Dietary, physical activity and sedentary behaviour among Australian secondary students in 2005

Bibliographic Data

ID22945131
AuthorsMaree Scully (0000-0001-5342-5326, Cancer Council Victoria, corresponding author), Hannah Dixon (0000-0002-5365-9605, Cancer Council Victoria), Victor White (0000-0001-6619-8484, Cancer Council Victoria), Kerri Beckmann (0000-0002-9798-1479, Cancer Council SA)
Year2007
Volume22
Issue3
Pages236-245
Publication date2007-05-11
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHealth Promotion International (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0957-4824 • E-ISSN: 1460-2245
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/heapro/dam021
PMID17693446
OpenAlexW2134432810
LanguageEN
Citations received25
References cited10

The aim of this study was to provide a current assessment of Australian secondary students' self-reported dietary, physical activity and sedentary behaviour. This study also examined the relationship between television viewing and students' dietary behaviour. Data are from a cross-sectional survey of 18 486 secondary students in 2005 from all Australian states except Western Australia. Participants reported their usual daily consumption (number of serves) of vegetables and fruit; their weekly consumption of unhealthy/non-core foods including fast food meals, snack foods and high-energy drinks; their engagement in moderate-vigorous physical activity over the previous week; and hours spent using electronic media for entertainment and doing homework on school days. The study found that 20% of students were meeting the daily requirement of four serves of vegetables, whereas 39% were eating the recommended three daily serves of fruit. Consumption of unhealthy/non-core foods was high, with 46% of students having fast food meals at least twice a week, 51% eating snack foods four or more times per week and 44% having high-energy drinks four or more times per week. Fourteen per cent of students engaged in recommended levels of physical activity and 29% engaged in recommended levels of sedentary behaviour. Age and gender differences occurred for most measures, and there were some socio-economic status differences. Heavier television use was associated with lower consumption of fruit and higher consumption of unhealthy/non-core foods. On the basis of the results of this study, it appears that a significant proportion of Australian secondary students fall short of current, national dietary and physical activity recommendations for teenagers. Continual monitoring of these behaviours is essential to help inform research and policy and identify where future efforts should be directed.

Consumption (sociology) · Environmental health · Physical activity · Physical therapy · Sedentary behavior · Sedentary lifestyle · Snack food · Behavioral Health and Interventions · Demography · Food Science · Medicine · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet · Physical Activity and Health · Psychology · Gerontology