Activity Behaviour and eating habits among adolescents of District Pulwama Kashmir

Tahira Sidiq; Bilal Ahmad Bhat; Nilofer Khan; Abdul Majid Ganai

Activity Behaviour and eating habits among adolescents of District Pulwama Kashmir

Authors
Tahira Sidiq, Bilal Ahmad Bhat, Nilofer Khan, Abdul Majid Ganai

Abstract
Background: Changes in dietary habits and lifestyle are considered as the main factors associated with several diet-related diseases in the Kashmir. In Kashmir people adopt the faulty dietary habits, follow the wrong myths and had wrong knowledge regarding diet. So taking in consideration these points in minds the aim of our study was, therefore, to identify the activity behaviour and eating habits amongst adolescents of district Pulwama Kashmir as adolescents are our future generation and early development effects the later development.

Design: A cross-sectional study was carried out amongst male and female adolescents. A sample size of 300 adolescents (138 males and 162 females), aged 15-18 years was selected from registered coaching centre’s at Pampore of district Pulwama during the year 2015.

Results: Skipping breakfast was significantly greater in Kashmir adolescents. All studied respondents ate snacks during school break which they brought from the school canteen. Furthermore, chips were more preferred by both respondents. Female respondents prefer sweets, biscuits ad chocolates than the male respondents. Street fried foods like nadur mounj, tilikar, pakoda are consumed by males than the females. Dinner was the only family meal in adolescents. About 76.66% respondents watched TV for 1-2 hours a day (70.2% boys and 82% girls). About 52.89% males and 36.41% females eat while watching TV. It was also observed that surfing internet was also common among the adolescents as they think that life is incomplete without the internet. About 70% of males practiced sports everyday as against 32.71% of females and 46.37% participated in sports activity outside school were males and no females respondents participated in activity outside the school due to social and cultural factors.

Conclusion: It seems that the adolescents in Pulwama district of Kashmir valley are moving towards unhealthy dietary habits and lifestyles, which in turn will affect their health status in the future. Promoting healthy lifestyle and eating habits should be given a priority in school health programs.

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