Effect of nutrition education on the consumption pattern of students of secondary schools in Ikot Okpora of Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria

This research on effect of nutrition education on the consumption pattern of secondary school students in Ikot Okpora in Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State was aimed to investigate the types of food available in Ikot Okpora.Methodology: Survey and purposive sampling was used to select three hundred and twenty students of the school since the number was small and one hundred (100) parents. Descriptive statistics, percentages and independent paired sample t-test was used to separable and compared.Result: The result of the study showed that majority of the parents were teenagers (36%) who were mostly farmers/traders (40/26%) respectively and who are majorly low income earners (N15,000,00) per month. A significant increase in some food items such as dairy products, vegetables, legumes, meat and fish product, pastas, baked products after and a reduction of consumption in food items of carbohydrates such as starchy roots a tubers, cereals, sweets/sugars. This implied that nutrition education had effect on the consumption pattern of the secondary school students. This finding also showed that nutrition education had effect in reducing the amount of carbohydrates and increasing the consumption of protein foods among the young students. The increase in baked products and pastas consumption could be allowed to enable the students take some snacks while in school during brake time. Increase in the consumption of fat and oil (margarine) should be encouraged as most margarine are fortified with some micro-nutrients. The excessive consumption of sweets and sugars should be discouraged as this could lead to dental carries especially in children and chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, etc. The increase in the consumption of certain food items especially meat, and fish products and healthy snakes would lead to the healthy growth and development of the secondary school students. This is because, this is another stage of growth spurt, to enable them developing optimally, reduce micro-nutrient efficiencies, stunting and wasting, etc.Conclusion: Nutrition education should be intensified both in schools and community. School feeding programme should be implemented in the state/federal schools, so as to encourage the students to eat variety of meals.


INTRODUCTION
Background of the study Nutrients contained in foods are the major sources of good nutrition. Good nutrition involves consuming a variety of foods in appropriate amounts (Answer, 2006). The food we eat supply us with substances called nutrients such as energy, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and water. These nutrients when they interact with the cells of the human body lead to the proper functioning of the various body parts and general health.
The most important aim of any government of any country is to achieve reasonable level in the standard of living and general wellbeing of every citizen through selfsufficiency in food production and consumption. However, this cannot be feasible without sustainable food security and adequate nutrition. Food security, a fundamental concept has been defined as access of all individual at any time to sufficient nourishing food for healthy and active life through available foodstuff and quality diet, the stability of supplies overtime and space, and the access of food produced at home or purchased (Honfoga and Boom, 2003). Adequate food and good nutrition is a fundamental human right (Kidsheth, 2007). Under nutrition is a major threat to health and wellbeing not only in the middle and low income countries but also globally (ACC/ SCN, 2006;SCN, 2004). The ever-increasing levels of household food insecurity are contributing to less frequent and inappropriate feeding or rural dwellers.
West African's diverse agricultural ecosystem provide a wide range of indigenous and traditional foods which if effectively utilized and managed can increase availability, expand household food choice and nutrition (kurwijila, 2004;smith, Eyzaguire, Matig and Johns, 2006). Malnutrition during early life lead to permanent stunting in growth; improved health and nutrition among children contribute to high enrollment, better school attendance, low rates of dropouts and improved performance in academic work as well as to social equity and economic growth (Mwiria, 2005).
Major foods from agricultural ecosystem provide an insight into the wide array of underutilized indigenous and traditional foods. However if the heds of households in the rural areas do not provide enough food for their household members, it limits the ability of individuals and families to carry out their functions especially for the school children (12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18). This may result to reduction in the level of agricultural production, which is a function of agricultural labour force. This study therefore, is aimed at investigating the effect of nutrition education on consumption pattern of secondary school children in Ikot Okporo of Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State.
The name Biase means sons of the father. Biase was created out of Akamkpa Local Government Area in the 1982. Biase in the south is boarded by Akamkpa in the west by Odukpani and Ebonyi state, and in the north by Yakurr and Abi Local Government Area.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Adequate food and good nutrition is a fundamental human right under nutrition is a major threat to health and wellbeing not only in the middle and low income countries but also globally. The ever increasing levels of household food insecurity are contributory to less frequent and inappropriate feeding of rural dwellers.
West Africans diverse agricultural ecosystem provide a wide range of indigenous and traditional foods which if effectively utilized and managed can increase availability, expand household food choice and nutrition. Most often, due to poor nutrition, children and adults alike are vulnerable to disease and death. Malnutrition during early life leads to permanent stunting in growth. Improve health and nutrition among children contribute to high enrolment, better school attendant, low rates of dropouts and improved performance in academic work as well as to social equity and economic growth.
Nutrition education can help people to make informed choices, eat variety of foods and make voluntary life changes due to the availability of starchy foods (carbohydrates) mostly in the rural areas, the recent economic recession and lack of nutrition knowledge of food nutrition.
Most students are not properly fed from their homes and in addition, lack of school feeding programmes/implementation has gone a long way to affect the nutritional status and health of the students (children). Therefore, this work is aimed at finding a solution to malnutrition in the early life of children (students) through nutrition education.

