The Food and Nutrition Environment at Secondary Schools in the Eastern Cape, South Africa as Reported by Learners

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Alice P OkeyoNelia P Steyn

Abstract

Overweight and obesity are growing concerns in adolescents, particularly in females in South Africa. The aim of this study was to evaluate the food and nutrition environment in terms of government policy programs, nutrition education provided, and foods sold at secondary schools in the Eastern Cape province. Sixteen schools and grade 8-12 learners (N = 1360) were randomly selected from three health districts comprising poor disadvantaged communities. Based on age and sex specific body mass index (BMI) cut-off values, 13.3% of males and 5.5% of females were underweight, while 9.9% of males and 36.1% of females were overweight or obese. The main food items purchased at school were unhealthy energy-dense items such as fried flour dough balls, chocolates, candies, and crisps/chips. Nutrition knowledge scores based on the South African food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) were poor for 52% to 23.4% learners in Grades 8 to 12, respectively. Female learners generally had significantly higher nutrition knowledge scores compared to their male counterparts (p = 0.016). Questions poorly answered by more than 60% of learners, included the number of fruit and vegetable portions required daily, food to eat when overweight, foods containing ...Continue Reading

References

Jan 30, 2004·European Journal of Clinical Nutrition·A C Bell, B A Swinburn
Mar 15, 2006·The Future of Children·Mary StorySimone French
Jan 24, 2014·The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity·Rebecca M LeechAnna Timperio
Feb 19, 2015·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Alwyn S ToddAndrew P Hills
Jan 10, 2017·Annual Review of Public Health·Nicole D FordK M Venkat Narayan

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Statistical Package for Social Science ( SPSS )

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