Hygeia Public Health 2016, 51(2): 187-193pl

Gender versus selected health behaviors in Polish junior high school students

Agnieszka Woźniak, Agata Wawrzyniak, Anna Anyżewska, Magdalena Leonkiewicz

Katedra Żywienia Człowieka, SGGW w Warszawie

Summary
Introduction. Adolescence is an important period when health behaviors develop and often stay the same throughout life.
Aim. The assessment of selected health behaviors including physical activity and nutritional habits in the group of girls and boys attending Polish junior high school depending on gender.
Material & method. The study was conducted between 2012-2013 in Polish students attending junior high school (n=370; 197 girls, 173 boys). An anonymous questionnaire was used to determine personal details, anthropometric details, information on physical activity and nutritional habits. The anthropometric assessment was conducted according to the method of Cole et al.
Results. Up to 30% of the girls and 38% of the boys manifested overweight or obesity. The subjects´ gender influenced the participation in physical education classes (r_s=-=0.221; p<0.001). More boys than girls attended PE classes (98% vs 86%; p<0.001). Most of the subjects (37%) ate 4 meals daily. The frequency of supper consumption depended on the subjects´ gender (r_s=-=0.221; p<0.001). More boys than girls had supper every day (87% vs 70%; p<0.001) but lunch was consumed more frequently by the girls (p=0.001). Most of the students (75% boys, 76% girls) snacked between meals (vegetables, fruit, sweets). The subjects´ interest in food product labels depended on their gender (r_s=-=-0.107; p=0.041). More girls than boys read them (67% vs 57%). Correlations were found between gender and consumption of low-fat products (r_s=-=-0.165; p=0.001) and low-sugar products (r_s=-=-0.131; p=0.012). The girls more often consumed low-fat products, low-sugar products (p=0.027) and probiotic products (p=0.004) than the boys. The subjects´ gender influenced self-assessment of nutritional habits (r_s=-=0.173; p=0.001) and desire to change it (r_s=-0.335; p<0.001). More boys were satisfied with their nutritional habits as compared with the girls (57% vs 75%; p=0.002). Furthermore, more girls than boys wanted to change it (75% vs 45%; p<0.001).
Conclusion. Gender influenced some of health behaviors of junior high school students, such as consumption of low-fat and low-sugar products, participation in physical education classes and self-assessment of nutritional habits. A number of abnormal health behaviors that might lead to the occurrence of overweight or obesity were observed in both girls and boys, e.g. skipping meals, consumption of sweets between meals.

Key words:  health behavior, nutritional habits, junior high school students, body mass, gender