Dietary Patterns and Nutritional Status of School-Aged Children in Osogbo Local Government

Abstract

Background: Despite the increase in the vulnerability of school aged children especially those in public schools due to socio-economic challenges, national focus has been on under-five children. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the nutritional status and dietary patterns of 393 public primary school pupils aged (5-10 years), comprising 175 male and 218 females in Osogbo local government of Osun State.  The specific objectives of this study were to evaluate the dietary habit of the respondents, assess the anthropometry measurements of the respondents, and assess the correlation between the dietary patterns and nutritional status of respondents.  A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on the food consumption patterns of the pupils, while a weighing scale and a stadiometer was used to collect information to obtain their weights and heights. Results: The study revealed that 55.5% of the female and 44.5% of the male ate three meals daily. This study also shows that 48.3% were underweight, 43.0% normal weight and 8.7% were overweight. A significant association was found between dietary patterns and nutritional status of school-aged children. Conclusion: The study highlights a high rate of undernutrition among school-aged children in Osogbo, driven by poor dietary diversity and excessive carbohydrate intake. Urgent, multifaceted interventions are needed to combat malnutrition among school-aged children, including reinstating the school feeding programme, integrating nutrition education, promoting dietary diversity, and addressing socio-economic and cultural barriers.