Associations between lifestyle patterns and body mass index in a sample of Greek children and adolescents.

Background: Although eating and physical activity behaviors have been previously individually investigated with regard to overweight in children, multidimensional lifestyle patterns, based on these behaviors, have not been explored.

Objective: To assess lifestyle patterns in relation to body mass index (BMI), in a nationally representative sample of the Greek pediatric population

Design: Cross-sectional study. Data were collected from May through July 2007.

Adherence rates to the Mediterranean diet are low in a representative sample of Greek children and adolescents.

Data from studies in pediatric samples exploring adherence to the Mediterranean diet are scarce. The aim of the present work was to explore adherence to a Mediterranean diet pattern in a representative sample of Greek children and adolescents. The study sample (n = 1305, 3-18 y) was representative of the Greek pediatric population in terms of sex and age.