Obesity, Physical Activity, Screen Time, and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Among Adolescents — Utah, 2011

Watson, Joanna R

BACKGROUND: Adolescent obesity is associated with increased cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and all-cause mortality during adulthood. To assess obesity risk factors for Utah adolescents, we analyzed 2011 Utah Prevention Needs Assessment Survey data. We evaluated three risk factors, physical activity, screen time, and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption.

METHODS: The 2011 Utah Prevention Needs Assessment Survey was an anonymous survey of 16,667 students weighted to be representative of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade Utah public school students. All data were self-reported and analyses were performed using weighted survey methods. Proportions were calculated for obesity (≥95th percentile on sex-specific body mass index-for-age growth charts), physical activity (≥60 minutes/day with increased heart rate or breathing hard some of the time), screen time (watching television, playing video or computer games, or using a computer for nonschoolwork activities, ≤2 or >2 hours/day) and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption (glass or can of soda or other sugar-sweetened drink, 0–3 times/week or ≥4 times/week). Adjusted and unadjusted odds ratios were calculated using logistic regression. We adjusted for sex, age, race/ethnicity, and parental education.

RESULTS: Obesity prevalence was 7.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.04–7.90). Of Utah adolescents, 81.3% (95% CI: 80.64–81.88) had <60 minutes/day of physical activity; 50.0% (95% CI: 49.01–50.90) had >2 hours/day of screen time; and 44.4% (95% CI: 43.43–45.31) consumed sugar-sweetened beverages >4 times/week. Adjusted odds ratios for obesity were as follows: lack of physical activity, 1.62 (95% CI: 1.30–2.01); >2 hours screen time, 1.57 (95% CI: 1.38–1.77); and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption >4/week, 1.17 (95% CI: 1.02–1.33).

CONCLUSIONS: Lack of physical activity, increased screen time, and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption were associated with adolescent obesity. Results support implementation of the Utah Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan 2010–2020.