SCHOOLCHILDREN DIET: HYGIENIC EVALUATION AND WAYS OF ITS RATIONALIZATION

Abstract

Objective: to study the diet peculiarities of school middle-aged children of Gomel. Materials and method: 426 children aged from 10 to 14 took part in the investigation. Their diet and eating patterns were studied using the method of a questionnaire. The statistical data processing was carried out with the software package of application programs SPSS-13, SPSS-16 with the use of comparative evaluation of distributions by the row of accounting features. Results. It has been established that only 45,3 % of the respondents have 3-4 meals a day and these children detect the least specific weight in their 7th form (33,3 %, χ² = 9,611, p < 0,05). 47,9 % of the children do not breakfast. Only 9 % of the children have meals at the same time. The specific weight of the children who have meals disorderly has grown by 1,7 times (from 19 to 32,6 %, r = 0,1; p < 0,05). The quality characteristics of the children's diet indicates of daily deficient consumption of dairy products (53,2 %), meat, poultry (74,2 %), sausages (64,1 %), seafood (89,2 %), vegetables (51,8 %), fruit (46,7 %) and juice (58,7 %). Conclusion. To improve the schoolchildren`s diet, it is necessary to promote actively eutrophy and organize available meals with the use of foodstuffs of high nutritional and biological value. The observance of the dietary rules in the present conditions of learning is possible with the use of new forms of service in school canteens.