Dietary and physical activity patterns of 8- to 10-year-old urban schoolchildren in Manila, Philippines

This report is the second part of a study on the nutrition of urban schoolchildren in the city of Manila; the first part was on nutritional status. The primary purpose of the study was to gather data that will assist authorities in planning and implementing nutrition education programs focused on the growing problem of obesity and overweight in children. The study included 1,208 children 8 to 10 years of age, who were randomly selected from all public and private schools in the city of Manila. Data on the children's dietary and physical activity patterns, together with information on nutrition-related knowledge, attitudes, and preferences of the children and their parents, were gathered by interviews and self-administered questionnaires. There were distinct differences in dietary and physical activity patterns between the two groups of children. Children from private schools, who are generally of higher socioeconomic status than those from public schools, tended to consume more total food, more animal foods, fats, and oils, and more beverages, resulting in higher intakes of calories, protein, iron, and vitamin A than public schoolchildren. Moreover, children from private schools were apparently less physically active, were more likely to be driven to school instead of walking, and were more likely to prefer television and computer games over outdoor games. These differences agree with an earlier report on the nutritional status of the children as determined by anthropometry, which showed a higher proportion of overnutrition and a lower proportion of undernutrition among private schoolchildren than among public schoolchildren. Although the emphasis in public schools should be on prevention and control of undernutrition in children, private schools should begin to look at the emerging problem of overnutrition and the role of physical activity programs in the health of children. The information on the knowledge, attitudes, and preferences of the children and their parents showed that parents or guardians, teachers, and television influence the nutritional practices of schoolchildren. These groups should therefore be the major targets for nutrition education programs meant to improve the nutrition and health of schoolchildren.