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Table 1 Selected characteristics of participants

From: Television viewing, food preferences, and food habits among children: A prospective epidemiological study

 

8-10-year-olds

 

14-16-year-olds

 
 

Girls (n = 382)

Boys (n = 315)

P

Girls (n = 275)

Boys (n = 220)

P

Continuous variables 1

          

Age (years)

9.7

(0.4)

9.8

(0.4)

<0.0001

15.6

(0.4)

15.7

(0.4)

0.07

Height (cm)

139.2

(6.4)

140.3

(6.5)

0.03

165.5

(6.6)

176.4

(7.3)

<0.0001

Bodyweight (kg)

33.4

(6.2)

34.1

(6.3)

0.19

57.9

(9.6)

65.5

(10.5)

<0.0001

BMI z-score2

0.3

(1.1)

0.3

(1.2)

0.83

0.4

(1.0)

0.5

(1.0)

0.04

Maternal BMI (kg/m2)

23.5

(3.9)

24

(4.2)

0.09

23.8

(4.5)

24.6

(5.4)

0.05

Paternal BMI (kg/m2)

25.4

(3.3)

25.4

(2.9)

0.83

25.7

(3.5)

25.6

(3.3)

0.77

Energy intake (MJ)3

8.4

(2.2)

9.4

(2.7)

<0.0001

8.5

(2.9)

12.0

(4.3)

<0.0001

Fat E%3

31.2

(7.2)

31.5

(6.9)

0.73

28.4

(8.1)

30.5

(7.6)

0.006

Sugar E%3

9.5

(6.6)

9.7

(6.9)

0.65

9.5

(8.0)

10.7

(7.1)

0.11

Liquid sugar (E%)3

3.5

(4.8)

3.7

(4.7)

0.53

3.9

(5.9)

5.6

(6.1)

0.002

Liquid sugar (g/day)3

16.5

(21.5)

20.8

(26.3)

<0.0001

20.3

(35.9)

40.4

(46.3)

<0.0001

Σ healthy food preferences

7.2

(2.5)

6.4

(2.4)

<0.0001

7.6

(2.4)

6.1

(2.3)

<0.0001

Σ healthy food habits

19.9

(3.1)

19.1

(3.3)

0.003

20.6

(2.9)

18.3

(3.3)

<0.0001

TV viewing (h/day)

1.2

(0.9)

1.4

(1.1)

0.0005

1.5

(1.1)

1.8

(1.2)

0.01

Physical activity (mean counts/min)

592.1

(189.3)

710.3

(217.8)

<0.0001

410.6

(143.9)

477.4

(171.3)

<0.0001

Categorical variables 4

          

SES

          

   Low

186

(48.7)

153

(48.6)

 

131

(47.6)

115

(52.3)

 

   High

196

(51.3)

162

(51.4)

0.97

144

(52.4)

105

(47.7)

0.31

TV viewing

          

   <1 h/day

162

(42.4)

115

(36.5)

 

85

(30.9)

58

(26.4)

 

   1-2 h/day

180

(47.1)

145

(46.0)

 

123

(44.7)

93

(42.3)

 

   >2 h/day

40

(10.5)

55

(17.5)

0.02

67

(24.4)

69

(31.4)

0.20

TV meals

          

   Almost never or never

92

(24.1)

81

(25.7)

 

54

(19.6)

50

(22.7)

 

   1-2 times a week

171

(44.8)

98

(31.1)

 

111

(40.4)

64

(29.1)

 

   Every day or most days

119

(31.2)

136

(43.2)

0.0005

110

(40.0)

106

(48.2)

0.03

  1. 1 P for difference between boys and girls of same age, tests for difference in multiple regression analysis. Analyses were adjusted for survey year. Values are mean (SD).
  2. 2Based on a Danish reference population [26].
  3. 3Due to some missing values on the dietary variables these values are based on 356 8-10-year-old girls, 278 8-10-year-old boys, 265 14-16-year-old girls, and 208 14-16-year-old boys.
  4. 4 P for difference between boys and girls of same age, Chi-square test for difference between groups. Values are n (%).
  5. SD, standard deviation; BMI, body mass index; MJ, Mega Joule; E%, percentage of energy; SES, socioeconomic status.