PURPOSE OF STUDY
This work is aimed to study the effect of nutrition education on the food consumption patterns of secondary school children. This study is baseline information for other researchers who may be interested in studying this topic since this type of research has never been conducted in Ikot Okpora, Biase Local Government Area before.

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This work would also be useful to the local government authorities to pay attention on the nutrition and feeding of the school children. • The work will also be beneficial for Community Health Officers/Home Economists to visit these areas and educate the citizens or the community.

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This research could also be beneficial for policy makers, the legislative, the state government to make policies that will encourage food production in order to ensure food security for all households in Nigeria.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research design
The research design for this study was survey design. This was because this study was aimed at studying the situation as it is (Olaitan, 2004).
The study has to do with the effect of nutrition education and the feeding pattern of school (secondary) students in Ikot Okpora of biase local government area of Cross River State. The location of this study is Ikot Okpora in Biase Local Government Area.

Population of study
The population of study was made up of all students in secondary schools of Ikot Okpora; Okoh Comprehensive High School with a total number of three hundred and twenty (320) students and twelve (12) teachers making a total of three hundred and forty six (346) students.

Sample size
The sampling size for this study is the entire population, since there is only one secondary school (320).
Biase local government area has eleven wards namely: 1.
Biakpan 11. Ijom/Abayoung The area known today as Biase is divided into two by Cross River State. The major occupation of the people of Biase is farming, hunting and fishing. In the early days, Biase people were traditionalists who worshiped idols. They were not exposed to Christian religion early enough. Biase people became inclined to Christianity after some levels of exposure; this was made possible by the Scotland mission that came to enlighten the people on Christianity. The major languages in Biase are: Akpet, Umon, Erei and Agwugune. The majror occupations of people in Biase include: yam farming, cassava cultivation, cocoyam, water-yam, plantain, maize, okra vegetables etc., cultivation and fishing. There are also hunters in all the communities of Biase. The people of Biase are very hardworking and industrious people. Biase people were exposed early enough to the modern day education, this resulted in the production of scholars at different levels of education such as doctors, architects, professors, etc. Just as languages differ in Biase so did administration style differs. All villages in Biase have their clan heads, village clan heads, clans chiefs, etc. all these chiefs are subjected to the authority of the paramount ruler who is automatically head of the administration Biase Local Government Area.

Instrument for data collection
The instrument for data collection is a wellstructured (likert scale) questionnaire. The questionnaire is divided into section A, B and C. The A section will be asking questions on the respondent personal data which include: sex, age, occupation, monthly earning, marital status and religion of parents of the students. Section B are questions for feeding information and section C questionnaire (food frequency) designed for the students to know the types of food consumed by them.

Validation of the instrument
The items in the questionnaire were drawn to reflect the hypothesis generated to the variables under study. Before using the instrument, the item developed was taken to experts in research and statistics for screening. Those found relevant were retained while the irrelevant items were dropped.

Reliability of the instrument
Reliability refers to the degree of the consistency that an instrument demonstrated in measuring what it does. To determine the instrument reliability, the researcher administered 40 questionnaires to 40 respondents that are not in the main study. After two weeks, the questionnaire was administered again to the same respondents. The responses of the first and second set were collated and Pearson Product Correlation was used to test the relationship between the two sets.

