Some Nutritional Indices of Public and Private Secondary School Students in Igbanke, Edo State

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the nutritional indices (Glucose, cholesterol, total protein and albumin) and body mass index of students attending public and private secondary schools in Igbanke. The study was conducted on 185 students comprising 95 students from public secondary schools (Igbanke mixed secondary and Igbanke grammar school) and 90 students from private secondary schools (Future hope secondary school and Wisdom comprehensive secondary school) in Igbanke. The research was designed to evaluate and compare the nutritional indices (Glucose, cholesterol, total protein and albumin) of students attending public and private secondary schools in Igbanke. The sample analysis was done at Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma. This study was carried out within three (3) months. Our result shows that the mean values of body mass index (BMI) of students in public secondary school and private secondary school are 20.28±4.21kg/m2 and 21.74±4.14 kg/m2 respectively. There is no significant difference (p>0.05) in the values of BMI of students in public secondary school when compared with private secondary school. The mean levels of glucose (Glu) of students in public secondary school and private secondary school are 84.38±12.80mg/dl and 79.48±15.02mg/dl respectively. There was a significant increase (p<0.05) in the level of Glu of students in public secondary school when compared with private secondary school. The mean levels of total protein (TP) of students in public secondary school and private secondary school are 6.78±0.86mg/dl and 6.98±0.58mg/dl respectively. There was a significant decrease (p<0.05) in the level of TP of students in public secondary school when compared with private secondary school. The mean levels of albumin (Alb) of students in public secondary school and private secondary school are 3.73±0.61mg/dl and 4.01±0.48mg/dl respectively. There was a significant decrease (p<0.05) in the level of Alb of students in public secondary school when compared with private secondary school. The mean levels of cholesterol (Chol) of students in public secondary school and private secondary school are 154.62±30.94mg/dl and 168.30±14.88mg/dl respectively. There was significant increase (p<0.05) in the levels of cholesterol of students in private secondary school when compared with public secondary school. In conclusion, a poor diet can cause deficiency diseases such as blindness, anemia, scurvy, health-threatening conditions like obesity and metabolic syndrome and such common chronic systemic diseases as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and osteoporosis. The findings from this study have shown that there are differences in the nutritional indices of students in public secondary school and private secondary school with public secondary school having lower protein level and private secondary school high cholesterol level.