3 research outputs found
Nutritional Quality Of The Lunches Of Children In Day Care In Osun State Of Nigeria
Food patterns and dietary quality in the early years of life are
usually determined by parents and other primary caretakers.
Unfortunately the diets commonly offered to young children are of low
quality and often lack variety, which is the key to specific nutrient
adequacy. They are usually of low energy and nutrient density and as a
result, multiple nutrient deficiencies are common in this age group.
This study investigated the nutritional quality of the lunches of
children in day care in Osun State of Nigeria. A structured interview
schedule was used to collect data from 180 mothers randomly selected
from the study area. Mothers were interviewed about their children's
eating habits, lunches and snacks packed for school. Descriptive
statistics, such as percentages and frequency, were used to describe
data. The results of the study revealed that 76% of the children ate
breakfast before going to school. Almost all (91%) mothers gave their
children lunch packs for school. The majority (72%) of the children
went to school with additional mid-morning snacks, such as biscuits and
pastries, and 12% took fruits. Few children (16%) did not take snacks
to school. The socio-economic status of mothers was also considered and
its effect on type of meal packed was examined. Results showed that
44.4% of the meals packed by mothers included carbohydrate-rich foods;
33.3% were partially balanced diets; and 22.3% packed a balanced meal
for the children. Lower class mothers (15%) gave carbohydrate-rich
food, while those of the middle class (21%) gave partially balanced
diets. The percentage of mothers that packed balanced meals was not
significantly different for the three socio-economic groups. It is
recommended that mothers should have access to nutrition information
about recommended dietary practices for children and should be educated
on how to use the four food plan group in planning meals for children
through nutrition education programmes