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Obesity in adolescents has been a severe public health problem in developing countries in recent years. This study aims to assess the differences in socioeconomic, nutrition knowledge, breakfast habits, body image, physical activity, smoking, total sleep quality and nutrient intake between obese and non-obese adolescents.

This cross-sectional study with 2,432 adolescents (16–18 years) was conducted at senior high schools in DKI Jakarta from January to November 2019. Body image, percent body fat, nutrition intake and physical activity variables were collected.

This study found that more than 30% of adolescents in DKI Jakarta were overweight and obese. Overall, adolescents have a 56.3% positive body image, participate in moderate-intensity physical activity (49.02%), and smoke was found at a rate of 6.9%. The average total sleep quality was 71.3% fair and nutrient intakes 1599 ± 413 calories. The findings suggest that monthly income (p = 0.001, p = 0.016), energy intake (p = 0.005, p = 0.019) and total sleep quality (p = 0.008, p = 0.04) variables were consistently associated with nutritional status and percent body fat. Moreover, the body image perception (p = 0.035) variable had a negative correlation with nutritional status, and the smoking habits variable (p = 0.001) had a negative correlation with percent body fat.

This study provides empirical evidence that establishes the association between monthly income, energy intake, total sleep quality with nutritional status and body fat percentage in adolescents.

This study aims to examine the relationship between muscle strength, eating index and blood pressure in adolescent girls. Growing studies show earlier onset of hypertension in youth. The prevalence may deteriorate during the COVID-19 pandemic due to unhealthy behavioral changes. Muscle mass (MM) is reported to be associated with blood pressure (BP), but there are limited studies that observed the relationship between the functional properties of muscle (muscle strength [MS]), healthy eating index (HEI) and BP.

This cross-sectional study involved 499 girls aged 15–18 years. HEI was generated from a 24-h food recall. MM and body fat (BF) were measured by bioelectrical impendence analysis (BIA), and MS and BP were measured by hand grip and Tensimeter, respectively. Multiple linear tests were performed to obtain an adjusted model.

Almost five out of 100 girls had high BP (4.8%) and a good diet (4%). The majority of them had desirable MM (75.9%) and low MS (50.1%). HEI negatively and MS are positively associated with systolic blood pressure (SBP). The inclusion of MM in the model diminished the association between MS and SBP completely. After adjustment for age and BF, only MM (ß = 0.19, 95% CI = 0.35, 0.95) was associated with SBP. HEI was inversely (ß = −0.16, 95% CI = −0.31, −0.09) whereas MM (ß = 0.13, 95% CI = 0.11, 0.53) was positively associated with diastolic BP.

Studies associating MM or MS with better physical performance and metabolic health are mostly reported in the elderly; current finding contributes to the lack of literature and implies the importance of examining those associations at a younger age.

HEI and MM are associated with young girls’ BP in different directions. Healthy eating and engagement in activities to optimize muscle function should be promoted in adolescent girls to alleviate the risk of getting cardiovascular disease.