Nutrition Knowledge and Fast-Food Consumption of Selected Senior High School Students of Santa Rosa Science and Technology High School

Date

2021

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Nutrition

College

College of Human Ecology (CHE)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Anna Teresa O. Orillo, RND, MSc

Abstract

The Philippines, among other countries, showed an increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents. It is well-established that the nutrient intake and eating habits of adolescents are constantly changing as they are in the stage of life where independence is slowly being introduced, thus, affecting their experimenting behaviors when it comes to diet and eating lifestyle. This study investigated the association between socioeconomic status, nutrition knowledge, fast-food consumption, and nutritional status of adolescents. In this context, fast-food is defined as highly processed foods that are prepared and served in a quick service restaurant, while nutritional status is defined by the corresponding classification for BMI-for-age from the World Health Organization’s Child Growth Standards (CGS) for ages 5-19 years. To test the association of these factors to the nutritional status of adolescents, an online survey questionnaire was distributed to selected senior high school students from Santa Rosa Science and Technology High School. Participants were randomly selected from the list of overall senior high school students and responses were analyzed using Chi-Square Test of Independence and Phi Coefficient. The results showed a moderate association (φ = .1653) between fast-food consumption and nutritional status (X2 (1) = 3.2515, p = .071), while no association was found for socioeconomic status (X2 (1) = .0610, p = .805) and nutrition knowledge (X2 (1) = 4.1908e-31, p = 1). These results suggest that among the selected students, fast-food consumption, which directly affects body composition through nutrient intake, showed a significant association than external factors, such as socioeconomic status and nutrition knowledge. On this basis, factors that can be dealt with nutrition intervention and has a direct effect on the nutrient intake, such as food consumption, should be taken into account when studying associations with nutritional status of adolescents.

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

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