Dietary Patterns and Obesity among Pre- Adolescents in Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

Abstract: Food continues to be a major factor in the development of the whole person throughout the growing years. Food becomes a means of communication; it is intimately associated with the emotions; and its acceptance or rejection is highly personal. The pattern for obesity is often set in infancy where sometimes overeating becomes a habit. Continued nibbling of food between meals and night eating syndrome where patients suffer from a voracious appetite after the usual evening meal is also associated with obesity. This was a descriptive study aimed at investigating the relationship between dietary patterns and obesity among Pre-adolescents. Systematic random sampling was used to select pupils from two day private primary schools in Nairobi making a sample of 120 pupils. Quantitative data were analyzed by computer through the use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Linear regression analysis was used to test the hypothesis. The study showed a significant relationship between dietary patterns of the pre-adolescents and obesity. Regression Analysis results showed that eating food three times a day and eating any time were positively correlated with obesity. Skipping meals was significant at (p<0.05) significant level.