The Relationship of BMI With Dietary Habits, Socio-Economic Status and Parental Education of Teenagers

The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence of overweight and obesity among teenagers aged 15 to 18, and to assess the relationship between body mass index and various dietary and socio-economic factors. A sample of 125 students (42, 33.6% females and 83, 66.4% males) aged 15 to 18, from two high schools in Skopje, North Macedonia, includign both genders, was included in the research. Using self-assessment method, students completed a questionnaire on personal data including: (gender, body mass and height), HBSC dietary habits (fruits, vegetables, sweets, Coca-Cola or other soft drinks containing sugar), FAS socio-economic status (Does your family own a car, van or truck? Do you have your own bedroom? How many times have you been on vacation abroad in the last year? How many computers are there in your family? Do you have a dishwasher at home? How many bothrooms are there in your house?), breakfast consumption (during weekdays and weekends), as well as parental education level (primary, secondary or university). The standard descriptive method was used to show characteristics of the body mass index (BMI) of the sample as a whole and divided by gender. The association and determination of variables between BMI, dietary habits, socio-economic status and parental education level were calculated using χ²- chi square test analysis and linear regression. Results suggest that there is a correlation of BMI and gender χ² (2, N = 125) = 10,912, p = .004. Teenage girls tend to have a higher prevalence of overweight and underweight compared to their male peers. There is a correlation between the frequency of breakfast consumption over 2-4 days, as well as over 5-6 days, compared with less frequent breakfast consumtion during weekdays and BMI, R2 = .069, F (2, 122) = 4.55, p = .012. Regular breakfast consumption on weekdays reduces the likelihood of increased BMI and may play an important role in managing body mass of teenagers. This was not statistically confirmed in relation to breakfast consumption on weekends. Findings suggest that dietary habits, regardless of the type, are not associated with the BMI of teenagers. Similarly, both family socio-economic status and parental education level do not show a statistically significant relationship with BMI. Teenage girls are more likely to be more overweight and underweight compared to their male peers. Consumption of sweets and sweet drinks ‘more than once a day’ dominates among teenage girls compared to boys. Breakfast consumption on weekdays, unlike weekends, is considered significant for managing the body mass of teenagers. A higher level of mother’s education is more pronounced in overweight teenagers, followed by normal-weight and underweight teenagers, but it does not prove to be statistically significant. The analysis highlights that the socio-economic status does not show statistically significant relationship with BMI. It is suggested that girls have a different lifestyle approach to reduce the prevalence trend of both overweight and underweight. Including physical activity, its intensity, as well as the amount of food consumption in the research could clarify the relationship of these aspects with BMI.