Zeitschrift für Ernährung und Lebensmittelwissenschaften
Offener Zugang
ISSN: 2155-9600
ISSN: 2155-9600
Yusuf Olayinka Latifat*, Sanni SA
Poor nutrition and physical inactivity among students in schools affect students’ life-quality and affect productivity nationally. The purpose of this study is to assess the nutritional knowledge, diet diversity and physical activity of selected secondary school students in Sagamu local government area of Ogun state. A multistage stratified random sampling technique was used to select 401 respondents. Nutritional knowledge, diet diversity and physical activity was assessed using a nutritional knowledge questionnaire, diet diversity questionnaire and physical activity questionnaire for children and adolescents (PAQ-C and PAQ-A) respectively. The data analysis was done using statistical package for social science SPSS, version 23. The statistical analysis involved a descriptive analysis of frequencies, percentages and association between variables. The result showed most of the participants was majorly (99%) adolescents, in which 67.8% were females. Most (75%) of respondent’s mothers are traders, while 57.6% fathers are businessmen. Very few (1%) of the students had poor diet diversity score. The food group mostly eaten by the students was cereal group followed by root and tubers. The least eaten was the meat food group. 55.4% of the respondents had good nutrition knowledge score. Only few (8%) of the respondents had low physical activity score. The students had good nutritional knowledge, good diet diversity and moderate physical activity. Therefore, nutrition education and outdoor physical education should be added to the students curriculum. Parents and students should get involve in home gardening and livestock rearing to improve diet diversity and food security and to encourage parents to give their children more proteinous meal, for children growth and development both intellectually and physically.