MEAL SKIPPING PATTERN AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ABIA STATE
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CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
The sub region’s youth and young adults coexist with all forms of malnutrition due to strong evidence that many young people have abandoned the nutritious indigenous diets in favor of more westernized and refined diets (Popkin, 2014). (Otuneye et al., 2017; Nzeagwu and Akagu, 2017; Al-Shehri et al., 2017; WHO, 2018). Young people frequently display eating habits and patterns that they developed as adolescents and are likely to carry into adulthood (Afolabi et al., 2013).
Numerous of these routines and eating habits are harmful to their general health and well-being (Afolabi et al., 2013). When on a school campus, it’s common to consume more soft drinks, sugar-sweetened beverages, fast food, and convenience meals while engaging in less physical activity (Afolabi et al., 2013; Pendergast, 2016; Al-Shehri et al., 2Q\T). Meal skipping is a common eating behavior that is known to be connected to these unhealthy eating habits (Afolabi et al., 2013; Omage and Omuemu, 2018; May et al, 2019).
The West African sub-region has a long history of meal skipping, especially among adolescents and undergraduate students who are still enrolled in school (Nzeagwu and Akagu, 2011; Onyiriuka et al., 2013; Ackuaku – Dogbe and Abaidoo, 2014; Otuneye et al., 2017; Omage and Omuemu, 2018). Young people’s meal skipping prevalence varies greatly between countries and sub-regions (Pendergast, 2016).
Secondary school pupils have reported rates as high as 71.9% in Ghana (Ackuaku-Dogbe and Abaidoo, 2014), 66% in Najran, Saudi Arabia (Al-Shehri et al., 2017), 57% in Riyadh (Abdel-Megeid, 2011), and 56% in southern Nigeria (Omage and Omuemu, 2018). Afolabi et al. (2013), Pendergast et al. (2016), Omage and Omuemu (2018), busy schedules, weight management, financial restrictions, lack of cooking skills, weak appetite, and school expectations are some of the reasons why young people, especially secondary school students, are inclined to skip meals.
Meal skipping has been shown to be associated with consumption of food of low nutritional value, reduced intake of fruits and vegetables and increased intake of high-calorie diet, sweetened beverages, alcoholic beverages, refined sugars, snacks and fast foods with high fat and sodium content (Pendergast, 2016; Kelishadi et al., 2017; Rodrigues^ 2017). It has been documented to be associated with overweight and obesity in a study among adolescents in West Java, Indonesia (Augustina et al., 2020).
This habit of meal skipping has the tendency of meeting young people’s immediate hunger needs but exposing them to malnourishment and increased risk of developing non-communicable diseases particularly obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure (Rodrigues, 2017; Nas et al., 2017; St-Onge et a/., 2017). Breakfast is widely acknowledged to be the most important meal of the day. It can be defined as the first meal eaten in the day before performing daily activities (Carol, 2016).
The Department of Agriculture in the United States of America has stated that breakfast meal should contribute at least 10% of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for energy and should provide foods from at least two of the following food groups: grains, low fat dairy products, fruits, vegetables, lean meats, nuts, seeds, and legumes (Lauren et al.,2015). Skipping meals especially, breakfast incidence is increasingly basic among young adult and adolescence than older adult. Besides, it is generally common among adolescents and adult students in several countries (Gardner et al., 2016 and Sakurai et al., 2017). (Taha and Rashed 2017) mentioned that, numerous young adult students skip breakfast meal for several causes such as; they do not have enough time in the morning, they do not care for conventional breakfast foods, and they are ignoring the significance of breakfast meal. In addition, less appetite in the morning, financial constraints, worries about weight and body image as well as lower parental academic level have been considered others causes for skipping breakfast (Scholey et al., 2019).
Unhealthy diet habit established during adolescence can extend to adulthood. The rapid changes in physical growth and psychological development place adolescents as a nutritionally vulnerable group with malign eating behaviour. Given the importance of this life stage in the development of long-term health behaviours and the high prevalence of poor eating behaviours in this population group, there is need to understanding the correlates of breakfast skipping and nutritional status in order to initiate public health strategies and dietary interventions. In the light o fthis, this study seeks to access the meal skipping patter (skipping breakfast) on nutritional status of adolescents (10-19 years) in selected secondary schools in Abia State.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Meal skipping has been one of the most salient habits among students (both secondary and tertiary) that has been neglected for some time and this have had a tremendous effect on the academic performance and wellbeing of students. Meal skipping is a habit associated with the dietary pattern of an individual most especially adolescent and young adults in secondary schools and tertiary institutions. To this effect, it becomes a phenomenon that has a negative effect on the students; ranging from stunted growth, loss weight and poor academic performance. How can this syndrome be checked and addressed? The purpose of this study becomes to ascertain the dietary pattern of secondary school student, reasons of skipping meals as it relates to their socio-demographic status and their anthropometric indices of the students in public secondary schools in Abia State; the need of healthy balance diet and adequate dietary intake.
It will also enlighten them on the need of the avoidance and prevention of meal skipping especially breakfast and motivate them on the need of taking breakfast and maintaining good and healthy dietary pattern and also on the danger of skipping meals and its avert effects on their wellbeing and academic performances. To parents, the findings from the present study will educate parents and guidance of the students on the need of better upbringing, caregiving and adequate attention of their wards in relation to their dietary pattern and eating habits so as to improve and maintain the health status of their wards for a better academic performance and cognitive reasoning.
It will educate the parents on the need to prevent their children from skipping meals at home before going to school and for the provision of adequate and well balanced meal for the students so as to increase their good health and better academic performance. To the teacher, the findings from this present study will help create awareness of the growing trend of meal skipping among students and to create means of curbing the surging trend among secondary school students.
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