NUTRITIONAL HABITS, NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLE IN ADOLESCENTS IN THE AREA OF VINKOVCI

Sa？etak Introduction: Nutrition is one of the most important factors in human life, as well in development and health. Proper election of groceries and proper nutrition are essential for maintaining health, for mental and physical development, as well as for maximizing the work of each organ and the whole organism. Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the nutritional status, dietary and lifestyle habits of adoles-cents in the area of Vinkovci, along with the connection between them. The aim was also to test if there is a difference between the nutritional status, dietary habits and healthy lifestyle based on the sex the participants. Methods: The study included 105 adult students of ？Zdravstvena i veterinarska ？kola dr. Andrije ？tampara” from Vinkovci. The data were collected by means of anonymous questionnaires. The study was approved by the ethical committee of the school. Results: The participants were mostly female, with an average age of 18.6 years, a height of 171.3 cen-timeters, and an average weight of 64.4 kilograms, with a body mass index (BMI) of 22.1, or ideal body weight. The arithmetic mean of BMI was higher for male respondents (M = 23.1593, SD = 2.96949) compared to female respondents (M = 21.7013, SD = 2.96949). A significantly higher proportion of respondents eat three or more times a day (p <0.001), and eat a cooked meal daily (p <0.001), consumes fast food once a week (p <0.001) and consume meat several times a week (p <0.001). <0.000), and sometimes exercise (p <0.001). A significantly higher proportion of respondents stated that they did not consume cigarettes (p <0.001), a greater proportion claimed that they consumed alcohol sometimes (p <0.000), or several times a month (p <0.001). sleeping is 7 to 9 hours a day, and practicing daily rest after a school day (p <0.001). Conclusion: Most of the participants have good eating habits, adequate body weight. Male participants have significantly higher BMI than female participants, while they are more physically active and have better sleeping habits than female participants