Association of Screen Time-Based Sedentary Behavior, Food Intake Quality, and Physical Activity on Body Mass Index Among Filipino Adolescents

Abstract

Adolescent overweight and obesity remain global public health concerns, yet limited Philippine evidence exists on the combined influence of screen time-based sedentary behavior, food intake quality, and physical activity on body mass index (BMI). This study examined the association of these behaviors with BMI among Grade 8 students in a public secondary school in Misamis Oriental, Philippines. Guided by Social Cognitive Theory, Ecological Systems Theory, and Energy Balance Theory, the study used a descriptive–correlational design. A total of 246 students aged 13–15 were selected through computer-assisted simple random sampling. Data were collected using validated, contextualized self-report instruments—a Screen Time-Based Sedentary Behavior Survey, a 15-item Food Frequency Questionnaire, and a modified IPAQ–Short Form—together with directly measured height and weight for BMI, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson product–moment correlation, and multiple regression. Participants showed moderate levels of screen-based sedentary behavior (M = 3.21), food intake quality (M = 3.19), and physical activity, while mean BMI fell within the normal range (M = 19.58), classified using WHO BMI-for-age standards. Correlation and regression analyses indicated that screen time (r = 0.075, p = .239), food intake quality (r = 0.065, p = .306), and physical activity (all p > .05) were not significantly associated with BMI, and together did not significantly predict it, F(6, 239) = 0.888, p = .504. The findings suggest that adolescent weight status in this setting may be shaped by broader physiological, environmental, and socioeconomic factors beyond the measured behaviors, supporting an integrated, multi-factor approach to school health.