Exploratory Study to assess the Knowledge, Expressed Practices and Attitude of Adolescents Regarding Healthy Eating Habits

Abstract

Healthy eating habits are essential for maintaining good health and supporting normal growth and development irrespective of the age of an individual. However, adolescents are a nutritionally vulnerable group because of; their high requirements for growth; eating patterns and lifestyles; and susceptibility to environmental influences. India has been experiencing a nutritional transition in food choices from the typical diet to the fast food pattern thus affecting the dietary habits of young adults. The present study is aimed at assessing the knowledge, expressed practices and attitude of adolescents towards healthy eating. The study was conducted at two Secondary Schools of Gurdaspur district, Punjab, India with randomly selected sample of 100 adolescents enrolled in the ninth grade. Data was collected through structured knowledge questionnaire; structured expressed practice questionnaire, and five point Likert scale. Analysis of the data revealed that only eight percent of adolescents had average knowledge regarding healthy eating habits. A significant association was found between knowledge of adolescents and father's education level; attitude of adolescents with their age and gender, type of family; no association was found between expressed eating practices of adolescents and demographic variables.