2019, BMC Medicine.

[24]  Gretchen A. Stevens,et al.  Global trends in insufficient physical activity among adolescents: a pooled analysis of 298 population-based surveys with 1·6 million participants , 2019, The Lancet. Child & adolescent health.

[25]  C. Evans,et al.  Factors Influencing British Adolescents’ Intake of Whole Grains: A Pilot Feasibility Study Using SenseCam Assisted Interviews , 2019, Nutrients.

[26]  E. Lange,et al.  Nutritional Behaviors of Polish Adolescents: Results of the Wise Nutrition—Healthy Generation Project , 2019, Nutrients.

[27]  Marta Jeruszka-Bielak,et al.  Skipping Breakfast and a Meal at School: Its Correlates in Adiposity Context. Report from the ABC of Healthy Eating Study of Polish Teenagers , 2019, Nutrients.

[28]  K. Logan,et al.  Organized Sports for Children, Preadolescents, and Adolescents , 2019, Pediatrics.

[29]  A. Rütten,et al.  How Can Physical Activity Be Promoted Among Children and Adolescents? A Systematic Review of Reviews Across Settings , 2019, Front. Public Health.

[30]  M. Blüher Obesity: global epidemiology and pathogenesis , 2019, Nature Reviews Endocrinology.

[31]  D. Rosołowska-Huszcz,et al.  Family Factors Associated with Selected Childhood Nutrition Aspects in Central Poland , 2019, International journal of environmental research and public health.

[32]  S. Hassink,et al.  Caring for Our Children, National Health and Safety Performance Standards , 2019 .

[33]  D. Rosołowska-Huszcz,et al.  Relation between Environmental Factors and Children’s Health Behaviors Contributing to the Occurrence of Diet-Related Diseases in Central Poland , 2018, International journal of environmental research and public health.

[34]  I. Yildirim,et al.  Why Should We Do Physical Activity? More Active People for a Healthier World , 2018, International Journal of Disabilities Sports & Health Sciences.

[35]  J. Breda,et al.  Child and adolescent nutrient intakes from current national dietary surveys of European populations , 2018, Nutrition Research Reviews.

[36]  K. Gutkowska,et al.  Effect of an Education Program on Nutrition Knowledge, Attitudes toward Nutrition, Diet Quality, Lifestyle, and Body Composition in Polish Teenagers. The ABC of Healthy Eating Project: Design, Protocol, and Methodology , 2018, Nutrients.

[37]  A. Martí,et al.  Improved Diet Quality and Nutrient Adequacy in Children and Adolescents with Abdominal Obesity after a Lifestyle Intervention , 2018, Nutrients.

[38]  Z. Buyuktuncer,et al.  Promoting a Healthy Diet in Young Adults: The Role of Nutrition Labelling , 2018, Nutrients.

[39]  Ruth N. Henry,et al.  Attitudes toward Nutrition and Dietary Habits and Effectiveness of Nutrition Education in Active Adolescents in a Private School Setting: A Pilot Study , 2018, Nutrients.

[40]  S. Blair,et al.  Role of Physical Activity and Fitness in the Characterization and Prognosis of the Metabolically Healthy Obesity Phenotype: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. , 2018, Progress in cardiovascular diseases.

[41]  J. Lakerveld,et al.  Understanding Eating Behavior during the Transition from Adolescence to Young Adulthood: A Literature Review and Perspective on Future Research Directions , 2018, Nutrients.

[42]  A. Góra,et al.  Eating behaviours of primary school pupils from Śląskie, Malopolskie and Opolskie Voivodeships in Poland , 2018, Roczniki Panstwowego Zakladu Higieny.

[43]  D. Kalman,et al.  International society of sports nutrition position stand: nutrient timing , 2017, Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

[44]  L. Palla,et al.  Breakfast consumption and nutrient intakes in 4-18 year olds – 1 UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey Rolling Programme 2 (2008-2012) 3 , 2017 .

[45]  J. Gittelsohn,et al.  Breakfast Consumption Frequency and Its Relationships to Overall Diet Quality, Using Healthy Eating Index 2010, and Body Mass Index among Adolescents in a Low-Income Urban Setting , 2017, Ecology of food and nutrition.

[46]  C. J. Wright,et al.  Nutrition practices and knowledge among NCAA Division III football players , 2017, Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

[47]  R. Iannotti,et al.  Diet quality of US adolescents during the transition to adulthood: changes and predictors. , 2017, The American journal of clinical nutrition.

[48]  K. Pagacz,et al.  Pro-health behavior in adolescents in regard to nourishment and physical activity , 2017 .

[49]  Siew Sun Wong,et al.  Sport Nutrition Knowledge, Behaviors and Beliefs of High School Soccer Players , 2017, Nutrients.

[50]  V. Fulgoni,et al.  Several grain dietary patterns are associated with better diet quality and improved shortfall nutrient intakes in US children and adolescents: a study focusing on the 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans , 2017, Nutrition Journal.

[51]  R. Feinstein,et al.  Childhood Overweight and Obesity. , 2016, Gastroenterology clinics of North America.

