ABSTRACT
Objective@#To understand the current situation of food intake frequency among schoolage children in agricultural and pastoral areas of Qinghai Province, and to provide a scientific basis for local education departments and schools to formulate scientific nutrition improvement plans and measures.@*Methods@#A multi stage stratified cluster random sampling method was used to select 969 fourth and fifth grade primary school students from 10 primary schools in Hainan Autonomous Prefecture, Haixi Autonomous Prefecture and Haidong City. All the participants were investigated with a questionnaire survey of dietary behaviors.@*Results@#For the fourth and fifth grade primary school students, the highest proportion of "eaten almost every day" were cereal and tuber ( 84.3 %) and fruits (44.6%), and the highest proportion of "barely eaten" was aquatic product (68.1%) and nutritious supplementary (45.9%). The intake of livestock meat and poultry, fishery products, beverages and nutritional supplements of boys was higher than that of girls（ Z =-2.46，-2.46，-2.43，-2.37， P ＜0.05）. The intake of livestock meat and poultry and snacks of fifth grade students was higher than that of fourth grade students, while the intake of fishery products was lower than that of fourth grade students（ Z = -2.66 ，-4.33，-2.65， P ＜0.05）.@*Conclusion@#The frequency of food intake varies among students of differences genders, grades, areas, boarding situation and urbanities. Relevant departments should improve nutrition improvement plans for school age children with different characteristics. Schools and families should carry out nutrition education works to cultivate healthy eating behaviors of students.
ABSTRACT
Objective@#To study the consumption of beverages among senior primary school students in rural and pastoral areas of Qinghai Province, China, in order to provide evidence for the development of nutrition and intervention strategies.@*Methods@#A multi stage stratified cluster random sampling method was employed to select 969 primary school students in grades 4 and 5 from 10 schools in Hainan Autonomous Prefecture, Haixi Autonomous Prefecture and Haidong City. All participants completed a questionnaire survey on daily beverage consumption. The Chi square test was performed to compare differences in reported rates of beverage consumption among students in different groups.@*Results@#The proportion of students who consumed beverages at home, school and elsewhere were 96.9%, 64.5% and 84.9%, respectively. The most popular beverages consumed at home were milk and yogurt ( 63.1 %), tea water (53.0%), and tea drinks (52.4%). The most popular beverages consumed at school were tea(29.8%), milk and yogurt (27.8%) and tea drinks (18.4%), while the most popular beverages consumed in other places were tea drinks ( 42.0 %), carbonated drinks (38.1%) and milk and yogurt (35.0%). The top five reasons for choosing a given beverage were taste delicious (81.2%), nutritious (57.6%),healthy and clean(52.6%),many students like to drink(39.6%),family members often drink(37.7%).@*Conclusion@#The consumption of beverages was popular among students, and sugared beverages represented a large proportion of the beverages consumed. Therefore, there is an urgent need to improve the food environment and provide effective nutrition education for students, so as to encourage the consumption of healthy beverages and cultivate healthy eating behaviors.
ABSTRACT
Objective@#To study the consumption of beverages among senior primary school students in rural and pastoral areas of Qinghai Province, China, in order to provide evidence for the development of nutrition and intervention strategies.@*Methods@#A multi stage stratified cluster random sampling method was employed to select 969 primary school students in grades 4 and 5 from 10 schools in Hainan Autonomous Prefecture, Haixi Autonomous Prefecture and Haidong City. All participants completed a questionnaire survey on daily beverage consumption. The Chi square test was performed to compare differences in reported rates of beverage consumption among students in different groups.@*Results@#The proportion of students who consumed beverages at home, school and elsewhere were 96.9%, 64.5% and 84.9%, respectively. The most popular beverages consumed at home were milk and yogurt ( 63.1 %), tea water (53.0%), and tea drinks (52.4%). The most popular beverages consumed at school were tea(29.8%), milk and yogurt (27.8%) and tea drinks (18.4%), while the most popular beverages consumed in other places were tea drinks ( 42.0 %), carbonated drinks (38.1%) and milk and yogurt (35.0%). The top five reasons for choosing a given beverage were taste delicious (81.2%), nutritious (57.6%),healthy and clean(52.6%),many students like to drink(39.6%),family members often drink(37.7%).@*Conclusion@#The consumption of beverages was popular among students, and sugared beverages represented a large proportion of the beverages consumed. Therefore, there is an urgent need to improve the food environment and provide effective nutrition education for students, so as to encourage the consumption of healthy beverages and cultivate healthy eating behaviors.