Poor dietary habits in Greek schoolchildren are strongly associated with screen time: results from the EYZHN (National Action for Children's Health) Program.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: To investigate adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) and the relationship between MD and lifestyle factors in a representative sample of Greek school children. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The data derived from 232,401 (51% boys) children aged 8 to 17 years old who participated in a health survey (2015). Physical fitness (PF) and anthropometric estimations were obtained by trained investigators. Physical activity (PA) status, sedentary activities and sleeping hours were assessed through self-completed questionnaires. Mediterranean diet was evaluated via KIDMED test. RESULTS: Forty percent of participants presented an optimal adherence to MD (≥8), while one to ten incorporated a low adherence to MD (≤3), in both genders. Participants with optimal adherence to MD presented a more favourable status in anthropometric and lifestyle characteristics. Adjusting for several potential confounders, increased screen time (<2 h/d) augmented odds of low adherence by 135% (95% CI: 2.216-2.491) and 150% (95% CI: 2.346-2.687), in boys and girls, respectively. For each 1-year enlarge in the age of children the odds of low adherence to MD enlarged by almost 11% (95%CI: 1.101-1.138) in both genders, while, boys had almost 6% increased probabilities to the low adherence (95%CI: 1.039, 1.102) than girls. Furthermore, insufficient sleeping hours (>2 h/d) and inadequate PA status were connected to higher odds of low adherence to MD. CONCLUSIONS: Support a modest adherence to the MD and an enhancement considered necessary to adjust dietary intake to current guidelines. However, screen time presented a strong association with low adherence to MD.

Eleven-year prevalence trends of obesity in Greek children: first evidence that prevalence of obesity is leveling off.

We examined 11-year (1997-2007) trends in underweight, overweight, and obesity in Greek children. Population data derived from a yearly, school-based health survey carried out between 1997 and 2007 in >80% of all Greek schools. Height and weight measurements from 651,582 children, aged 8-9 years (boys: 51.2%) were analyzed. The gender- and age-specific BMI cutoff points by the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) were used in order to define underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity. Trend analysis showed an increase in the prevalence of obesity from 7.2 +/- 0.2% in 1997 to 11.3 +/- 0.2% in 2004 for girls (P < 0.001) and from 8.1 +/- 0.2% in 1997 to 12.3 +/- 0.2% in 2004 for boys (P < 0.001). An apparent leveling off in obesity rates was observed during 2004-2007 for both boys and girls. The prevalence of overweight rose between 1997 and 2007 from 20.2 +/- 0.2% to 26.7 +/- 0.2% for girls (P < 0.001) and from 19.6 +/- 0.2% to 26.5 +/- 0.2% for boys (P < 0.001). The overall prevalence of thinness in the same period remained constant in both sexes. The presented population-based data revealed that the prevalence of overweight and obesity among 8- to 9-year-old Greek children is alarmingly elevated, with the overweight rates rising continuously. However, an apparent leveling off in obesity rates for the past 4 consecutive years was documented for the first time in both genders.