The Prevalence of Obesity and Its Relation to Physical Activity and Dietary Patterns among Female High School Students of Tehran, Iran

Objective: There are many causes for obesity; inappropriate dietary patterns, inadequate physical activity, and lethargic lifestyle can be mentioned as the main and most important of these causes. Due to the increasing prevalence of obesity in society, it seems necessary to study its causes and find ways to tackle this problem. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 380 female high school students from district 5 of Tehran, Iran, in 2012. In this research, physical activity was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and dietary pattern was measured using the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). Body mass index (BMI) was also calculated. In addition, for measurement of aerobic and anaerobic powers, the 540-meter sprint and vertical jump test (Sargent Jump Test) were applied. Gathered data was analyzed using SPSS software. Results: The findings of the present study show that 24.7% of the population was overweight and obese, 67% of normal weight (natural), and 8.2% underweight (thin). Chi-square test on breakfast and classification of weight (r = -0.285 and P = 0.002) showed a negative relationship between obesity and eating breakfast. Moreover, it showed a significant positive correlation between watching television and working on the computer, and obesity. Conclusion: According to the results of this research, there is a positive and direct relationship between obesity and lack of exercise and fast food intake (P < 0.05). There is also a positive and direct relationship between physical fitness, and amount of physical activity and fruit and vegetables intake (P < 0.05). The highest rates of overweight and obesity were observed in 17 year olds.