[52]  J. Lefevre,et al.  Associations Between Objectively Assessed Components of Physical Activity and Health-Related Fitness in 10- to 14-Year-Old Children. , 2016, Journal of physical activity & health.

[53]  R. Milà-Villarroel,et al.  Assessment of Eating Habits and Physical Activity among Spanish Adolescents. The "Cooking and Active Leisure" TAS Program , 2016, PloS one.

[54]  Leticia Azen Alves Coutinho,et al.  Critical evaluation of food intake and energy balance in young modern pentathlon athletes: a cross-sectional study , 2016, Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

[55]  S. Sim,et al.  Dietary Habits Are Associated With School Performance in Adolescents , 2016, Medicine.

[56]  V. Bunc Obesity - causes and remedies , 2016 .

[57]  Michael Zeiler,et al.  Prevalence of Eating Disorder Risk and Associations with Health-related Quality of Life: Results from a Large School-based Population Screening. , 2016, European eating disorders review : the journal of the Eating Disorders Association.

[58]  H. O'Connor,et al.  Relationship Between General Nutrition Knowledge and Dietary Quality in Elite Athletes. , 2015, International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism.

[59]  J. Hamułka,et al.  Family influences on breakfast frequency and quality among primary school pupils in Warsaw and its surrounding areas. , 2015, Roczniki Panstwowego Zakladu Higieny.

[60]  H. Kohl,et al.  The Association between Sport Participation and Dietary Behaviors among Fourth Graders in the School Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey, 2009–2010 , 2014, American journal of health promotion : AJHP.

[61]  Alberto Grao-Cruces,et al.  Association of Fitness With Life Satisfaction, Health Risk Behaviors, and Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in Spanish Adolescents , 2014, Journal of strength and conditioning research.

[62]  N. Lien,et al.  Fruit and vegetable consumption in a sample of 11-year-old children in ten European countries – the PRO GREENS cross-sectional survey , 2014, Public Health Nutrition.

[63]  E. Grochowska-Niedworok,et al.  Zachowania zdrowotne i żywieniowe uczniów szkół o profilu sportowym (z uwzględnieniem płci oraz wskaźnika BMI badanych) – doniesienie wstępne , 2014 .

[64]  K. Fallon,et al.  Sports Dietitians Australia position statement: sports nutrition for the adolescent athlete. , 2014, International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism.

[65]  Gail M. Sullivan,et al.  Using Effect Size-or Why the P Value Is Not Enough. , 2012, Journal of graduate medical education.

[66]  U. Ekelund,et al.  Global physical activity levels: surveillance progress, pitfalls, and prospects , 2012, The Lancet.

[67]  H. O'Connor,et al.  Evaluation of general nutrition knowledge in elite Australian athletes. , 2012, The British journal of nutrition.

[68]  L. Ostrowska,et al.  [Selected nutritional habits children and teenagers aged 10-15 years]. , 2012, Roczniki Panstwowego Zakladu Higieny.

[69]  Inge Huybrechts,et al.  Food intake of European adolescents in the light of different food-based dietary guidelines: results of the HELENA (Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence) Study , 2011, Public Health Nutrition.

[70]  S. Bandelow,et al.  Breakfast consumption and cognitive function in adolescent schoolchildren , 2011, Physiology & Behavior.

[71]  J. Reilly,et al.  Long-term impact of overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence on morbidity and premature mortality in adulthood: systematic review , 2011, International Journal of Obesity.

[72]  Natalie Pearson,et al.  Tracking of sedentary behaviours of young people: a systematic review. , 2010, Preventive medicine.

[73]  Lindsay A. Taliaferro,et al.  Relationships between youth sport participation and selected health risk behaviors from 1999 to 2007. , 2010, The Journal of school health.

[74]  A. Hoch,et al.  Nutritional requirements of the child and teenage athlete. , 2008, Physical medicine and rehabilitation clinics of North America.

[75]  Mark A Pereira,et al.  Breakfast Eating and Weight Change in a 5-Year Prospective Analysis of Adolescents: Project EAT (Eating Among Teens) , 2008, Pediatrics.

[76]  Robert M Malina,et al.  National athletic trainers' association position statement: preventing, detecting, and managing disordered eating in athletes. , 2008, Journal of athletic training.

[77]  Edgar Erdfelder,et al.  G*Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences , 2007, Behavior research methods.

[78]  唐乐莲,et al.  Microsoft Excel , 2004 .

[79]  A. Waxman Prevention of Chronic Diseases: WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health , 2003 .

[80]  S. Asia,et al.  WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION REGIONAL OFFICE FOR , 2003 .

[81]  S. Trost,et al.  Sports participation and health-related behaviors among US youth. , 2000, Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine.

[82]  K. Patrick,et al.  Physical Activity and Public Health: A Recommendation From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine , 1995 .

[83]  E M Mathus-Vliegen,et al.  [Healthy diet]. , 1995, Nederlands tijdschrift voor tandheelkunde.