R O C ZN . P Z H , 2000, 51, N R 2, 163-166
Short Communication
K AM EL O M AR A R E F OMARM E A L PL A N N IN G A N D ITS R E L A T IO N T O T H E N U T R IT IO N A L STA TU S O F P R E -S C H O O L C H IL D R E N (2 -4 Y E A R S O L D ) IN E G Y P T
PLA N O W A N IE POSIŁKÓW I JE G O ZW IĄ ZEK Z E STANEM O D ŻY W IE N IA D Z IE C I W W IEKU PRZEDSZK O LN Y M (2-4 LAT) W E G IP C IE
Ain Shams University Faculty of Specific Education 365 Ramses str., Cairo, Egypt
IN TR O D U CTIO N
T h e nu tritio n o f infants in Egypt, similary to o th e r countries, plays an im p o rtan t role in th e general strategy o f public health.
T h e nu tritio n al status o f children depends to a great extend on th e type o f food they eat. T h e m ost im p o rtan t reasons th at lead to u n d e r nutrition is unbalanced diet in bo th quality and quantity. T h ere is no doubt th at the children’s h ealth and nutritional status are affected by a p erce n t o f a budget spent on food, family size, and level of education including cultural habits [1].
M eal planning in the family is affected by m any factors especially the social, environm ent and food habits and the availability of food [6].
As the housew ife is responsible for food choice and m eal planning, thus the level of h e r education, social status and em ploym ent play a crucial role in th e nutrition status o f the family [4].
M oreover, th e choice o f food for family m eals is influenced by m any factors such as food prices and it’s relevance to food habits traditions, feasts, social status and religious practices. M eals affect the health status o f children in all stages o f th eir life especially during th eir early developm ent. Accordingly, children need balanced diets particularly during a w eaning p erio d to o rd er to supplem ent them w ith the n u trien ts essential for th eir growth [2].
This study was aim ed at:
- assessing the relationship betw een m eals planning and nutritional status of children 2 -4 years old,
- assessing the statistical difference in m eal planning according to family incom e, family size and education level of housewife
- the statistical analysis o f the quality o f meals planned by w orking and non-w orking m others.
164 К. O m ar A ref Omar N r 2
T h e r e f o r e th is stu d y w as d e sig n e d to an sw e r th e follow ing q u estio n s:
1) Is th e re a re la tio n s h ip b e tw e e n th e m e al p la n n in g a n d th e n u tritio n s ta tu s o f c h ild re n ?
2) D o e s th e so c ia l-e c o n o m ic level o f th e fam ily affec t th e c h ild re n ’s n u tritio n sta tu s ? M ATERIALS AND M ETHOD S
T h e stu d y d e s ig n e d to an sw e r th e ab o v e q u e s tio n s involved sev eral step s. B asing on th e p re v io u s re s e a rc h e s c o n c e rn in g n u tritio n in E gypt fo u r types o f q u e s tio n n a ire s (fo rm s) w e re d e v e lo p e d :
- fam ily m e a l p la n n in g , - ch ild a n th ro p o m e tr ic d a ta , - so c ia l-e c o n o m ic d a ta , - 24 h o u rs re c a ll m e th o d
T h e m a in stu d y w as fo llo w ed by a p ilo t feasibility tria l w h e re th e su ita b ility o f q u e s tio n n a ire s w as te s te d o n a sm all p ilo t su b sa m p le o f m o th e rs. M o re o v e r th e q u e s tio n n a ire s w e re rev ie w ed by th e re c o g n ise d specialists.
T h e m a in stu d y involved a sa m p le o f 200 c h ild re n o f 2 -4 y e a rs old a n d th e irs m o th e rs. T h e in v e stig a te d p o p u la tio n w as div id ed in to th r e e g ro u p s ac c o rd in g to so c ia l-e c o n o m ic s ta tu s (in c o m e , fam ily size, e d u c a tio n a l level) a n d o c c u p a tio n .
T h e re su lts w ere sta tistica lly an a ly se d an d follow ing fin d in g s a n d re c o m m e n d a tio n w e re p re s e n te d as re su ltin g fro m th e study.
RESULTS AND DISSCUSION
F o o d is c o n s id e re d th e first s u p p o rt fo r c h ild r e n ’s h e a lth a n d g ro w th . M a n y h o u se w ives d o n o t follow th e c o rre c t m e th o d s o f p la n n in g in p re p a rin g th e daily m e a ls fo r th e fam ily. T h is m ay b e d u e to m a n y re a so n s such as: low in c o m e, fam ily size an d social fa c to rs, fo o d h a b its a n d relig io u s b elieves. A cco rd in g ly , th e c h ild re n will be u n d e rn u tr is h e d o r m a l-n o u ris h e d especially a t th e first sta g e o f ch ild h o o d .
N aw ars [5] r e p o r te d in a stu d y c o n d u c te d o n th e p re -sc h o o l th a t th e c h ild re n in
C a iro g ro w th d u rin g th e first m o n th o f b irth w as satisfying b e c a u s e o f th e b re a s t fe e d in g . S h e a d d e d th a t m a ln u tritio n a p p e a r e d in 81.6% o f c h ild re n th e se c o n d y e a r o f th e ir age, a n d d e c re a s e d to 5 5 .6 % a t th e fo u rth y e a r age.
