ERIC Number: EJ1188416
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2155-5834
EISSN: N/A
The Influence of "Westernization" on Nutrition and Physical Activity Behaviors of Adolescents in New Delhi, India: Are We Exporting an Epidemic of Obesity?
Harrell, Melissa; Ussery, Emily; Greene-Cramer, Blanche; Ranjit, Nalini; Sharma, Shreela V.
Journal of Applied Research on Children, v6 n2 Article 10 2015
Purpose: To examine the relationships between "westernization" and nutrition and physical activity behaviors among older adolescents in Delhi, India. These relations have not been explored, despite increasingly strong and pervasive socio-cultural influences from the West. Methods: Students (n=1818) in 8th and 10th grades in 4 Private (higher SES) and 4 Government (lower SES) schools in Delhi, India participated in a cross-sectional study. Height and weight were measured to determine weight status. Information on "westernization" and nutrition, physical activity, sedentary, and dieting behaviors was collected in a survey. The measure of "westernization" assessed 4 domains of culture on a bi-dimensional scale that focused on these young people's identification with Indian (a=0.86) and Western (a=0.81) ways of living. Mixed-effects regression models were used to investigate the association between "westernization," weight status, and health behaviors. Gender, school type (SES), and grade were evaluated as effect modifiers. Results: "Westernization" was not directly associated with weight status or BMI (p>0.500). However, adolescents' identification with Western ways of living was consistently related to both unhealthy (e.g., fast food consumption). Conclusions: The influence of "westernization" on nutrition and physical activity behaviors of older adolescents in Delhi, India is complex and not wholly negative, as might be hypothesized. (This work was presented in part at the Annual Meeting of the International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, on May 25, 2012.)
Descriptors: Nutrition, Physical Activity Level, Correlation, Health Behavior, Eating Habits, Body Weight, Secondary School Students, Case Studies, Foreign Countries, Social Influences, Cultural Influences, Body Height, Western Civilization, Identification (Psychology), Indians, Life Style, Gender Differences, Institutional Characteristics, Student Attitudes, Social Change, Obesity, Preferences, Language Usage, Mass Media, Indo European Languages, English (Second Language)
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: India
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A