Ortaokul Öğrencilerinin Gıda Güvenilirliği, Sağlıklı Beslenme Bilgi, Tutum ve Davranışları ile Kantinden Gıda Tüketim Tercihlerinin İncelenmesi

Abstract

Food is one of the most important physiological needs and is indispensable for human life. All living things in nature need to be fed and supplied with food in order to survive. Nutrition has a special importance especially for secondary school students who are in the developmental age and school plays an indispensable role in the acquisition of nutritional habits in this period. It is therefore very important that the food served in school canteens is safe and nutritious. This study was conducted to determine the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of secondary school students regarding food safety and healthy nutrition, the foods they prefer to buy from canteens and their consumption frequency. Population of the study consisted of 632 students studying in the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grades in secondary schools in Çankaya, Yenimahalle and Altındağ districts located in Ankara city center. Data of the study was collected with a survey form consisting of the Food Safety Behavior Scale, Nutrition Attitude Scale and Nutrition Behavior Scale as well as demographic information of the students. Descriptive statistics, number and percentage distributions, chi-square analysis, t-testi, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multiple comparison test (LSD) were used in data analysis. According to the results of the statistical analysis, students' food safety behaviors show a significant difference between genders and grades (p<0.05). Girls and seventh grade students have more positive food safety behaviors than others. In terms of nutrition attitudes, this difference is observed only between the grades (p<0.05). The healthy nutrition attitudes of fifth grade students were more positive than the others. Nutritional behaviors of the students also showed a significant difference between genders and grades (p<0.05). Girls and the healthy nutrition attitudes of fifth graders were more positive than the others. When the food sold in canteens and the frequency of consumption of such food by students are analyzed, it is seen that foods that are beneficial for health are not sold and consumed highly in canteens; food that is harmful to health is sold in canteens even though their sale is prohibited, but their consumption frequency is lower than the others; and the food that is conditionally suitable for sale in canteens is the most consumed/sold product group in canteens. Water is one of the most frequently consumed food and the frequency of students' consumption of food harmful to health decreases as socioeconomic level increases.