ABSTRACT

This study investigated Assessment Food Consumption Pattern of Health Workers in Umuahia North LGA of Abia State using five research objective; assessing the socio-demographic and economic characteristics of health workers in Umuahia; determining the dietary habit among health workers in Umuahia; evaluating the state of consumption pattern among health workers in Umuahia and determining the feeding behaviour of health workers in Umuahia North LGA. Descriptive survey research design was used through administration of questionnaire to obtain information from the communities. Probability and Non-probability sampling technique was used to ascertain the population of the study. Purposive sampling was used to select five out of the ten autonomous communities from which 168 respondents was selected. The result found out that majority of the respondents are female (53%), single (50%), are within the age of 24 – 29 (39.9%), majority of the respondents (106, 63.1%) had Bachelor’s degree and majority of the health workers in the study area are Nurse (57, 33.9%). Food consumption frequency result showed that root and tuber (3.04 and 2.84 respectively) is majorly consumed by health workers. The study thus concludes that that being busy with hectic work schedules may lead to unusual patterns and barriers to proper nutrition which encourages the establishment of unhealthy dietary practices during this stage thereby may increase the risk of chronic disease later in life and recommends a more thorough analysis such as a qualitative research study which will strengthen quantitative assessments as health pre-professionals progress into their future careers. It is important that they become role models for the health practices they preach. Not only will they feel more competent within their own field, but they will gain creditability with their clients.