Is there an association between dietary fiber intake, screen time, and physical activity among students aged 14 to 17...

Concerns about the impact of screen time, unbalanced diet, and declining physical activity (PA) on health are increasing. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the association between screen time, PA and dietary behavior, with a special consideration of fiber intake in adolescents.

The study is based on cross-sectional data including 410 Austrian adolescents (54.6% girls) with an average age of 15.7±1.0 years. Daily fiber intake was determined using a validated screening instrument (18-item Fiber-Screen). In addition, participants reported average hours per week of leisure-time PA including club sport activities and daily screen time [mobile phone, computer and television (TV)] via a questionnaire.

The average fiber intake per day was 14.49 g/day, less than the international recommendations of at least 25 g of fiber per day. Girls got more of their fiber from vegetables and legumes, while boys consumed more bread and potatoes. Regression analyses showed that both PA (β =0.257) and screen time, particularly computer (β =-0.144) and TV time (β =-0.138) are independently associated with fiber intake (P<0.001). Furthermore, sports club members had a significantly higher daily fiber intake than non-sports club members (16.1±6.7 vs. 12.8±4.6 g/d; P<0.001). Sports club participation was also associated with higher PA levels (40.0% vs. 15.0% reported >3 h/week) less time on the computer (51.0% vs. 33.0% reported <1 h/d) compared to non-sports club members (P<0.001) but there was no significant difference in mobile phone use and TV time.

The present results show that low fiber intake is widespread among adolescents and that longer screen time and low PA are associated with a low fiber intake, which indicates a clustering of health behaviors. Accordingly, intervention strategies may target several behaviors to promote health in youth.