Concomitant associations of dietary behaviours and physical activity with body composition in adolescents.

More frequent breakfast eating during weekdays was inversely associated with BMI, percentage of body fat, visceral fat area, and fat-free mass index in adolescents.

• Sample consisted of 1225 Slovak adolescents (mean age 13.3 ± 1.4 years; 53.9% boys) from the HBSC 2022 study
• Body composition was assessed via bioimpedance analysis (InBody 230) and height measured using a SECA 213 portable stadiometer
• Linear regression was used to test associations between dietary behaviours and body composition outcomes
• The inverse association with FFMI suggests breakfast frequency was also negatively associated with fat-free mass index

Higher moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was inversely associated with BMI, percentage of body fat, and visceral fat area, but positively associated with fat-free mass index.

• MVPA was assessed using HBSC questionnaire items
• The positive association with FFMI indicates MVPA is linked to greater fat-free mass
• The inverse associations with BMI, PBF, and VFA indicate MVPA is linked to lower adiposity indicators
• Sample consisted of 1225 Slovak adolescents from the HBSC 2022 study

Greater vigorous physical activity (VPA) was inversely associated with percentage of body fat and visceral fat area, but also inversely associated with fat-free mass index.

• VPA was assessed using HBSC questionnaire items separate from MVPA
• Unlike MVPA, VPA was inversely (not positively) associated with FFMI
• VPA showed associations with PBF and VFA but not with BMI, differing from the MVPA pattern
• Linear regression was used to assess these associations

More frequent sweets consumption was inversely associated with BMI, percentage of body fat, visceral fat area, and fat-free mass index.

• Sweets consumption frequency was assessed via HBSC questionnaire items
• The inverse association with adiposity indicators (BMI, PBF, VFA) was an unexpected finding given typical assumptions about sweets and obesity
• Sweets consumption was also inversely associated with FFMI
• This finding was noted alongside breakfast consumption as a dietary behaviour associated with body composition

The study used data from the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) 2022 study conducted in Slovakia with a sample of 1225 adolescents.

• Mean age of participants was 13.3 ± 1.4 years; 53.9% were boys
• Dietary behaviours assessed included frequency of fruits, vegetables, sweets, soft and energy drinks, breakfast consumption during weekdays, and having breakfast with family
• Physical activity measures included both MVPA and VPA
• Body composition outcomes included BMI, percentage of body fat (PBF), visceral fat area (VFA), and fat-free mass index (FFMI)