
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Dewes, Ofa 
A1  - Scragg, Robert 
A1  - Raina Elley, C 
T1  - The association between church attendance and obesity-related lifestyle behaviours among New Zealand adolescents from different Pacific ethnic groups
JF  - Journal of Primary Health Care
JO  - J Prim Health Care
Y1  - 2013
VL  - 5
IS  - 4
SP  - 290
EP  - 300
KW  - 
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/HC13290 
N2  - INTRODUCTION: Obesity is disproportionately prevalent among Pacific population groups in New Zealand. Lifestyle behaviours of excessive consumption of high energy, unhealthy foods and inadequate physical activity are risk factors for obesity that can be modified. AIM: To identify and describe the risk factors for and protective factors against obesity among Pacific Island (PI) adolescents who attend church and compare them with PI adolescents who do not attend church. METHODS: We investigated the lifestyle behaviours of 2495 PI adolescents at six secondary schools in Auckland, New Zealand (NZ), 77% of whom attend a church or other place of worship. The cross-sectional survey was undertaken in 2005. Structured individual interviews and anthropometric measurements were undertaken. RESULTS: Church attendees had a higher mean body mass index (BMI) compared with non-attendees (BMI 27.4 vs BMI 26.6), adjusted for age, gender and PI ethnicity (p=0.01). The weight status of attendees was associated with less healthy breakfast and lunch sources, lower levels of physical activity, and limited knowledge of the risk factors for obesity (p<0.05) DISCUSSION: Culturally appropriate and ethnic-specific weight management interventions, including monitoring and policy development programmes, are needed urgently to change pro-obesity lifestyle behaviours in PI adolescents and to avoid the burgeoning future obesity-related illnesses that would otherwise result. The church may be an important venue and change agent in the prevention of obesity for this population. KEYWORDS: Adolescents; church; health behaviors; obesity; Oceanic ancestry group; Pacific Islands 
ER  -

