Modern аspects of nutrition of ukrainian adolescents with obesity

Abstract

Purpose - to analyze the nature of nutrition and eating behavior in adolescents with obesity in order to improve the management of this category of patients.

Materials and methods. A total of 140 adolescents were examined. The main clinical group included 108 adolescents aged 12-17 years with obesity (body mass index (BMI) ≥95^th percentile); the control group included 32 healthy adolescents (BMI 5-85^th percentile) of the same age.

The survey plan included a set of standard clinical and anamnestic studies, including the study of eating behavior, and laboratory and instrumental studies. To study the nature and diet, a questionnaire developed on the basis of the «Institute of Children and Adolescent Health Care of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine» was used. The study of eating behavior (EВ) in adolescents was carried out using the Dutch Questionnaire (DEBQ, The Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire).

Statistical analysis was performed using the software STATISTICA 6.0. FOR WINDOWS (StatSoft Inc.). Pearson's Chi-square test (χ²) and Fisher's exact test (F) were used to compare the frequency indices of independent groups. To assess the direction, strength, and significance of the relationship between the studied characteristics, a correlation analysis was used to determine the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. The critical level of statistical significance for testing hypotheses is p<0.05.

Results. Adolescents with obesity were significantly more likely to have eating disorders, as well as the habit of snacking on sweets and sweets during the day and late dinner compared with the control group (p<0.001). It was found that obese patients significantly more often used sweets, sweets, fast food, chips, croutons every day or several times a week compared to the examined control group (p<0.05). In the course of the correlation analysis, the interdependence between the increase in the frequency of consumption of sweets, meat, sausages, sweet carbonated drinks, fast food and the increase in anthropometric indicators associated with obesity (BMI, waist circumference and hip circumference) was established; between an increase in the frequency of consumption of sugary carbonated drinks, sausages and an increase in the size of the liver, between a greater frequency of consumption of fruits and a lower level of triglycerides and very low density lipid cholesterol (p<0.05). Analysis of the results of the DEBQ survey showed that more than 70% of obese patients had a restrictive violation of the EB, with a lesser frequency of external (43.8%) and emotiogenic (39.3%) type of EB in contrast to the control group (p<0.05).

Conclusions. The study revealed the problem of unbalanced nutrition in adolescents, which also manifested itself in the form of eating disorders.

The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. The study protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the participating institution. The informed consent of the patient was obtained for conducting the studies.

No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.