Dietary pattern of schoolgoing adolescents in urban Baroda, India

• Published in: Journal of health, population and nutrition Vol. 31; no. 4; pp. 490 - 496
• Main Authors: Kotecha, P V, Patel, Sangita V, Baxi, R K, Mazumdar, V S, Shobha, Misra, Mehta, K G, Mansi, Diwanji, Ekta, Modi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bangladesh BioMed Central Ltd 01.12.2013; BioMed Central; International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena - physiology; Adolescents; Adult; Breakfast; Child; Chocolate; Diet; Diet - methods; Diet - statistics & numerical data; Diet Surveys - methods; Diet Surveys - statistics & numerical data; Energy Intake - physiology; Feeding Behavior - physiology; Female; Food; Food and nutrition; Food Preferences - physiology; Health aspects; Healthy food; High school students; Humans; India; Male; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Nutrition; Original Papers; Sex Distribution; Students - statistics & numerical data; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teenagers; Urban areas; Urban Population - statistics & numerical data; Young Adult; India
• ISSN: 1606-0997; 2072-1315

Diet plays a very important role in growth and development of adolescents, during which the development of healthy eating habits is of supreme importance. There is a dual burden of undernutrition and overnutrition in this age-group. The study assessed the food habits, food preferences, and dietary pattern of schoolgoing urban adolescents in Baroda, India. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used in this study. A quantitative survey was carried out using a pre-tested self-administered structured questionnaire among 1,440 students from class 6 to 12 in 7 English medium and 23 Gujarati medium schools. Focus group discussions, 5 each with adolescent boys and girls, were held, along with 5 focus group discussions with teachers of Gujarati and English medium schools. Nearly 80% of adolescents had consumed regular food, like dal, rice, chapati, and vegetables, including green leafy vegetables. Nearly 50% of them had consumed chocolates, and about one-third consumed fast foods. Nearly 60% of adolescents had their breakfast daily while the remaining missed taking breakfast daily. Nearly one-third of adolescents were missing a meal once or twice a week. A large majority had consumed regular foods. However, more than half of them had consumed chocolates, soft drinks, and over one-third had taken fast foods.