Potential factors related to waist circumference in urban South Indian children

To identify important factors (linked to lifestyle, eating and sedentary behaviors) relating to waist circumference among urban South Indian children aged 3 to 16 years.

Cross sectional.

Urban schools of Bangalore, from August 2008 to January 2010.

8444 children; 4707 children aged 3-10 years and 3737 children aged 10-16 years.

Data were collected on the frequency of consumption of certain foods, physical activity patterns, sedentary habits at home, sleep duration and behaviors such as habits of snacking, skipping breakfast, eating in front of television and frequency of eating out. Simple linear regression analysis of waist circumference on various food items, physical activity, behavior and parental BMI were performed. A path model was developed to identify potential causal pathways to increase in waist circumference.

Increased consumption of bakery items, non vegetarian foods, increased television viewing, decreased sleep duration, eating while watching television, snacking between meals, family meals, skipping breakfast (in older children), and parental BMI were found to be related to waist circumference. Older children possibly under-reported their intake of unhealthy foods, but not behaviors.

This study identified potential behaviors related to waist circumference in urban school children in India. Longitudinal studies with better measures of morbidity and adiposity are warranted in order to derive casual relationships between various determinants and waist circumference.