Determinants of food choice and body mass index among rural and urban adolescents: a case of Arusha and Arumeru districts
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Date
2011
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Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
This study was conducted in Arumeru District and Arusha Municipality to represent rural
and urban areas respectively. The main objective of the study was to determine factors that
influence food choice and Body Mass Index among rural and urban adolescents. A cross-
sectional research design was used to collect data. Respondents’ selection was done using
multistage, purposive and simple random sampling. Pre-tested questionnaire was used to
interview sampled 278 male and female adolescents. Height and weight measurements
were taken from the interviewed adolescents. Descriptive and inferential statistical
analyses were carried out using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version
12.0. W1 lO-AnthroPhis software was used to compute BMI-for-age (Z-score) and the
mean ±SD was 0.46 ±1.20. The study revealed that education level of the mother,
nutrition/healthy benefits and taste of the food were the major determinants of
respondents’ food choice. The statistical difference (P < 0.001) was found between the
preferred food (from globalized/exotic food) and residence.
These respondents usually
consumed types of food from traditional/local food, no significant difference (P< 0.05)
was found between rural and urban adolescents. However more respondents (93.2%) ate
globalizcd/exotic foods than traditional/local foods (5%) as snacks. Factors that affect
nutrition status of respondents are education level of parents/guardians, socioeconomic
status, sex and residence. Prevalence of overweight/obese adolescents was higher in urban
(19.0%) than rural (1.5%) adolescents and in female (15.2%) than male (5.3%)
adolescents. The significant difference (P <0.05) was found in the awareness and attitude
towards globalized or exotic foods between urban and rural adolescents. It is
recommended from this study that the responsible authority should emphasize on nutrition
education to the public and schools so as to build a healthy nation.
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Thesis
Keywords
Food choice, Body mass index, Urban adolescents