PRACTICE OF UNHEALTHY EATING HABITS AMONG ADOLESCENT IN DANJUMA COMMUNITY AKURE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Dietary intake has been linked with obesity in terms of volume, composition, meals’ frequency, snacking habits and diet quality (Agostoni et al., 2009). Additionally, there is indication that Adolescent is likely to maintain their dietary habits into adulthood (Agostoni et al., 2009). Thus, understanding adult’s eating habits is very important in terms of adult’s health (Scaglioni et al., 2018). There are some factors that could influence Adolescent eating habits such as the home food environment, as well as the social environment, contexts where perceptions, knowledge and eating habits are established (Scaglioni et al., 2018). However, dietary patterns seem to affect Adolescent most, as parents are the ones who shape the home food environment and, influence how a Adolescent thinks about food, and, accordingly, start forming their own food preferences and eating behavior (Scaglioni et al., 2018). Out of the dietary habits, family mealtime becomes the main social context in which Adolescent can eat with their parents, who are considered as their main role-models (Utter et al., 2007).

Sharing meals with Adolescent having breakfast together regularly and encouraging Adolescent to have healthy snacks with moderate restrictions have shown positive impacts on Adolescent dietary behaviors (Keski et al., 2003). Food consumption preferences are developed early in life (Ventura et al., 2013). Understanding how Adolescent food consumption choices are developed has the potential to benefit individuals’ health over their entire lifetime. Specifically, limiting the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), while increasing the consumption of healthy food choices such as fruits and vegetables, can have protective effects on people’s health (Ludwig et al., 2001). In spite of this, Adolescent across several parts of the world are consuming sugars at an alarming rate, with Adolescent in the United States (Welsh et al., 2011), United Kingdom, Mexico, and even Asian countries such as Taiwan and Singapore consuming SSBs at worrying levels. 

Parents are important socialization agents who play the role of health promoters, role models, and educators in the lives of their children (Ventura, 2013). Defined as “processes whereby naïve individuals are taught the skills, behavior patterns, values, and motivations needed for competent functioning”, socialization in the context of food consumption involves parents conveying learning outcomes such as norms, knowledge, attitudes and behaviors to Adolescent via a range of behaviors (Maccoby, 2014). Among socialization researchers, two broad concepts have been used to understand parental influence on Adolescent outcomes (Darling, 2019).  First, parental practices are context-specific strategies parents use to help children achieve   goals. Second, general parenting style, which cuts across behavioral contexts, refers to the general emotional climate in which these parental practices are situated.

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Over the last decades, deep economic, social, and environmental changes have encouraged the raise of new consumers’ requests towards food. On the one hand, the increasing consumers’ awareness about food and the effects it has on citizen-consumer’s health and life has spur consumers’ interest and consumption towards healthier food products, more respectful of the environment and of all actors involved in the production process, namely, more sustainable (Marotta and Nazzaro 2012; Ohe et al. 2014; Lombardi et al., 2015; Lerro et al. 2016; Marotta et al. 2017). On the other hand, the consumption of unhealthy foods has grown among broad segments of society, consequence of the adjustments in citizen-consumer’s lifestyles resulting from the economic and social changes affecting modern society (McKenzie 2016). For instance, longer and stressful working days have reduced the time available for meal preparation affecting citizen-consumer’s eating habits too (Buckley et al., 2007). The result is the reduction of meat, fruit, and vegetables consumption, in favor of a higher demand of tastier high-fat foods such as convenience food, salty snacks, and take-away foods (Somogyi, 2020). A further aspect to consider is the new structure of family, smaller than the past and mainly consisting of single (Buckley et al., 2007).

The effects, similar to those previously observed, are the lower propensity to meal preparation at home and the growing demand for convenience foods, often single-serving (De Boer et al., 2004). The increasing rate consumption of convenience foods, mostly high in fat, as well as the lower propensity to meal preparation at home are acknowledged as causes of overweight and obesity (Mancini et al., 2012), in particular among Adolescent. The resulting negative externalities are both in terms of social and environmental costs (Telese et al., 2016). The former (social costs) are estimated at about €70 billion per year in Europe (Brambila-Macias et al. 2011) and €9 billion per year in Italy (EASO 2015). Further, it is expected to dramatically increase as the steady growth of overweight and obese population, growing up to 20% among adults and up to 15.5% among Adolescent leaving in OECD countries.

The environmental costs, instead, are difficult to determine as they are mainly indirect costs. The latter are either due to the depletion of natural resources (e.g., environmental exploitation and water pollution) or to the use of chemicals and fertilizers to boost crop production. Further, food transportation from field to fork and a diet based on a large consumption of animal proteins are both responsible to put large amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere, which has detrimental effect on the environment too (Telese et al., 2016). To address these issues and promote a more sustainable and responsible consumption, a strategic approach aimed at investigating citizen-consumer’s characteristics able to encourage specific food habits and lifestyles is needed.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of the study is to examine the practices of unhealthy eating habits among adolescent in Dajuma Community.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Poor eating habits include under- or over-eating, not having enough of the healthy foods we need each day, or consuming too many types of food and drink, which are low in fibre or high in fat, salt and/or sugar.   Adolescent does not take balance diet and this may be endangering their health. Adolescent were not knowledgeable on how to prepare to balance diet. They prefer buying themselves sugary foods. Therefore, this study wants to examine practices of unhealthy eating habits among adolescent

 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objective of this study is to;

1.    Investigate the practices of unhealthy eating habits among adolescent in Danjuma Community, Akure.

2.    To examine the role of adolescent in eating habit Danjuma Community, Akure.

3.    To investigate how eating habit influence the adeolesent academic performance in school in the study area.

4.    To investigate the causes of poor eating habit in the study area.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.    What is the practice of unhealthy eating habits among adolescent in Danjuma Community, Akure.?

2.    Is there relationship between the role of parents and their children’s proper eating habit in Danjuma Community, Akure?

3.    Is there any means in which eating habit influence the Adolescent academic performance in school in the study area?

4.    What are the causes of poor eating habit in the study area?

ASSUMPTIONS

·        Adolescent eat more even if they were satisfying

·      The adolescent needs to eat a high volume of food so that they can have stamina

·      The adolescent is expected to do what they can do when they are still young.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be a good advantage for those Adolescent that does not pay attention to their eating habit. this study will also serve as an instruction guideline for health educators.  This study will also help to improve the health of the public. It will also help to reduce the prevalent of malnutrition in the community. This study will also serve as a base knowledge for other researchers. 

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Adolescence: is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood

Climate: is the average weather in a given area over a longer period of time.

Environment: can be defined as a sum total of all the living and non-living elements and their effects that influence human life.

Exploitation: is the act of selfishly taking advantage of someone or a group of people in order to profit from them or otherwise benefit oneself.

Food:  Is any nourishing substance that is eaten, drunk, or otherwise taken into the body to sustain life, provide energy, promote growth.

Habit: Is an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary

Motivation: is the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors.

Overweight: is defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health

Pollution: is the introduction of harmful materials into the environment

Poor eating habits include under- or over-eating, not having enough of the healthy foods we need each day, or consuming too many types of food and drink, which are low in fibre or high in fat, salt and/or sugar.

Socialization: is the process beginning during childhood by which individuals acquire the values, habits, and attitudes of a society.

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