Association between meal frequency with anthropometric measures and blood pressure in Iranian children and adolescents.

Autor: Ahadi, Zeinab; Kelishadi, Roya; Qorbani, Mostafa; Zahedi, Hoda; Motlagh, Mohammad E.; Ardalan, Gelayol; Shafiee, Gita; Asayesh, Hamid; Larijani, Bagher; Heshmat, Ramin

Publication year: 2023

Minerva pediatrics

issn:2724-5780

doi: 10.23736/S2724-5276.16.04525-4

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the association of meal frequency with anthropometric measures and blood pressure in Iranian children and adolescents. METHODS: In this national survey, 14,880 students with 6-18 years of age were selected by stratified multistage sampling method from urban and rural regions of 30 provinces of Iran. Meal frequency was assessed by a questionnaire prepared based on global school-based student health survey. Physical measurements included height, weight, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). RESULTS: The participation rate was 90.6% including 49.24% girls and 75.5% urban residents. Skipping breakfast and dinner were more frequent in girls than in boys (71.6% vs. 64.1%, 91.2% vs. 86.9%, respectively, P<0.05). Overweight, obesity, and abdominal obesity were more prevalent in those who had two meals, one meal, or very low intake (P<0.001) than those had three meals. There were no significant differences in SBP, DBP, and blood pressure across to different meal frequency groups (P>0.05). Students who had very low intake and one meal per week had a higher risk of abdominal obesity compared with those who had three meals (OR 1.7, 95% CI: 1.3-2.3, and OR 1.6, 95% CI: 1.4-2.0, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: An inverse significant association between higher meal frequency and anthropometric indices was observed. Therefore, encouraging children and adolescents for regular meal intake should be considered as a health priority in the pediatric population.

Language: eng

Rights:

Pmid: 27471819

Tags: Humans; Female; Male; Child; Adolescent; *Meals; *Obesity, Abdominal/epidemiology/etiology; Blood Pressure/physiology; Iran/epidemiology; Obesity/epidemiology

Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27471819/