Trends in Maltese teenagers' nutritional knowledge, attitudes and behaviour towards healthy diet

Abstract

Adolescence is a time of rapid change in the life of every human being . The uniform growth of childhood is suddenly altered by an increase in the velocity of growth , which is also associated with hormonal, cognitive and emotional changes. These changes create special nutritional needs. This study was carried out so as to examine the nutritional knowledge, attitudes and behaviour towards a healthy diet of a group of adolescents . The nutritional knowledge and attitudes and behaviour of these adolescents was investigated by a questionnaire. Nutritional knowledge concerning fats, dietary fibre, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins was satisfactory but required some clarifications. Teenagers were observed to be self-conscious of their body weight and body height . The majority of the teenagers were not on a reducing diet. However the adolescents had a tendency for high frequency dieting . 50% of the teenagers had dieted more than twice before. The adolescents which were on a diet were more females than males, indicating that females were more dissatisfied with their bodies than males. The teenagers under study went on a diet not only because of fear of obesity but because they associated dieting with health. This study shows that this association was due to the interest which the teenagers had for sports. Post - dieting symptoms in Adolescents resembled symptoms characterizing anorexia and bulimia indicating that some of the adolescents under study may have a tendency for these eating disorders . A vegetarian diet was not popular among the teenagers. Those following a vegetarian diet were mostly lacto - ovo vegetarian . The food items used by the adolescents under study contained all the nutrients considered to be essential in a vegetarian diet. The majority of the teenagers ate the three meals breakfast, lunch ,dinner. The statistical study indicated that breakfast was more preferred by the males than by the females. It was observed that most of the adolescents, ate snacks and the most popular snack items were not nutritious ones. Fast foods for meals or snacks were popular with teenagers. The study indicated , that most of the food items ate by the teenagers at fast or take -away outlets, were all nutritious. It was observed that alcoholic consumption by the teenagers may not be too alarming. However it was also indicated that some of the adolescents may have an alcoholic problem.Alcohol drinking among the teenagers was found to be influenced by peer pressure and encouraged by some parents . Some of the teenagers have drank their first alcoholic drink when they were eight and even one year old. The study has also revealed that adolescents were also influenced by peers in their eating habits. Teenagers have been found to lack appropriate knowledge on food labelling. Only 17.6% of the teenagers have heard about the Food Label Regulations 1992. It has been observed that the media, magazines, parents and doctors can be targets of nutritional education as they have a great influence on adolescents eating habits. The study has also revealed that teenagers can be reached and knowledge improved through short term promotional campaigns in the mass media. The statistical findings suggested that more education on nutrition should be emphasised in schools. The findings in this study, indicated that nutrition education has an impact on a teenage population only if food in school canteens is nutritious and is hygienically prepared , and also that teenagers should be given a better understanding of what they should aim to eat. The study has indicated that nutrition education must guide teenagers to solve nutrition problems especially problems concerning their eating habits. The Environmental Health professional as a health worker and educator is potentially a resource within the scope of nutrition I health promotion.