Health Behaviors and Nutritional Situation of Elementary Students in Health Literacy Schools, Regional Health Promotion Center 7 Area

Abstract

          This research is a cross-sectional descriptive study aimed at studying the health behaviours and nutritional situation of grade 4–6 students in 18 health literacy schools. The sample by random. The sample consisted of 952 students. The data were collected by using a questionnaire to assess nutritional situations and health behaviours such as food consumption behaviour, exercise, free time, and relaxation. The reliability (Cronbach’s alpha) was 0.83. Data were analysed by frequency and percentage statistics.

          The results showed that 97.9 percent of the students had a high proportion of the main meals. They had eggs the most at 75.5 percent but still consumed sugary drinks at 64.7 percent. There were similar results for exercise and sedentary behavior at 97.6 percent. It was a sleepless at 56.2 percent. In terms of nutritional situation, it was found that 64.0% of the students had a well-proportioned height. There are 16.1% of student were getting fat and overweight, and 3.2% were thin.

          The results indicated that consuming’s behavior to promote the growth of students were not covered. There was 1 in 3 of the sample consume the sugary drinks. More than half of them had a sedentary behavior and sleepless. Therefore, it should be support and encourage schools to follow the guidelines for health literacy schools. To emphasis on knowledge of food type’s, exercise and proper sleep and provide nutritional quality food for their students.

          Public health services and government organizations should be a surveillance system to prevent seriously measures to selling drink without sugary and no crunchy snacks. The local government organizations, teachers and parents must co-operate by co-sponsor people, money and keep an eye on student’s growth and developing solutions to the problem of excess nutrition in school-aged children.