Effect of Food Habits on the Nutritional Status of Adolescents
Abstract: This study was carried on 190 students (100 females and 90 males) aged13-18 years of a selected sample of preparatory and high school students in Helioples, Manial and Helwan zones to investigate the effect of food habits and nutritional behaviors on their nutritional status. Our study revealed that 44.2% of preparatory school students reported having breakfast, 31.2% of those had breakfast at home. While for high school students, only 40% had breakfast and 26.2% of them had breakfast at home. Mother education had strong correlation with eating breakfast at home. It is found that the daily macronutrients intake were significantly higher in males than females. The mean daily intake of both macro- and micronutrients were higher for breakfast consumers than for breakfast skippers. With respect to BMI, the results indicate that the underweight were 10.5% and the overweight were 13.7% of the total sample, upon studying some dietary habits of the students and their associations with BMI, it can noticed that 8.4% of overweight students do not eat breakfast at home, 9.5% eat fast foods, 12.6% have snacks, their fruit and vegetable frequency intake/week are much lower than that of normal weight students and their regular physical activity are also lower than normal weight students. Females consumed milk or dairy products more frequently than males, as for School level, preparatory school students consumed more dairy than high school students, but fruits and vegetables consumption were opposite as for gender and School level. It is found that there is positive correlation between dairy, fruit and vegetable intake and mother education. Also, there is a positive correlation between dairy, fruits and vegetables consumption and having the daily requirements of minerals and vitamins.
Publication year 2009
Pages 561-585
Organization Name
City Giza
serial title Journal of Biological Chemistry Environmental Sciences
Author(s) from ARC
Publication Type Journal
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