Association between lifestyle and height growth in high school students

Abstract

Introduction: An important indicator that plays a pivotal role in examining the health of individuals living in a community is their height. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between lifestyle and height among female high school students in Dezful, Iran. Methods: This research was a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study. Participants included 351 female high school students who were selected from public and private high schools in Dezful using random cluster sampling. Miller–Smith Lifestyle Assessment Inventory was used to collect data about students' lifestyles, and their height was measured based on self-report. Results: The total lifestyle score of the study participants was 52.23 ± 11.31. Also, 30.2%, 67.2%, and 2.6% of the students had high, moderate, and low lifestyle scores, respectively. A negative and significant relationship was observed between the total score of lifestyle and its components, that is, nutrition, sleep, exercise, and mental stress, and the height growth of female high school students in Dezful (P < 0.05) according to Pearson's correlation. Results of regression analysis showed that the total lifestyle score and its components could significantly predict the height growth of students. Conclusion: Our results are indicative of the relationship between lifestyle and its components with height growth among female high school students.