Dietary habits of Mauritian school adolescents

Abstract

Purpose

There is a strong need for nutrition education strategies that foster healthy eating from a young age in Mauritius, as the island has one of the highest rates of diet‐related diseases such as obesity, diabetes and cardio‐vascular diseases in the world. In order to be effective, the strategies should focus on current eating habits of adolescents. However, there is limited up‐to‐date information on the eating habits of Mauritian adolescents. This study, thus, aims to provide up‐to‐date data on the dietary habits of Mauritian adolescents.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross‐sectional study on the dietary habits of school adolescents (13‐16 years old) was conducted in 2003/2004. Stratified random sampling was used to select study participants (n = 315) from 12 secondary schools across the island. Data were collected using a self‐administered questionnaire.

Findings

Foods that are high in fats, sugar or salt and low in dietary fibre were commonly consumed by adolescents. The most popular sources of nutrition information were parents, the Science and Home Economics teachers and print materials. More than half of the adolescents (54 per cent) regularly gave dietary advice to their friends and relatives, and 41.2 per cent prepared foods at home on their own. The majority of adolescents (81.2 per cent) expressed their interest in learning more about nutrition at school.

Practical implications

Findings should provide a sound basis for local nutrition educators to identify priority areas, and thereafter develop appropriate health promotion strategies in collaboration with health and education authorities.

Originality/value

This study provides up‐to‐date baseline data on the eating habits of young adolescents in Mauritius. Moreover, it is the first study of its kind to focus on the food skills of Mauritian adolescents.

Citation

Oogarah‐Pratap, B. (2007), "Dietary habits of Mauritian school adolescents", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 37 No. 6, pp. 442-451. https://doi.org/10.1108/00346650710838108