Eating Patterns and Daily Dietary Recall of Primary School Pupils: An Empirical Evidence from A School Feeding Scheme

Abstract

The objective of this study was to experimentally evaluate children's daily food memory and eating habits. The study found that the gender and school location had an impact on the nutritional condition of primary school students as well as the school food scheme. The investigations were based on three hypotheses and three research questions. In this study, the Eating Habits and Daily Dietary Recall Scale was the tool utilized to gather data (EPDDRS). Four experts—three from the department of vocational education and one lecturer in test and measurement evaluation—validated the instrument's face. The dependability indices of EPDDRS were calculated using Cronbach's Alpha. While delivering the instruments, the researcher used the direct administration and retrieval approach. 58 instructors and a sample size of 1240 students were selected using a systematic random selection approach. The obtained data was examined using mean and standard deviation to address the research objectives, and the null hypotheses were tested using t-test statistics and Analysis of variance (ANOVA) at the 0.05 level of significance. The main conclusions of this study were that the school meal program had a favorable impact on the students' nutritional status. Also, a balanced ration of nutrient-dense meals that were suitably varied was supplied for the students via the school food program. Also, the findings revealed a substantial difference in the mean assessments of male and female students about their eating patterns. On the school meal program's dietary recall list, students from high, middle, and low socioeconomic status differ significantly. Recommendations were given to the government, schools, and parents based on the study's findings. The study's shortcomings were discussed, and recommendations for more research were made.