Body Mass Index (BMI), Nutritional Status, Dietary and Physical Activity Pattern of Preparatory School Age Children (11-14 Years) of Selected UNISCO Affiliated Schools
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- Category: Vol. 80, March 2012
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Body Mass Index (BMI), Nutritional Status, Dietary and Physical Activity Pattern of Preparatory School Age Children (11-14 Years) of Selected UNISCO Affiliated Schools,SAFAA E. TAWFIK, NEBAL A. ABOUL ELLA and WAFAA A. FAHMY
Abstract
Background: The lifestyle of children is susceptible to rapid changes and these my affect the nutritional status of children.
Objectives: To provide information on body mass index (BMI), nutritional status, dietary and physical activity pattern of 11-14 years old, preparatory school age children in 4 selected UNISCO affiliated schools in the urban areas of Cairo and Giza Governorates.
Material and Methods: This study was a part of Nutrition Education for school age adolescents in associated school UNISCO’s project network (ASPNET). It was carried out by team of the National Nutrition Institute in the year 2008. Cross-sectional descriptive study, where purposive non-probability sample was selected from four ASPNET Urban schools from four Educational directorates, two from Giza Governorate and two from Cairo Governorate. Total sample was 330 students equally distributed between selected schools, they were 148 male and 183 female and covered the age from 11-14 years. Pre designed questionnaire was used to collect information on gender, date of birth, dietary pattern and physical activity levels. The studied students were subjected to anthropometric and dietary assessments.
Results: Overweight and obese males accounted for 21.0% of the total sample while the percentage is mostly doubled among females to reach 40%. About half of the males consumed vegetables and half of females consumed fruits on daily basis. Nearly half of students consumed milk, yogurt and cheese daily. About one fourth of the students consumed effervescent drinks and about one third of them consumed tea daily. The median of caloric intake of overweight and obese children of the current study (3139.9 and 2941.9 calories respectively) is considered very high compared to recommend-ed daily estimated requirements. Almost one half of females and one third of males did not meet their requirements from Vitamin A, more than half of females (63.9%) consumed more than 100% of their adequacy of folic acid daily versus (45.6%) of males. Nearly half of males (49.7%) and females (59.0%) consumed less than 50% of their adequacy of vitamin C and about 30.6% of males versus 26.2% of females got <50% of vitamin E daily. About half of females versus one third of males got <50% of RDA of iron daily, in contrast more than two third of the sample meet the recommended daily require-ments for calcium and zink intake had exceeded the require-ments for age and sex in 75.5% of males and 79.8% of females. Of clinical importance is that Na consumption was >!120% RDA in 89.1% of females and in 82.3% of males. The current study reported that females spent more time in front of TV screen compared to males. With respect to physical activity, boys reported higher levels compared to girls. Females practice more safely regarding wrapping of sandwiches and almost all the students whether males and females practiced washing hands before food consumption.
Conclusion: A large percentage preparatory school children have a diet of low quality and inadequate physical activity. Poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyle are important risk factors in the emerging problems of obesity. Public health policy makers should urgently focus their attention to school children and design school health education programs that target the areas that need attention in order to reduce the burden of obesity and is related diseases.