Tropentag, September 10 - 12, 2025, Bonn "Reconciling land system changes with planetary health"

Feeding practices and nutritional status of adolescents in elementary schools with canteens in southern Benin

¹University of Abomey-Calavi, Lab. of Food Science/Human Nutrition and Food Science, Benin
²The Alliance of Bioversity International & CIAT, Food Environment and Consumer Behaviour, Benin

Abstract

Effects of poor dietary practices and habits emerge in early childhood and have long-term implications for health in adulthood. This study aimed at analysing the feeding practices and nutritional status of school-aged children in elementary schools with canteens in three urban and peri-urban communes in southern Benin. Schoolchildren dietary and nutritional data as well as households’ socioeconomic data were collected from a random sample of 641 schoolchildren aged 6-14yrs. The 24-hour recall was used to calculate the dietary diversity score (DDS), and anthropometry for nutritional status. A generalised linear model was built to assess factors associated to schoolchildren DDS and stunting height-for-age index. The result revealed that the diet of school children is mainly dominated by cereals (corn and rice), other vegetables (mainly tomato), fish, and (vegetables oil). DDS did not differ from school days (5.8 ± 5.4) to non-school days (5.7 ± 1.4) (p=0.200). Malnutrition prevalences were 13.3% for stunting, 14.9% for wasting, 12.7% for underweight, and 1.6% for overweight/obesity.Overweight/obesity was higher in girls than boys. The size and the socioeconomic level score of the household and professional activity of the father are significantly associated with their nutritional status. The lower the level of education of mothers in the household, the lower the children’s DDS. Schoolchildren living in households with a high socioeconomic status were less likely to have low DDS and to suffer from stunting. Malnutrition remains prevalent among schoolchildren in urban areas of Benin. Nutrition education, coupled with school gardens are planned to improve children's nutritional and health status.

Keywords: Dietary diversity score, schoolchildren, stunting

Contact Address: Grâce Allagbe, University of Abomey-Calavi, Lab. of Food Science/Human Nutrition and Food Science, Abomey-Calavi, Benin, e-mail: graceallagbe960gmail.com