A comparative study of food consumption pattern among public and private primary school children in Ojodu Local Government Area, Lagos State, Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Family Practice.

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Date
2017-01-01
Authors
Olatona, F.A.
Amu, E.O.
Deji, S.A.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Nigerian Journal of Family Practice
Abstract
Introduction: Adequate nutrition in school-age children is of paramount importance to their health and plays a significant role in their growth and development. The pattern of food consumption is a reflection of their nutrition. Objective: The study assessed the food consumption pattern among primary school children in Ojodu Local Government Area, Lagos Nigeria. Methodology: The study employed a cross-sectional descriptive design. A pre-tested, interviewer-administered, structured questionnaire was used to elicit information from 206 pupils who were recruited by multi-stage sampling method from public and two private primary schools in Ojodu Local Government Area (LGA), Lagos State, Nigeria. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: The majority of respondents consumed rice in both the public (63.1%) and private (71.8%) schools. Those from the private schools significantly consumed more meat, fish, beans, bread, noodles, and snacks; than those of their public school counterparts (p <0.05). The majority of respondents in both public 50(48.5%) and private 46(44.7%) schools only consumed milk occasionally (p >0.05). The majority of respondents in both public 78(75.7%) and private 75(72.8%) schools ate fruits either once a week or occasionally (p> 0.05). The majority of respondents in the public 78(75.7%) and private 81(78.6%) schools ate vegetables either once a week or occasionally (p> 0.05). Conclusion: Pupils in private primary schools consumed more protein foods than those in public schools. However, pupils in both categories of schools do not consume enough milk, fruits, and vegetables.
Description
Scholarly articles
Keywords
food consumption pattern , Public , Private , Diet , Primary School Children , Nutrition , Research Subject Categories::MEDICINE
Citation
Amu EO, Olatona FA, Deji SA. A comparative study of food consumption pattern among public and private primary school children in Ojodu Local Government Area, Lagos State, Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Family Practice. 2017: 8 (2): 65-70.