Breakfast behaviors and influential factors of primary and secondary school students in poor rural areas of Hubei Province

Abstract

ObjectiveTo investigate the breakfast behaviors and influential factors in primary and secondary school students in poor rural areas of Hubei Province， and provide scientific basis for carrying out nutrition improvement plan for rural students in 2019.MethodsBased on stratified random cluster sampling method， 2 primary and 2 secondary schools were selected based on 3 food supply modes （school， outsource， and family） in 2 key monitoring counties of Hubei Province covered by nutrition improvement program for rural compulsory education students. One class with around 40 students were randomly extracted from each Grade from Grade 3 to Grade 9. Background information and breakfast behaviors were collected through questionnaire survey.ResultsThe proportion of primary and secondary students having breakfast every day was 79.7% （1 273/1 598）， and it was higher in the primarystudents than in the secondary students （83.9%，841/1 002 vs. 72.5%，432/596， P<0.01）. The proportion of breakfast food reaching 3 kinds or more was only 18.8% （301/1 598）， it was higher in the primary students than in the secondary students （21.4%，214/1 002 vs. 14.6%，87/596， P<0.01）， and it was higher in the boys than in the girls （21.3%，170/800 vs. 16.4%，131/798， P<0.05）. The proportion of primary and secondary students who consumed cereals and potato， meat and eggs， milk and bean， fruit and vegetables was respectively 89.9% （1 436/1 598）， 35.4% （565/1 598）， 28.0% （448/1 598） and 29.7% （475/1 598）. The proportion of breakfast having cereals and potato， meat and eggs in primary students was less than that in secondary students （χ2=32.808 and 15.405， P<0.01）； and the proportion of breakfast having milk and bean， fruit and vegetables in primary students was higher than that in secondary students （χ2=19.241 and 40.400， P<0.01）. The results of multi-factor analysis showed that day students， girls and primary students had a higher risk of insufficient breakfast food categories than resident students， boys and primary students.ConclusionThe breakfast consumption rate of primary and secondary students in poor rural areas of Hubei Province was relatively low， and the nutrition quality of breakfast was poor， especially for day students， girls and primary students. Therefore， it is necessary to strengthen nutrition education and improve the frequency and quality of breakfast for primary and secondary students in poor areas.

Keywords

• poor areas
• primary and secondary school students
• breakfast behaviors