Eating Behaviors among Children and Adolescents, Isfahan Province, Iran, 2015

Abstract

Background: Inappropriate nutrition, and obesity in children have become a global problem. Eating behaviors are considered as one of the factors affecting childhood obesity. Breakfast and snack meals are among the important eating behaviors. This study aimed to assess eating behaviors among children and adolescents in Isfahan Province, Iran, in the year 2015. Methods: In this study, 2305 students of elementary and guidance schools were evaluated using questionnaires about their eating behaviors. Findings: 92.3% of students had breakfast meals. 91.8% of the students consume snack meals in addition to breakfast meal. Different routes of snack meals preparation consisted of home supplied (78.5%), school store (12.1%), near-school shops (7%), and huckster (about 1%). Students’ mothers were the major responsible for providing snacks. Conclusion: Our findings indicate inappropriate quality of eating behaviors among children and adolescents in Isfahan Province, especially for snack meals, despite acceptable knowledge among families. Families play a key role in selecting these behaviors, showing the necessity to pay more attention to the role of the family in this field.

Keywords

• Eating behavior
• Child
• Adolescent
• Iran
• Snacks
• Dietary habits