ASSESSMENT OF DIETARY BEHAVIORS AND THEIR DETERMINANTS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS, DUBAI, 2011

Introduction: Diet and nutrition play an important role in maintaining human health and preventing diseases. Poor dietary habits and lack of physical activity are believed to be the major contributors to the current rise in childhood obesity.

Objectives: Assessment of dietary behavior and their determinants among secondary school students in Dubai, 2011.

Methodology: A cross sectional study was carried out in private and governmental secondary schools in Dubai, 2011. Stratified random sample was used for selection of the study sample of 1221 students. The self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data about socio-demographic, nutritional knowledge, and dietary behaviors in the past seven days preceding the study.

Results: Good dietary behavior was only presented in 20.1% of the students. Breakfast skipping was reported in 18.3% of the students. Only around 12% and 28.4% consumed the recommended daily amounts of vegetables and fruits respectively. Almost one half consumed snacks at least once daily and 29.6% were eating fast foods three times or more / week. Three predictors were found for low overall dietary behavior; low scores of nutritional knowledge, students in governmental schools, and low education level of mothers.

Conclusion: A low percentage of adolescents have good dietary behavior. The most alarming findings of this study were the consumption of less than the daily requirements of fruits, vegetables, and breakfast, with more intakes of snacks, soft drinks and fast foods.

Recommendations: Health education program should be implemented in the schools to improve the students' nutrition knowledge and their dietary behaviors. Policy makers should control the media regarding the influence soft drinks and fast foods.