T h e r e is n o d o u b t th a t g ro w th o f c h ild re n is c o n s id e re d a g o o d in d ic a to r o f th e ir h e a lth a n d n u tritio n a l sta tu s. S im e [7] in d ic a te d th a t social ra p id ch a n g e s o f fam ilies f o rc e d w o m e n to w o rk sh o w ed a n e g a tiv e e ffe c t o n th e c a re o f th e ir c h ild re n a n d n e g le c t th e ir w ith n e e d s a t th is critical e a rly p e rio d o f life. It is im p o rta n t to e d u c a te m o th e rs o n th e im p o rta n c e o f fo o d ite m s se le c tio n , its p re p a ra tio n p a rtic u la rly for in fa n t a n d c h ild re n a n d s a n ita tio n o f e q u ip m e n t’s a n d u se d u ten sils.
F a c to rs in flu e n c e d m e al p la n n in g fo r c h ild re n , is also o n e o f th e p o in ts n e e d to be d ra w n by m o th e rs.
C h ild re n n e e d sm all c o n c e n tra te d m e als a n d sh o u ld b e r e p e a te d at s h o r t in te rv als o f tim e. T h is m e a ls sh o u ld in c lu d e n o t only all n u trie n ts (p ro te in s, fat, c a rb o h y d ra te s , v ita m in s a n d m in e ra ls) b u t also th e n e e d e d a m o u n t o f th e m . T h is m e al w hich p re s e n te d by fam ily is th e only w ay to e v a lu a te th e n u tritio n a l v alu es [3]. H e a lth s ta tu s o f th e ch ild d e p e n d s c o m p le te ly o n m e e tin g re q u ire m e n ts o r ach iv ed d u rin g fe e d in g p e rio d .
Planowanie posiłków a stan odżywienia dzieci w Egipcie 165
In this study the significant relationship between meal planning and the nutritional status o f children (2-4 years old ) was observed. T he results are showed in the figure 1.
Fig. 1. Meal planning and social economic relationship
T h ere w ere significant differences (at p < 0.01) in m eal planning betw een high incom e level and m edium incom e level, betw een high incom e level and low incom e level, betw een m o d erate incom e level and low incom e level.
T h e re w ere significant differences (at p < 0.01) in m eal planning betw een large family size and m edium family size, betw een large family size and small family size, betw een m o d era te family size and small family size.
T h e re w ere significant differences (at p < 0.001) in m eal planning betw een high education level and low education level, betw een high education level and m iddle education level, betw een m iddle education level and low education level.
T h e re w ere no significant differences in meal planning betw een w orking and non working m others.
K . O m a r A r e f O m a r
M EA L PLAN N ING AN D ITS R ELA TIO N TO T H E N U TR IT IO N A L STATUS OF P R E-SC H O O L C H IL D R E N (2-4 YEARS O LD ) IN EG YPT
Summary
T he nutritional status of children (2-4 years old) depends to great extent on the type of food they eat. The meal planning in the family is affected by many factors especially nutritional habits, social-economic status of the family and the availability of food. This paper presents the results of the questionnaire studies of nutrition of pre-school children in Egypt with the special emphasis given to social-economic status and education level in the families. The results show the relationship between education, availability, size of family and nutritional quality o f meals planning by housewife.
166 К. O m ar A ref O m ar N r 2
K . O m a r A r e f O m a r
PLA N O W A N IE POSIŁKÓW I JE G O ZW IĄ ZEK Z E STANEM O D ŻY W IEN IA D ZIEC I W W IEKU PRZEDSZK OLN Y M (2-4 LAT) W E G IPC IE
Streszczenie
Poziom odżywienia dzieci zależy w znacznym stopniu od rodzaju spożywanej przez nie żywności.
W niniejszej pracy przedstawiono wyniki badań ankietowych dotyczących żywienia dzieci w wieku przedszkolnym (2-4 lat) w Egipcie, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem statusu społeczno- ekonom icznego i poziomu wykształcenia rodzin. W badaniach wykazano zależność między wy kształceniem, dostępnością żywności, wielkością rodziny a jakością żywieniową posiłków przygo towywanych przez matki.
R EFER EN C ES
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3. Gordonn War d Law, Paulm, I n e s e l Perspectives in Nutrition, Second Edition, Stlovis, Baltimor, Boston, Chicago 1990, p.l
4. Harris A .C.: Child development, Second edition, West Publishing Company, M innea Palis, St. Poul, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco 1993.
5. Nawars I.: The relation between decision making responsibilities and social D em ographic Characteristics of Husband and Wife in Same Selected Families, J. Agric. Res. Alexandria 1981, pp. 29, 1009, 1026, 1039.
6. Sayed G.M.: Nutritional Status and Impact on Health, Intellectual D evelopm ent and Scho lastic Achievem ent in Pre-school and Primary School Children in Cairo International Conference on Food for Special Dietary and Medicinal uses 19/22 o f March 1990, In terna tional Agric. Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt, 1990
7. Sim e M : Read Y our Child’s Thoughts Pre-school Learning Piaget’s Way, Thanes and H udson Limited, London 1980.
