%0 Journal Article
%T Dietary practices of school children in Sindh, Pakistan
%A Ayesha Aziz
%A Ayesha Khalid
%A Ayesha Zahid Khan
%A Ghazala Rafique
%A Mehak Pervaiz
%J Nutrition and Health
%@ 2047-945X
%D 2018
%R 10.1177/0260106018791859
%X Malnutrition in Pakistan has remained an unresolved issue for decades. Data on nutrient intake and variety in childrenĄ¯s diet is lacking. This paper describes the dietary practices of school children across eight districts of Sindh. A school-based survey of dietary practices among 1109 students from classes 2¨C5 in 36 schools was conducted using a pre-tested interviewer-completed questionnaire. Descriptive and comparative analysis of data showed that more than 75% school children ate breakfast, lunch and dinner regularly. However, 10% children skipped breakfast and nearly one-third of them skipped mid-morning and evening snacks. Skipping breakfast and snacks was related to low socio-economic status and rural residence. ChildrenĄ¯s intake of protein-rich food items and fruits also illustrated that urban residence and better socio-economic status have a positive effect on the frequency and variety of daily protein and fruit intake. Though affordability and geographic location were key determinants of childrenĄ¯s dietary practices, significantly higher percentages of children studying in class 2, 3 and 4 consumed different kinds of protein-rich food items, fruits and vegetables more frequently as opposed to children studying in class 5. Junk food consumption was more common in urban areas and better socio-economic strata. Development of school-based nutrition education programmes and behavior change strategies emphasizing the regular intake of meals and nutrient-rich snacks, and encouraging consumption of easily available and affordable food items such as dried seeds, fruits, vegetables, milk and its derivatives is essential for addressing nutrient deficiencies
%K Malnutrition
%K meal frequency
%K junk food
%K food choices
%K socio-economic status
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0260106018791859