Socio-Ecological Factors Associated with Snacking Behaviors of Basic School Students in Nepal
Yadu R. Upreti1*
, Sheri Bastien2,3, Birgitte Bjonness4 and Bhimsen Devkota5
1Central Department of Education, Tribhuvan University (TU), Kathmandu, Nepal.
2Department of Public Health Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), As, Norway.
3Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
4Faculty of Science and Technology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), As, Norway.
5Department of Health and Physical Education, Mahendra Ratna Campus, Tribhuvan University (TU), Kathmandu, Nepal.
Corresponding Author Email: yaduram2014@gmail.com
Abstract:
Consumption of unhealthy snack foods among young children in low-and-middle-income countries is high and Nepal is no exception. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among 259 students to investigate their snacking behaviors and examine factors that influence the behavior from a socio-ecological Framework. The study used self-reported questionnaires, food recall diaries, and participant observation forms to collect data. Students' snacking behavior was the dependent variable where as age, sex, grade, parent's education, parent's sources of income, religion, ethnicity, family type, and living arrangements were the independent variables. Chi-square test and logistic regression were applied to analyze the results. The main findings of the study indicate that 89 percent of students consumed school snacks regularly, including unhealthy snacks, which were either commercially prepared junk foods bought from nearby vending shops and grocery stores or deep-oil-fried snacks food prepared at the school canteen. Bivariate analysis shows that age, grade, father's education, and the student's religion were significantly associated with snacking behaviors of students. The multivariate analysis indicates that grade (aOR= 0.259, P less than.05) and religion (aOR= 0.373, P less than .05) were the significant predictors. The snacking behaviors among basic level students are influenced by multilevel factors, which is consistent with the socio-ecological model. The study's findings further suggest that comprehensive and effective school-based nutrition education interventions are necessary to promote healthy snack consumption behaviors of students.
Keywords:
Chitwan District of Nepal; Nutrition Education; School Children; Snacking Behaviors; Socio-Ecological Model (SEM)
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