Food intake and meal pattern of adolescents in school in Ila Orangun, south-west Nigeria

Objective: This study was designed to assess the food intake and describe the meal pattern of adolescents attending public secondary schools in Ila Orangun, south-west Nigeria.Design: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study that used a pretested, interviewer-administered, semi-structured questionnaire to collect information on sociodemographic data. A food frequency questionnaire and 24-hour dietary recall was used to collect information on food intake and meal patterns.Setting: The setting was Ila Orangun town, located in Osun State in south-west Nigeria.Subjects: The sample (n = 302) comprised adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 years, attending public schools.Outcome measures: Socio-demographic characteristics, meal patterns, food intake and frequency of consumption were assessed. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis, and chi-square to test for any association between the variables.Results: The daily energy intake was higher than that recommended in 66% of the adolescents, carbohydrate intake higher in 62%, and fat and protein intake lower in 51% and 42%, of the adolescents, respectively. Low iron intake was significantly higher in females than in males (p-value < 0.05). One third (38%) skipped breakfast, and while the majority consumed supper, most participants ate snacks instead of lunch. A large proportion consumed fruit and vegetables, as well as milk and milk products, infrequently. The proportion of females who missed breakfast was significantly higher than that of the males (p-value < 0.05).Keywords: school adolescents, food intake, meal patter