Table 1.
Demographic characteristics and lifestyle of children and adolescents.
| Demographic Characteristics (n = 209) | Overweight or Obese | Normal | Underweight | p-Value | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight status; n (%) | 28 | (13.4) | 148 | (70.8) | 33 | (15.8) | - |
| Age, years; med (IQR **) | 13.95 | (4.1) | 12.2 | (4.4) | 13.0 | (3) | 0.081 ♣ |
| Sex; n (%) | |||||||
| Males | 9 | (32.1) | 65 | (43.9) | 19 | (57.6) | 0.138 |
| Females | 19 | (67.9) | 83 | (56.1) | 14 | (42.4) | |
| Age, years; n (%) | |||||||
| ≤11 | 7 | (25.0) | 64 | (43.2) | 10 | (30.3) | 0.089 |
| 12–15 | 13 | (46.4) | 53 | (35.8) | 19 | (57.6) | |
| >15 | 8 | (28.6) | 31 | (21.0) | 4 | (12.1) | |
| Current grade at school; n (%) | |||||||
| None | 0 | (0.0) | 3 | (2.0) | 0 | (0.0) | 0.085 * |
| Primary school | 15 | (53.6) | 102 | (68.9) | 28 | (84.9) | |
| High school | 13 | (46.4) | 43 | (29.1) | 5 | (15.2) | |
| ~ Mode used to get to school; n (%) | |||||||
| Walk | 21 | (75.0) | 118 | (80.8) | 30 | (90.9) | 0.216 |
| Public, private or school transport | 7 | (25.0) | 28 | (19.2) | 3 | (9.1) | |
| Average walking time to school, minutes; med (IQR) | 20 | (15) | 20 | (20) | 15 | (20) | 0.171 ♣ |
| ^ Participation in sports; n (%) | |||||||
| Yes | 22 | (78.6) | 134 | (91.1) | 30 | (90.9) | 0.153 |
| No | 6 | (21.4) | 13 | (8.8) | 3 | (9.1) | |
| $ Where most sport takes place; n (%) | |||||||
| School | 9 | (40.9) | 69 | (52.3) | 11 | (35.5) | 0.171 |
| Home | 5 | (22.7) | 15 | (11.4) | 8 | (25.8) | |
| School and home | 8 | (36.4) | 48 | (36.4) | 12 | (38.7) | |
| $ Specific sport; n (%) | |||||||
| Soccer | 7 | (33.3) | 72 | (43.9) | 17 | (54.8) | 0.074 ** |
| Netball | 7 | (33.3) | 27 | (16.5) | 5 | (16.1) | |
| Cricket | 0 | (0.0) | 12 | (9.0) | 1 | (3.2) | |
| Rugby | 1 | (4.8) | 0 | (0.00) | 0 | (0.0) | |
| Hoopla hoops | 0 | (0.0) | 0 | (0.0) | 1 | (3.2) | |
| Other | 6 | (28.6) | 44 | (33.1) | 7 | (22.6) | |
| # Frequency of sport; n (%) | |||||||
| Daily | 7 | (31.8) | 60 | (46.9) | 17 | (60.7) | 0.092 * |
| Weekly | 11 | (50.0) | 34 | (26.6) | 4 | (14.3) | |
| Occasionally | 4 | (18.2) | 34 | (26.6) | 7 | (25.0) | |
| Play sport after school; n (%) | |||||||
| Yes | 17 | (60.7) | 98 | (66.2) | 22 | (66.7) | 0.563 |
| No | 11 | (39.3) | 50 | (33.8) | 11 | (33.3) | |
| Watch TV after school; n (%) | |||||||
| Yes | 21 | (75.0) | 75 | (50.7) | 15 | (45.5) | 0.013 |
| No | 7 | (25.0) | 73 | (49.3) | 18 | (54.5) | |
| Play TV or Video games; n (%) | |||||||
| Yes | 2 | (7.1) | 4 | (2.7) | 0 | (0.0) | 0.185 * |
| No | 26 | (92.9) | 144 | (97.3) | 33 | (100.0) | |
| Sleep; n (%) | |||||||
