KINGSTON, Jamaica—Reducing consumption of sweetened beverages and increasing fruit intake may reduce the prevalence of excess body fat among adolescents, according to a new study from researchers at the University of the West Indies.
The study, published in Public Health Nutrition, examined the prevalence of overweight, obesity and high-waist circumference (WC) in 1,317 15- to 19-year-old Jamaican adolescents and investigated the association with fast-food and sweetened beverage consumption. The study followed 1,317 adolescents age 15 to 19 using multistage, nationally representative sampling. Age-specific prevalence calculation used internal Z-score lines connecting with the WHO adult cut-off points. Logistic regression was used to examine the association of overweight or high WC with fast-food and sweetened beverage consumption, adjusting for potential confounders.
The overall prevalence of overweight, obesity and high WC was approximately 15 percent, 6 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Prevalence estimated using internal Z-scores was similar to that using the International Obesity Taskforce cut-off points. Obesity (8 percent in females, 3.3 percent in males) and high WC (16.2 percent in females, 1.7 percent in males) were significantly more prevalent in females when using internal Z-score cut-offs. High WC was associated with the absence of fruit consumption (P = 0.043) and overweight with high sweetened beverage consumption (P = 0.018).
