Evaluation of nutrition for lithuanian children of 9th and 11th clases

Public health (nutrition) Evaluation of nutrition for lithuanian children of 9th and 11th classes Justina Stankevičiūtė Supervisor Asta Garmienė Phd. Kaunas Medicine Univercity, Faculty of Public Health, Department of Prophylaxe Medicine, Kaunas 2010 Aim of the study: Evaluate the nutrition habbits for lithuanian children of 9th and 11th classes and quality of nourishment in schools. Objectives: 1. Analize the nutrition habbits for pupils and evaluate their changes in 2005 – 2009 years. 2. Identify the ways of nutrition for children. 3. Evaluate the assortment of food, provided in school canteens and quality of nourishment services in children perspective. Methods of research. Research was made in questionnaire survey method, where 9th and 11th classes children nutrition was evaluated. Reasearch was made in 2009 from March to April in 26 municipalities of Lithuania, that belong to Alytus, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Marijampolė, Panevėžys, Šiaulai, Utena and Vilnius. 7763 children took part in the survey, also it was compared to similar survey, that was made in 2004 – 2005, on purpose to identify the changes of children nutition habbits. Part of the questions were used to find out the socio-demographic data (sex, age, class, in which the pupil is studying, living place), the other group of questions was aimed to determine the frequency of consumption for specific foods. The quality of children nourishion was also analyzed. The statistical analysis of the data received was made with „SPSS 16 for Windows“ program. Results. The survey has revealed, that 42,8% of children eat fruit almost every day. Statistically significant diffrences were found between frequency of girls and boys fruit consumption: girls from both 9th and 11th classes eat fruits every day more frequently than boys. Vegetables were consumed by one third (33,2%) of children surveyed. Girls from both 9th and 11th classes consumed vegetables more often than boys (χ2=8,3, p=0,004). Almost half (47,4%) of children surveyed ate sweets. Crisps were consumed by one third (30,6%) of the children. 33,9% of the children drank cocacola or similar drinks 2 – 3 or more times per week. Conclusions. Nutrition of Lithuanian children is not healthy enough: children consumed recomended products for healthy nutrition too seldom. Significant part of children chose produts, that are not recomended for healthy nutrition. From 2004 to 2009, children nutrition has a tendency to improve: there was increase of children, daily consuming vegetables in 3%, decrease of children daily consuming crisps in 3,8%, 7,7% decrease of children drinking cola or similar drinks, 5,7% decrease of children consuming alcohol. Change of other foods consumption was not so significant. Types of children nutrition on schooldays were various: around two thirds (69,6%) of children had their breakfast at home. More than one third (39,2) of children had their breakfast or lunch at school. In children point of view the assortment of foods in school canteens was insufficient: almost half (45,4% of boys and 49,7% of girls) of the children weren‘t satisfied by the assortment of dishes proposed in the menu, also foods sold in school canteens that are not recomended for healthy nutrition