Procedure for data collection
The questionnaires were the main instrument used for data collection. The questionnaires were administered in school/parents/medical practitioners in Ikot Okpora. The respondents were informed of the exercise and the importance of giving objective responses to the items. They were also told to be honest and reminded that no answer is wrong or right. The researcher administered the questionnaires with the help of some teachers/parents. The questionnaires were collected immediately after completion.

Data analysis
To test the hypotheses generated for the study, the independent paired t-test were employed as shown below:

Hypothesis one H 0 :
There was no significant difference in the availability of food stuff in the community and food consumption patterns of secondary school students. Independent Variable: Food availability Dependent Variable: Consumption pattern Data Analysis: Independent paired t-test Hypothesis two H 0 : There was no significant difference between nutrition education and feeding information of the students.  76,446 (National Population Commission, 2006). Calabar, the post code of the area is 542. The main occupations of Biase people are farming, fishing, hunting and tapping of palm wine. Other occupations include trading, business and civil service jobs. Biase communities are blessed with a lot of human materials and natural resources which include gravel, sand shore, timber, palm wine, fish, yam, pepper, cassava, cocoyam and vegetables. Biase has many primary and secondary schools, health clinics, cottage hospitals, postal agencies, courts and market. The people of Biase have different languages commonly called Ubahara and Egupipa. These people are deeply noted for their cultural heritage which differs in different communities and they have free interaction with one another in different communities in some communities like Okurike, Agwagune, Erei respectively display traditional wrestling, native dance like Obum dance, Ikpe Obin and Edia. Most communities in Biase celebrate new yam festival and this takes place between July to October. During the period there are lots of cultural displays depending on the custom/traditional stipulation of such commodity. Biase communities practice Christianity and traditional religion as few people still hold on their ancestral system of worship and belief.      Table 4.5 showed skipped meals because the food is not available 150 (46.88%) and 80 (25%) skipped because the food was not properly prepared.   Table 4.7

Comparison of the student's consumption of food pattern before and after nutrition education
Paired samples t-test of students' consumption of food pattern before and after nutrition education

Discussion
There was significant increase in the consumption of some food items like vegetables, meat and fish, legumes, green vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and baked products and a significant reduction in the consumption of carbohydrate foods such as starchy fruits, roots and tubers, cereals indicating that nutrition education had a significant effect on the consumption pattern of the students. The increase in the consumption of food items like dairy products, vegetables, legumes, if sustained would have great impact on the health of the students. This means their health and academic performance would also improve. This would also lead to reduction in mortality rate of children in the community and in Nigeria.
The reduction in consumption of carbohydrates products such as starchy roots and tubers, starchy fruits, cereals would reduce protein energy malnutrition kwashiorkor, marasmus, anemia, and micro-nutrient deficiency diseases among this age group. This has implication in the quality of adults in the nation. Majority of the parents (36%) being teenage parents were low income earners and secondary school certificate holders would have effect on the healthcare and education of the students.

SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION Summary
This research on effect of nutrition education on the consumption pattern of secondary school students in Ikot Okpora in Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State was aimed to investigate the types of food available in Ikot Okpora, to determine food frequency of consumption. Survey design and purposive sample was used to select three hundred and twenty students of the school since the number was small and one hundred (100) parents. Descriptive statistics percentages and independent paired sample t-test was used to separate and compare means.
The result of the study showed that majority of the parents were teenagers (36%) who were mostly farmers and traders (40/26%) respectively and who are majorly low income earners (N15,000.00) per month. This would have effect on health of the students. A significant increase in some food items such as dairy products, vegetables, legumes, meat and fish product, pastas, baked products after and a reduction of consumption in food items of carbohydrates such as starchy roots and tubers, cereals, sweets/sugars would have effect on the health of the students. This implied that nutrition education had effect on the consumption pattern of the secondary school students.

RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
Nutrition education should be intensified both in schools and community. Schools feeding programme should be implemented in the state/federal schools, so as to encourage the students to eat variety of meals. From the findings of the research, nutrition education had effect in reducing the amount of carbohydrates and increasing the consumption of protein foods among the going students. The increase in baked products and pasts consumption could be allowed to enable the students take some snacks while in school during brake time, while increase in the consumption of fat and oil (margarine) should be encouraged as