INFLUENCE OF PARENTAL SOCIO-ECONOMIC VARIABLES ON THE DIETARY PATTERNS OF SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

This study assessed the influence of parental socio-economic variables on the dietary patterns of school-age children in Kaduna State, Nigeria. The research design of the study was an ex-post facto design. The population of the study consists of 2,219,429 women of childbearing age and their children; the sample size of the study was 384 mothers with their children. Children’s height, weight, and BMI were measured with a weighing scale and measuring tape, and a questionnaire was used to collect data on the socio-economic status of the parents. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the demographic characteristics, while ANOVA and one-sample t-tests were used to test the hypotheses 1, 2, 3, and 4 at a 0.05 level of significance. Findings showed that the dietary patterns of school-age children in Kaduna State were statistically significant (p = 0.001 < 0.05). Additionally, parental socio-economic variables significantly influenced these dietary patterns (p = 0.00 < 0.05). Meanwhile the study underscore the complexity of addressing dietary patterns of school age children in Kaduna State and the facts that the dual burden of malnutrition present a unique challenge for public health interventions and the study recommends nutrition education programs targeting children, parents and caregivers, promoting maternal education on nutrition and health, and calls for support from NGOs like FAO to help reduce hunger, malnutrition, and enhance sustainable agriculture in the north west region.