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PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, SEDENTARY BEHAVIOUR, AND SELECTED DIETARY HABITS OF MIDDLE SCHOOL–AGED CHILDREN IN THE UNA-SANA CANTON (BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA)
Edina Šertović
; University of Bihać, Biotechnical faculty, Department of Food Technology, Luke Marjanovića bb, 77000 Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina
*
Vildana Alibabić
; University of Bihać, Biotechnical faculty, Department of Food Technology, Luke Marjanovića bb, 77000 Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Jasmina Osmančević-Muminović
; Primary Health Care Center, Indire Pjanić 28, 77220 Cazin, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Melisa Oraščanin
; University of Bihać, Biotechnical faculty, Department of Food Technology, Luke Marjanovića bb, 77000 Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Dopisni autor.
Sažetak
The aim of this study was to analyse physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and dietary habits related to meal characteristics among younger school-age children in the Una-Sana Canton (USC), as well as parents’ perceptions of their children’s habits. The study was conducted on a sample of 300 children (7–11 years old) from seven schools in rural and urban areas, together with their 278 parents. Data were collected using age-appropriate questionnaires based on 24-hour dietary recall and a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), while descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and Duncan’s post-hoc test were used for data analysis.
The results show that 61.7% of children exercise more than twice a week for at least 1 hour per day, while 28.3% exercise less than twice a week or do not exercise at all. Regarding sedentary behaviour, 29.3% of children spend more than two hours per day in front of screens. School meals are not organised in most schools; therefore, an average of 42.9% of children consume a home-prepared meal, while the remaining children consume bakery sandwiches or pastries, snacks from the school kiosk, or commercially available sweet and salty products, all of which represent unhealthy dietary habits. The proportion of children who do not consume anything at school is 2.7%. A total of 49.7% of children eat meals with their families, while parents report that 61.9% of children have one cooked meal and 34.9% have two cooked meals per day. The findings also indicate that 12.6% of parents believe their child is overweight, whereas the actual proportion of children who are overweight or obese is 30.1%, pointing to misperceptions regarding nutritional status in 17.5% of parents. Most parents recognise the importance of healthy eating (93.2%) and are willing to change their habits for their child’s health (92.4%); however, 48.9% express the need for additional education.
Ključne riječi
younger school-age children; physical activity; sedentary behaviour; dietary habits
Hrčak ID:
349981
URI
Datum izdavanja:
31.7.2026.
Posjeta: 0 *