Recently, a study was done to compare the differences in nutritional intake and eating habits between students from urban and rural areas. In total, 280 middle school students ranging from 13 to16 in age were surveyed and examined on their nutritional...
Recently, a study was done to compare the differences in nutritional intake and eating habits between students from urban and rural areas. In total, 280 middle school students ranging from 13 to16 in age were surveyed and examined on their nutritional conditions and surroundings. In the urban regions, students with fathers employed as office workers outnumbered other occupations, and in the rural regions, students with fathers working in agriculture dominated the rest. Study of the mothers’occupation showed that most the urban mothers were housewives and rural mothers were involved in the agriculture field. The average weight and height of the male students examined was 54.1 kg and 162 cm in the urban regions, and 48.9 kg and 156.8 cm in the rural regions. With the female students, 48.9 kg and 155.7 cm was the average in the urban regions, and 49.7 kg and 152.1 cm in the rural regions. As it is shown, the students from the urban regions were in better physical state.
In the nutritionalintake study, all students lacked in Energy, Calcium, Iron, Vitamin-A and Vitamn-B2. In the rural regions, students showed deficiency in Calcium, Vitamin-A and Iron for female students with considerable differences to that of students in the urban regions. Energy intake for urban and rural male students were 78.4%and 80.8%, and for female students, 88.3%and 89.8%. Students from both regions lacked in Calcium with male and female students showing 58.7% and 64.0%. With Iron, female students from the urban regions showed 82.4% and students from rural regions showed 75.2% of the necessary intake.
Although there wasn’t a difference of nutrition intake in relation to the mothers’ occupations, studentswith knowledge in nutrition showed higher intake of Iron, hence showing the need of education in nutrition. With rural students getting most of their knowledge from the mass media and the internet, it is clear that nutrition education is needed in mass media and the internet in order to balance out the nutritional condition of students from both regions. Students in the rural regions eat saltier foods and are not accustomed to eating regularly. It is very important to use the media to inform these students on the importance of regular eating habits and the significance of having enough nutrition in their everyday diet.