Nutritional Status and Feeding Practices among Primary School Children in Anambra State

Abstract

This study seeks to assess the nutritional status and feeding practices among primary school pupils in Anambra State. Two research questions guided the study. A descriptive survey design was used for the study. The population of the study comprised all primary school pupils aged 6-12 years in public primary schools in Anambra State. The sample size was 480 pupils aged 6-12 years selected through multistage sampling procedure. Data collection was collected using a self-structured questionnaire constructed by the researcher titled Nutritional Status and Feeding Practices among Primary School Children (NSFPS and anthropometric measurements. The questionnaire instrument was validated by three experts. The questionnaire was pretested on 20 pupils from a non -participating .school.  Cronbach Alpha was used to test the reliability of the instruments, which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.80. Five trained research assistant administered the questionnaires to obtain information from the pupils. Anthropometric measurements were taken using standardized techniques. Height was measured with a portable Stadiometer to the nearest 0.1cm with children standing upright without shoes. Weight was taken using a digital weighing scale to the nearest 0.1kg with children wearing light clothing. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Nutritional status was assessed by converting height and weight measurements into Z scores using the WHO AnthroPlus software. This study revealed that malnutrition remains a significant health burden among school children in Anambra State considering its high prevalence. Findings of the study also revealed that poor feeding practices were common among the pupils. Based on the findings, it was recommended that Ministry of Health should introduce Nutrition education programs in all primary schools to improve knowledge of pupils’ feeding best practices among parents, teachers and pupils among others.