FOOD AND NUTRITION EDUCATION: A PANACEA FOR SUSTAINABLE HEALTH AMONG RETIREES IN DELTA STATE

Abstract

This study assessed food and nutrition education as panacea for sustainable health among retirees in Delta State. The study examined the knowledge level of retirees about food and nutrition; the dietary behaviour of retirees; the influence of food and nutrition education on sustainable health among retirees; and gender difference in knowledge level of retirees about food and nutrition. The descriptive research design of the survey type was adopted in the study. The population consisted of all retirees in Delta State, Nigeria. The sample for this study consisted of 200 retirees who were selected using convenience and purposive sampling techniques. A validated instrument titled “Food, Nutrition and Sustainable health Questionnaire (FNSHQ)” was used to collect relevant data for this study. The data collected through the instruments were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results show a moderate knowledge of food and nutrition among retirees (56.44%) and that majority (39.5%) were moderately active to good dietary behaviour. In addition, components of food and nutrition education influenced sustainable health among retirees (R = .573, R2 = .328, f (2,197) = 5.932, p <0.05) while female retirees have knowledge of food and nutrition than male retirees (t = 4.688, p <0.05). This study concludes that knowledge of food and nutrition among retirees was moderate while they were moderately active to good dietary behaviour. Hence, the need for more aggressive efforts by Home Economics and Food and Nutrition educators to provide dietary information to civil servants who have less years in active service.