Understanding the effect of nutritional knowledge, dietary intake, physical activity and assessing the anthropometric measurements of Dlangezwa high school learner's.
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Date
2022
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Abstract
The purpose of the study was to understand the effect of nutritional knowledge on physical
activity, dietary intake, and anthropometric measurements in high-school learners. The study
further underscored the value of healthy eating habits and nutritional education in relation to
adolescents' overall health. The aim of the study was to understand the high school learners'
nutritional awareness, determine their dietary consumption, assess their anthropometric
measurements, and analyze whether high school girls are physically active or less active.
A total of 202 survey questionnaires were administered to teenage girls, from grade 10 to 12,
who were purposefully selected to participate in the study. In-depth interviews were undertaken
with various learners in order to evaluate their food consumption and dietary habits. We
measured weight and height to determine body mass index (BMI). The growth reference data
chart for ages 5 to 19 from the World Health Organization (WHO) was used to assess the
weight classification of learners. Inference about the collected data was made using the
Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).
The findings of the study showed that there was a strong association between age and food
group consumption (p < 0.001), which indicates that age has a significant effect on diverse
food intake. Hence, it was noted that, as the learner's age increases, their food consumption
also increases. It is noteworthy that the intake of healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables
was noticeably poor for all the grades. With regard to consumption percentage, spinach and
amaranth leafy vegetables were consumed at a rate below 2%, while consumption of vitamin
A-rich vegetables such as butternut, carrot, beetroot, etc., was at a rate less than 5% amongst
all the learners. Other vegetables, like cabbage and eggplant, were eaten at a rate of less than
30%.
The intake of sugar from chocolate, candy, and fizzy drinks such as soda and tonic water was
significantly high for all learners. In general, confectionary sugar intake was 85% of all grades.
Also, the rate of fat consumption by learners ranged from 48% to 72%, with grades 10 and 12
having the highest percentage of fat consumption, ranging around 72% and 53%, respectively.
From the results of the study, it could be stipulated that learners studying in lower grades, such
as grade 10 learners, have better nutrition knowledge and dietary intake when compared to
grade 12 learners. Body Mass Index (BMI) measurements indicated that the majority of
learners are overweight, which was positively linked to the age of the learners at 25 kg/m2 or
higher for females aged 0 to 19 years.
The research found that as the age of learners or grade level increased, so did their BMI. The
involvement of learners in all physical activities was tracked, and the percentage of
participation was generally low in all grades, ranging from 1–26%. Physical activity
participation, duration, and frequency all decrease as grade level rises. Generally, it could be
inferred that as far as age is concerned, teenagers are at risk of becoming overweight and obese
because they are not vigilant about their diets, so they eat high-fat content foods and sugary
foods. On the other hand, the students consumed fewer fruits and vegetables and were not
physically active. The findings reveal prevalent nutrition awareness in the grades, but also
found a higher proportion of overweight students than is recommended. Programs from the
government, community, and parents are required to encourage adolescent girls to improve
their diet, level of physical activity, and weight control.
Description
Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.