Lifestyle Practices and Obesity in Malaysian Adolescents
1
School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
2
School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
3
Centre for Nutrition and Exercise, Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland, South Brisbane, QLD 4101, Australia
4
School of Biosciences, Taylor's University, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2014, 11(6), 5828-5838; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph110605828
Received: 21 April 2014
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Revised: 22 May 2014
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Accepted: 27 May 2014
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Published: 30 May 2014
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Childhood Obesity: Novel Approaches to a Global Problem)
Aim: To determine the influence of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) on obesity profiles of 454 Malaysian adolescents aged 12 to 19. Methods: Validated PA and SB questionnaires were used and body composition assessed using anthropometry and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Results: Gender-specific multivariate analyses showed boys with high levels of total PA and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) exhibited significantly lower levels of total body fat, percent body fat and android fat mass compared with low PA and MVPA groups, after adjusting for potential confounders. Girls with high SB levels showed significantly higher BMI, waist circumference and DXA-derived body fat indices than those at lower SB level. Multiple logistic analyses indicated that boys with low levels of total PA and MVPA had significantly greater obesity risk, 3.0 (OR 3.0; 95% CI, 1.1–8.1; p < 0.05) and 3.8-fold (OR 3.8; 95% CI, 1.4–10.1; p < 0.01), respectively, than more active boys. Only in girls with high SB level was there a significantly increased risk of obesity, 2.9 times higher than girls at low SP levels (OR 2.8; 95% CI, 1.0–7.5; p < 0.05). Conclusions: The present findings indicate that higher PA duration and intensity reduced body fat and obesity risk while high screen-based sedentary behaviors significantly adversely influenced body fat mass, particularly amongst girls when the PA level was low.
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Keywords:
physical activity; sedentary practices; body fat; obesity; adolescents
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License
MDPI and ACS Style
Teo, P.S.; Nurul-Fadhilah, A.; Aziz, M.E.; Hills, A.P.; Foo, L.H. Lifestyle Practices and Obesity in Malaysian Adolescents. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2014, 11, 5828-5838. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph110605828
AMA Style
Teo PS, Nurul-Fadhilah A, Aziz ME, Hills AP, Foo LH. Lifestyle Practices and Obesity in Malaysian Adolescents. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2014; 11(6):5828-5838. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph110605828
Chicago/Turabian StyleTeo, Pey S., Abdullah Nurul-Fadhilah, Mohd E. Aziz, Andrew P. Hills, and Leng H. Foo. 2014. "Lifestyle Practices and Obesity in Malaysian Adolescents" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 11, no. 6: 5828-5838. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph110605828
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