OBJECTIVES

To determine relationship between health behaviour and body mass index (BMI) in a Serbian adult population.

METHODS

Study population included adults aged 20 and more years. A stratified, two-stage national representative random sampling approach was used for the selection of the survey sample.

RESULTS

Regarding BMI, out of the 12,461 subjects of both sexes, 2.4 % were underweight, 36.5 % overweight and 22.4 % obese. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that both in men and women, risk factors for obesity were former smoking, irregular eating breakfast and low physical activity level, while in women only risk of obesity was associated with alcohol consumption. In both sexes, risk factors for overweight were former smoking and low physical activity level, and in women additionally those were alcohol consumption, irregular eating breakfast, always adding salt to meals and consumption of 2-4 portions of fruit daily. Smoking and irregular eating of breakfast in men were risk factors for underweight.

CONCLUSIONS

Physical activity, alcohol consumption, smoking, irregular breakfast consumption, adding salt to meals, frequency of vegetable and fruit consumption were related to BMI in adult Serbian population.