| Yes | 0 | (0.0) | 2 | (1.4) | 1 | (3.0) | 1.00 * |
| No | 28 | (100.0) | 146 | (98.6) | 32 | (97.0) | |
| House chores; n (%) | |||||||
| Yes | 23 | (82.1) | 114 | (75.7) | 23 | (69.7) | 0.453 |
| No | 5 | (17.9) | 34 | (24.3) | 10 | (30.3) | |
| Traditional games; n (%) | |||||||
| Yes | 9 | (32.1) | 40 | (27.0) | 11 | (33.3) | 0.666 |
| No | 19 | (67.9) | 108 | (73.0) | 22 | (66.7) | |
| ~ Taking breakfast; n (%) | 0.299 | ||||||
| Yes | 18 | (66.7) | 111 | (75.5) | 25 | (78.1) | |
| No | 9 | (33.3) | 36 | (24.5) | 7 | (21.9) | |
| ~ Breakfast; n (%) | |||||||
| Cornflakes | 6 | (22.2) | 28 | (19.1) | 3 | (9.4) | 0.698 |
| Weet-bix/wheat-base | 2 | (7.4) | 11 | (7.5) | 1 | (3.1) | |
| Sifted maize | 9 | (33.3) | 65 | (44.2) | 17 | (53.1) | |
| Previous day’s food | 1 | (3.7) | 7 | (4.8) | 4 | (12.5) | |
| None | 9 | (33.3) | 36 | (24.5) | 7 | (21.9) | |
| ¥ Bring own lunch to school; n (%) | |||||||
| Yes | 6 | (21.4) | 33 | (22.6) | 6 | (18.2) | 1.000 |
| No | 22 | (78.6) | 113 | (77.4) | 27 | (81.8) | |
| ^ Lunch core starch; n (%) | |||||||
| Maize based | 26 | (92.9) | 129 | (87.8) | 30 | (90.9) | 0.342 |
| None | 1 | (3.6) | 15 | (10.2) | 3 | (9.1) | |
| Both | 1 | (3.6) | 3 | (2.0) | 0 | (0.0) | |
| Starch dinner; n (%) | |||||||
| Maize based | 21 | (75.0) | 108 | (73.0) | 23 | (69.7) | 0.142 * |
| Rice | 6 | (21.4) | 40 | (27.0) | 10 | (30.3) | |
| None | 1 | (3.6) | 0 | (0.0) | 0 | (0.0) | |
| Caregiver employment status; n (%) | |||||||
| Yes | 2 | (7.1) | 11 | (7.4) | 2 | (6.1) | 1.000 * |
| No | 26 | (92.9) | 137 | (92.6) | 31 | (93.9) | |
| Caregiver income source; n (%) | |||||||
| None | 4 | (14.23) | 22 | (14.9) | 3 | (9.1) | 0.979 * |
| Disability grant | 3 | (10.7) | 5 | (4.4) | 3 | (9.1) | |
| Old age grant | 8 | (28.6) | 43 | (29.1) | 11 | (33.3) | |
| Child support grant | 8 | (28.6) | 45 | (30.4) | 8 | (24.2) | |
| Support from spouse | 2 | (7.1) | 12 | (6.8) | 2 | (6.1) | |
| Support from parent | 0 | (0.0) | 3 | (2.0) | 0 | (0.0) | |
| Support from other children | 1 | (3.6) | 5 | (3.4) | 2 | (6.1) | |
| Vending | 0 | (0.0) | 0 | (0.0) | 1 | (3.0) | |
| Pension or retirement | 0 | (0.0) | 3 | (2.0) | 0 | (0.0) | |
| Foster care grant | 0 | (0.0) | 1 | (0.7) | 1 | (3.0) | |
| Employment | 2 | (7.1) | 11 | (7.4) | 2 | (6.1) | |
| ^ Pocket money to school; n (%) | |||||||
| Yes | 26 | (92.9) | 122 | (83.0) | 30 | (90.9) | 0.560 |
| No | 2 | (7.1) | 25 | (17.0) | 3 | (9.1) | |
^ n = 208; ¥ n = 207; $ n = 185; # n = 178; ~ n = 206; * Fisher’s exact test was used; ** IQR = Interquartile Range = 75th percentile minus (-) 25th percentile; med = median; ♣ Kruskal–Wallis test was used.