During adolescence, the nutritional needs are higher than at any other time in the
lifecycle. Childhood food practices persist into late adolescence and children's
food preferences predict their food consumption patterns. Therefore, it is
important to understand what influences their preferences and how they change
over time.
The main objective of this part of the THUSA BANA study was to investigate the
eating habits of children aged 10-15 years in the North West Province (NWP). A
cross-sectional design was used to investigate the eating habits of the children. A
single, random sample, stratified for gender (male/female) and ethnic group
(black, white, coloured, Indian) was drawn from schools (primary/secondary) in the
five regions in the NWP. Dietary intake data (24-h recall method) were used to
evaluate the adequacy of nutrient intakes, while frequencies and mean quantities
of food intakes and an eating habits questionnaire were used to establish patterns
of intake to identify dietary practices.
Overall the diets of children 10-15 years of age were deficient in various
micronutrients. The RD/Al's were not met for vitamin A, C, E, folate, pantothenic
acid, biotin, calcium, magnesium, zinc and copper. The intake of fibre was low.
Girls skipped breakfast more often than boys and children from informal
settlements skipped breakfast more often than children from rural and urban
areas. A significantly lower BMI was found for the children having breakfast
when observing all the children, but not for different age and gender groups. The
reason given most for skipping breakfast was not being hungry in the morning, but
food availability which may have also played a role. The skipping of breakfast
was associated with a lower diet quality. A low intake of fruit and vegetables and
high intake of snacks were apparent. The intake of snacks, such as chips,
cheese curls and sweets were reported more frequently than fruit or vegetables.
Small milk portions and large portions of cold drink were reported, suggesting that
cold drink is replacing milk in the diet. Overweight children consumed smaller
portions of milk, though no correlation between calcium intake and BMI was
found. Overweight boys consumed more carbonated cold drink and overweight
girls consumed more squash, showing cold drink intake may be positively related
to overweight. The snacks consumed were not nutrient dense and were
consumed very regularly. The high intake of snacks may contribute to the low
micronutrient and fibre intake. The importance of fruit, vegetables, milk, breakfast
and high nutrient dense snacks needs to be emphasized with both the children and their parents. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Dietetics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:NWUBOLOKA1/oai:dspace.nwu.ac.za:10394/1210 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Rossouw, Carina Riëtte |
| Publisher | North-West University |
| Source Sets | North-West University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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