Nutritional Status, Breakfast and Snacks among Middle School Students in Ramsar City in Northern Iran in ۲۰۱۰

Background: Appropriate nutrition is an essential and important factor in student learning and educational achievement. Adolescent malnutrition may negatively affect the necessary cognitive abilities of students for learning and educational achievement.Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the nutritional status, breakfast, and snacking habits among middle school students in Ramsar in Northern Iran in ۲۰۱۰. Materials and Methods: In this cross sectional descriptive analytical study, ۲۰۸ public middle school students were selected using cluster sampling. The data was collected by demographic profile questionnaire and HFFQ (Harvard’s Food Frequency Questionnaire) monthly consumption frequency questionnaire. The data was then analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics.Results: Based on the results of this study, the main food consumption frequency of the majority of samples (۵۶.۲%) was unfavorable. ۹۲.۸ percent of the samples had breakfast at home and ۹۶.۲ percent of them snacked at school. ۳۴.۱ percent of the participants in the study always consumed dairy products; ۱۰.۶ percent always consumed some kind of meat; ۱۳.۹ percent always consumed eggs; ۱۷.۴ percent always consumed vegetables; and ۳۴.۱ percent always consumed fruit. A significant relationship was found between the gender of participants and the frequency of milk consumption (p<۰.۰۲), meat consumption (p<۰.۰۰۰۱), egg consumption (p<۰.۰۰۴) and pickles consumption (p<۰.۰۴).Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate the necessity for focusing on the promotion of students’ nutritional status through the preparation of nutrition education programs for students and parents that are integrated into school curriculums.

Keywords:

Nutritional status , Dietary pattern , Breakfast , Snacking , Adolescent , Students