Sedentary Activities and Food Intake among Children and Adolescents in the Zhejiang Province of China: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Sedentary behavior may affect the types of food consumed in children and adolescents’ daily diets. Previous published studies are limited to local surveys. This study aimed to explore the relationship between sedentary behavior and food intake among children and adolescents. Methods: A stratified sampling technique was employed in the present cross-sectional study. Demographic characteristics, sedentary behavior, transportation modes, and food intake were investigated. Results: We found that children and adolescents who watched movies or TV programs online or on their smartphones on weekends and who chatted online on weekends, including on QQ (an instant messaging software service) and WeChat (an instant messaging software service), increased their intake of instant noodles and fried pasta (Spearman’s rho = 0.468, 0.575, 0.465, and 0.323; p p p p p < 0.05). Conclusions: Sedentary behavior affects the types of food consumed in children and adolescents’ daily diets. Children and adolescents who browsed online on weekdays increased their intake of whole-fat liquid milk, but also increased their intake of foods with high fat, high salt, and low nutrient density. Children and adolescents taking buses and subways increased their intake of low-nutrition quality products. Public awareness efforts should focus on reducing the consumption of low-nutrition quality products and nutritional education.

Keywords

• sedentary behavior
• food
• intake
• children
• adolescents