Demographic Variables of Unsafe Nutritional Behaviours Among Secondary School Adolescents in Nsukka Local Government Area, Enugu State

Abstract

The study investigated demographic variables of unsafe nutritional behaviours among secondary school adolescent in Nsukka Local Government Area, Enugu State. Four research questions and three null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. A descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. A sample of 385 secondary school adolescents which was drawn from a population of 10,221 secondary school adolescents from 31 public secondary school was used for the study. Structured questionnaire titled “Democratic Variables” of Unsafe Nutritional Behaviour Questionnaire (DVUNBQ)" which was validated by three experts two from the Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education and one from the Department of Science and Computer with reliability coefficient index of 78 was the instrument used for data collection. Mean statistics was used to analyse  data collected in relation to research questions while t- test statistics was ]\[used to test the 3- nul hypothesis at 05 level of significance. The finding of the study were; that secondary school adolescents in Nsukka LGA, both male  and female secondary school adolescents,  urban and rural secondary school adolescents,  and  upper basic and senior secondary adolescents were involved in unsafe nutritional behaviour to a high extent. The difference in the extent of unsafe nutritional behavior based on gender, location and education level were significant. It was concluded that secondary school adolescents of Nsukka Local Government Area were involved in unsafe nutritional behaviours. Thu, it was recommended among others that the state government through the Post Primary School Management Board “PPSMB” should organize orientation, seminars and workshop for secondary school adolescents in the areas of proper feeding.