ABSTRACT

This study assessed the nutrition knowledge, dietary habit and anthropometric status of senior secondary school students of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike (MOUAU). A cross-sectional study was conducted on 179 secondary school students at MOUAU senior secondary school. A simple random sampling method was adopted in selecting 179 students from SS1, SS2 and SS3 at MOUAU senior secondary school. A structured and validated questionnaire was used for the data collection. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation and significance was judged at p<0.05 using the Statistical Package for Socials Sciences SPSS version 20. The result showed that 52% were females and 48% were males. Many (63.7%) of the respondents were in their early adolescent age (10-14years) while 33.5% and 2.8% belong to mid-(14-17years) and late-adolescence (17-19years) age categories respectively. Most (65.96%) had a household size of 4-6 persons of which Christianity was their predominant religion (98.9%). Less than half (46.4%) of the respondents were from Abia state while some (28.5%) were from Imo state. Less than half (43%) of the students receive between N2, 000 – N4, 000 as monthly pocket money. Almost half (49.2%) of the students had fair nutritional knowledge score. However, 59% of the students skipped meals especially breakfast meals, (27.9%) and 8.9% skipped lunch and dinner respectively, while 41.3% did not skip meals. (56.4%) of the students had normal BMI (18.5 – 24.99kg/m²) while 34.6% were underweight (<18.49 kg/m²). Skin fold measurement showed the female students had higher risks for overweight and obesity which was revealed by their higher mean triceps and biceps skinfold scores (1.21±0.17 and 1.09±0.13, respectively) than their male counterparts (1.15±0.12 and 1.05±0.11, respectively). There is a significant relationship between meals skipped and snacking (p˂0.05).The study further revealed that a good percentage of the respondents were underweight. Their nutrition knowledge score was fair and had effect on their dietary pattern and daily number of meals. The findings showed that meal skipping, especially breakfast, was the main unhealthy dietary pattern among the respondents. This led them to consume more of snacks and this practice could eventually lead to overweight and obesity in future if not looked into by parents as well as their school authorities. In conclusion the significant association that erupted between snacking and skipping of meal shows that student should reduce skipping of meal of breakfast which was the major meal of the day skipped in order to reduce snacking as it impacts on their anthropometric status.