Influence of lifestyle behaviours on obesity among Chinese adolescents in Singapore

Abstract

A case-control study was carried out in 1992 on 178 obese and 536 normal weight Chinese Singaporean adolescents to identify lifestyle behaviours associated with obesity. An inverse dose-response gradient of physical exercise to obesity was found in both genders. For females, obesity risk was statistically associated with those whose parents were food vendors, and for males, it was statistically associated with the practice of eating supper out regularly. Among the obese students, girls were statistically more likely than boys to eat in response to depression, stress and boredom.