Examining the eating habits of some senior high school students and its impact on their health case study at Breman Asikuma senior high school in the Central region of Ghana

Abstract

This study was conducted at the Asikuma Odoben Brakwa District of the Central Region of Ghana to assess the eating habits of Senior High Schools in the District. Research asserts that poor eating habits is a major public health concern among young adolescents who experience transition into adulthood. To this effect, the objectives of the study were to determine the general eating habits of SHS students, assess the factors influencing such eating habits and find out the effects of such eating habits on students’ health. The study employed the descriptive survey framework which collected quantitative data for the purposes of the study. The population for the study consisted of all Senior High School students both male and females in the Asikuma Odoben Brakwa District out of which a total of 200 participants were selected using stratified and random sampling techniques. The sample was made up of 125 students from Breman Asikuma Senior High School and 75 students from Best Brain Senior High School. The main instrument used for data collection was questionnaire which allowed for large scale data collection. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and with the help of SPSS software version 20. The study found that students mostly have poor eating habits such as eating little or no fruits and vegetables, skipping breakfast, and drinking carbonated drinks instead of fruit juices. Factors such as availability of certain foods, students eating certain foods to show social status among peers, cost and finances influencing food eaten, and skipping meals to lose weight influenced the eating habits of students.