Evaluation of Dietary Patterns among Primary School Children in Al-Hilla City, Iraq
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46649/nzf5me32Keywords:
Dietary patterns, Nutritional status, Primary school children.Abstract
Background: Healthy dietary patterns during childhood are essential for proper growth and prevention of non-communicable diseases. Primary school children are particularly vulnerable to poor dietary habits due to various social and environmental influences. The aim of this study is to assess the eating habits of pupils in Al-Hillah city and to identify some demographic and socioeconomic factors that influence eating habits.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 2,295 pupils from 26 randomly selected public and private primary schools in Al-Hilla. A structured and validated questionnaire, including a 12-item Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), was used to assess dietary habits. A three-point Likert scale was used to rate the responses, which were then divided into three categories: good, fair, and bad conduct. SPSS version 29 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Overall assessment of dietary behaviors was generally fair (80%), with 19% classified as good and only 1% as poor; while healthy behaviors like regular breakfast and fruit & vegetable intake were common, high eating of unhealthy items such as fast foods, chips, sugary foods, and soft drinks persisted. Dietary behavior is significantly associated with school type (p=0.009), father’s occupation (p=0.01), and mother’s occupation (p=0.02).
Conclusion: Most primary school children in Al-Hilla exhibited fair dietary behaviors, with a minority showing good or poor practices. School type and parental occupations were significant influencers of dietary patterns.
Recommendation: Interventions targeting the school environment and family context are recommended to improve children’s nutritional habits.
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