Diet, Physical Activity, and Obesity in School-Aged Indigenous Youths in Northern Australia

Abstract EN

Purpose.

To examine the relationship between diet, physical activity, and obesity in Indigenous youths from northern Australia.

Methods.

In a cross-sectional study, physical activity and dietary intake (“short nutrition questionnaire”) were assessed among all youths during a face-to-face interview.

For 92 high school youths, additional dietary information was assessed using a food-frequency questionnaire.

Height and weight were measured and BMI was calculated.

Multiple logistic regression was used to assess associations.

Results.

Of the 277 youths included, 52% had ≤2 servings of fruit and 84% had <4 servings of vegetables per day; 65% ate fish and 27%, take-away food (“fast food”) at least twice a week.

One in four ate local traditional sea food including turtle and dugong (a local sea mammal) at least twice a week.

Overweight/obese youths engaged in fewer days of physical activity in the previous week than normal weight youths (OR=2.52, 95% CI 1.43–4.40), though patterns of physical activity differed by sex and age (P<0.001).

Overweight/obese youths were 1.89 times (95% CI 1.07–3.35) more likely to eat dugong regularly than nonobese youths.

Analysis of food-frequency data showed no difference by weight assessment among high-school students.

Conclusions.

Low fruit and vegetable intake were identified in these Indigenous youths.

Regular consumption of fried dugong and low frequency of physical activity were associated with overweight/obesity reinforcing the need to devise culturally appropriate health promotion strategies and interventions for Indigenous youths aimed at improving their diet and increasing their physical activity.