Assessment of the nutritional status and quality of food for Brazzaville pupils: The case of high school pupils at Lionil Modern School (Brazzaville, Congo)

Abstract

The problem of child malnutrition is a phenomenon associated with an accelerated nutritional transition in developing countries. The objective of this work is to assess the nutritional status of high school pupils in the city of Brazzaville, as well as the relationship between the Body Mass Index (BMI) obtained and the eating behavior of these pupils. This study is based on a descriptive cross-sectional survey that was conducted using a questionnaire that provided information on the nutritional status and dietary intake of high school pupils. A total of 160 high school pupils were observed. Nutritional status is appreciated by age BMI for adolescents. The feeding behavior was assessed through food recordings for a period of one month. The results showed that the BMI/age is 18.65 ± 0.9. No significant associations were observed between sex and nutritional status of children. The double nutritional burden, underweight and obesity, coexists. Almost half of the pupils (51.87%) have three daily meals that are taken at varying times with breakfast jump. The consumption of tubers, meat and sweets is very important. The consumption of fruits and vegetables is below recommendations. Consumption of milk and dairy products is low and that of legumes is very low. The majority of pupils have a normal nutritional status but average BMI near the lower limit of normalcy. The coexistence of obesity and underweight in the sample under study as a consequence of unbalanced diets.