CONTRIBUTION OF SNACKS TO ENERGY AND NUTRIENT INTAKE OF UNDERGRADUATE, A CASE STUDY OF FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC NEKEDE OWERRI, IN IMO STATE NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

 The study was designed to determine the contribution of snacks to the energy and nutrient intake of undergraduates which was carried out in Federal Polytechnics Nekede in Umudibia Local Government Area Owerri, Imo State .To achieve the objectives of this study, a cross sectional survey was carried out using a total of three hundred and eighty one (381) respondents; (205 males and 176 females), using simple random sampling technique. Twenty  respondents were also selected for a detailed dietary  survey. A structured questionnaire was used to  determine their individual characteristics, food and snacking habits. Dietary intake data was assessed  from food  frequency consumption and 24 hour dietary recall. Almost all (82.7%) of the respondents skipped meals, breakfast (44.6%), lunch (29.7%) and dinner   (8.4%), lack of time (37.5%) was pointed out as the reason for skipping meals. Most (78.8%) of the respondents spent between N550-N850 on snacks in a week. The respondents favourite snacks and drinks include; meat-pie (19.7%), water melon (15.2%), biscuit (12.3%), fruit juice (23.1%) and cake (16.3%). The parentage of frequent (> 4 x week) consumption of unhealthy snacks (cakes, doughnut, biscuits) was higher than that of healthy snacks (okpa, fruit). The energy and nutrient intakes from snacks was done using weighed food intake, also Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization (FAO/WHO, 2000) recommended nutrient intake table was used to compare the values. Results on the contribution of snacks to the energy and nutrient intake revealed that snacks contributed significantly (71.6% for male and 92.5%) for female) to the energy intake of respondents, Carbohydrates (129.9% for male and 129.8% for female), fat (35.1% for male and 55.6% for female). Protein (24.1% for male and 56.4% for female) and other nutrients were below 50%, but healthy snacks such as fruits and vegetable have high vitamin C (129.1% for male and 105.7% for female) that keeps the body healthy. Nutrition education aimed at promoting consumption of healthy and nutritious   snacks to processed unhealthy food should be encouraged.        

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page ﾿ i

Certification ﾿ \ii

Dedication ﾿ iii

Acknowledgement ﾿ iv

Table of contents ﾿ vii

List of table ﾿ ix

Abstract ﾿ x

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 ﾿ ﾿ BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY ﾿ 1

1.2 ﾿ ﾿ STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM ﾿ 2

1.3 ﾿ ﾿ OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY ﾿ 3

1.4 ﾿ ﾿ SIGNIFICANT OF THE STUDY ﾿ 4

CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 ﾿ BASICS ABOUT FOOD ﾿ 5

2.2 ﾿ NUTRIENTS IN FOOD ﾿ 6

2.2.1 ﾿ Carbohydrate ﾿ 6

2.2.2 ﾿ Protein ﾿ 6

2.2.3 ﾿ Fats ﾿ 7

2.2.4 ﾿ Vitamins ﾿ 7

2.2.5 ﾿ Minerals ﾿ 8

2.3 ﾿ BALANCE DIET ﾿ 8

2.3.1 ﾿ Choice of food ﾿ 8

2.3.2 ﾿ Factors that influence food choice ﾿ 9

2.3.2.1 ﾿ Weight concerned and body image ﾿ 9

2.3.2.2 ﾿ Food Preference and taste ﾿ 9

2.3.2.3 ﾿ Time/convenience and income ﾿ 9

2.3.2.5 ﾿   Advertisement ﾿ 10

2.4 ﾿ FOOD PYRAMID ﾿ 10

2.4.1 ﾿ Bread, cereals, rice and pasta ﾿ 13

2.4.2 ﾿ Vegetable group ﾿ 13

2.4.3 ﾿ Fruit group ﾿ 14

2.4.4 ﾿ Milk, yoghurt and cheese group ﾿ 14

2.4.5 ﾿ Meat, poultry, fish, egg and nut group ﾿ 14

2.4.6 ﾿ Fat, oils, and sweets (Townsend, 2009) ﾿ 15

2.5 ﾿ WHAT IS SNACKS? ﾿ 16

2.5.1 ﾿ Unhealthy snacks ﾿ 16

2.5.2 ﾿ Healthy snacks ﾿ 16

2.5.3 ﾿ Snacking behaviours ﾿ 17

2.5.4 ﾿ Motivation for snacking ﾿ 18

2.5.5 ﾿ Nutritional implications of snacking ﾿ 18

2.5.6 ﾿ Effect of snacks (Unhealthy foods) ﾿ 19

2.6 ﾿ HEART DISEASES ﾿ 20

2.6.1 ﾿ High Cholesterol ﾿ 20

CHAPTER 3

MATERIALS AND METHOD

3.1 ﾿ STUDY DESIGN ﾿ 21

3.2 ﾿ AREA OF THE STUDY ﾿ 21

3.2 ﾿ POPULATION OF THE STUDY ﾿ 21

3.3 ﾿ SAMPLING AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUES ﾿ 21

3.3.1  ﾿ Sample size determination ﾿ 21

3.3.2 ﾿ Sampling Procedure ﾿ 23

3.4 ﾿ PRELIMINARY ACTIVITIES ﾿ 23

3.4.1 ﾿ Training of Research Assistants ﾿ 23

3.5 ﾿ DATA COLLECTION ﾿ 24

3.5.1 ﾿ Questionnaires ﾿ 24

3.5.2 ﾿ Weighed food intake ﾿ 24

3.6 ﾿ STATISTICAL ANALYSIS ﾿ 25

CHAPTER 4

4.1 ﾿ SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS OF RESPONDENTS ﾿ 26

4.2 ﾿ FOOD CONSUMPTION PATTERN OF THE 

RESPONDENTS ﾿ 29

4.3    ﾿ SNACKING HABITS OF UNDERGRADUATES ﾿ 32

4.4 ﾿ CONTRIBUTION OF SNACKS TO THE ENERGY 

AND NUTRIENT ﾿ 35

4.5 ﾿ RESPONDENTS 24 HOURS DIETARY RECALL ﾿ 38

CHAPTER 5

5.1 ﾿ CONCLUSION ﾿ 43

5.2 ﾿ RECOMMENDATION ﾿ 43

REFERENCES