Investigating The Eating Patterns Of Junior High School Adolescents In The Mfantseman Municipality

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the nutritional status of Junior High School (JHS) adolescents in Saltpond Township of the Mfantseman Municipality. Three research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. The study employed a quantitative approach with a descriptive survey research design. A simple random sampling was used to select six schools from ten schools and Purposive sampling was used to select 289 participants comprising 102 males and 187 females. A closed ended questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. The data was analysed with descriptive statistics (frequency counts and percentages), inferential statistics (two sample t-test) whiles some data was presented in pictorial form (bar chart). The study found that JHS adolescents in Saltpond Township did not eat balanced diet; they had inconsistent meal patterns; they had negative dietary preferences; there was no statistically significant difference between the gender of JHS adolescents in Saltpond Township and their balanced diet intake; and there was no statistically significant difference between gender and the dietary preferences of JHS adolescents. The study recommended that parents should make a conscious effort to provide balanced meal for their wards when they are going to school; parents should provide adequate financial resources to cater the balanced and full meal provision of their adolescent children; teachers should create awareness on the nutritional needs of adolescents; and teachers should educate adolescents on the harmful effects that the adopted negative dietary preferences have on their life now and in the later years.