Anthropological Researches and Studies (May 2015)
The assessment of eating habits in a teenage sample from Iaşi city
Abstract
Objectives. Nutrition is an external factor, which significantly contributes to assuring the balanced growth and development of children and youth. The purpose of this research was to investigate the teenagers’ food habits and to evaluate the weekly frequency of eating some food. Material and methods. The study was done on a group of 96 pupils from Eminescu (48 teenagers) and Computer Science High-Schools (48 teenagers) from Iasi. The pupils have answered a questionnaire of weekly frequency for milk, eggs, fruit and pasta consumption. The statistical processing of results was done using the chi-square test. Results. The leading input of milk is of 2-3 times a week (30.2%) or of 4-7 times a week, the calculated differences being statistically insignificant (p>0.05), guiding us towards the idea of similar food habits of the questioned teenagers. The leading input of eggs is 2-3 times a week (47.9%), which is totally insufficient. The calculated differences are still statistically insignificant (p>0.05), which guides us to a strong mooring in traditions of the questioned pupils’ families. Fruit are present in pupils’ menus especially 4-7 times a week (70.8 %), the answer option of zero being absent. Pasta have a high caloric value, thus the leading input is only of once a week ( 43.7%), the calculated differences being still statistically insignificant (p>0.05). Conclusions. The study group shows some particularities of nutrition which must be known. Thus, the fruit input is balanced, but milk and eggs input is low.
