Prevalence and correlates of self-induced vomiting as weight-control strategy among adolescents in Taiwan.
Palavras-chave
Resumo
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to assess the prevalence and correlates of self-induced vomiting to control body weight among adolescents in Taiwan.
BACKGROUND
Over the past decades, the rate of obesity among children in Taiwan has nearly tripled. Educational authorities have devoted considerable effort to prevent the increase in childhood obesity.
METHODS
An observational exploratory design to investigate the problem of using unhealthy weight-reduction strategy.
METHODS
This study consists of a cross-sectional study aimed at collecting national representative data. We chose 120 representative schools using a three-stage stratified systematic sampling design with probability proportionate to the size of the population in Taiwan. Participants consisted of 8673 girls and 7043 boys, aged 10-18 old.
RESULTS
Of the participants, 13% reported using self-induced vomiting, the prevalence being highest in participants aged 10-12 (15·9%) and lowest in participants aged 16-18 (7·5%). Several factors were significantly and positively associated with the use of self-induced vomiting as a weight-loss strategy, specifically subjects who (1) watched television, used computer, surfed the Internet or played video games for greater than or equal to two hours/day, (2) consumed fried food every day and (3) ate night-time snacks every day (odds ratio = 1·55, 2·10 and 1·51, respectively; p < 0·05). Eating breakfast every day and sleeping for more than eight hours a day were both protective factors against the use of self-induced vomiting to control body weight (odds ratio = 0·43 and 0·86, respectively; p < 0·05).
CONCLUSIONS
Self-induced vomiting was prevalent among adolescents who had tried to lose weight; sedentary lifestyle, shorter sleep length and unhealthy eating habits may contribute significantly to this behaviour among these adolescents.
CONCLUSIONS
School nurses who are helping adolescents lose weight should also pay attention to the possibility they are using self-induced vomiting as a weight-control strategy.
