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Parental Roles in Shaping the Nutritional Habits and Outcomes of Primary School Pupils in Ekiti State
Subject area: Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities · Area of research: Childhood Education
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I7-1714006
Abstract
This study investigated the roles parents play in shaping the nutritional habits and outcomes of primary school pupils in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Using a descriptive survey design, data was collected from 120 parents of primary school pupils in Ado Local Government, Ekiti State, selected via purposive sampling. The research instruments, two self-designed questionnaires on food types and parental roles, demonstrated strong reliability with Cronbach Alpha coefficients of 0.76 and 0.74. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics (frequency counts, mean, percentage, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (T-test). Key findings revealed that a variety of foods are provided to pupils, but parents' socioeconomic status significantly influences the nutritional choices made for their children (p-value = 0.000<0.05). The study identified the high cost of healthy food as a major barrier to adequate nutrition, an issue tied to the state of the economy. While parents were found to play important roles in monitoring and educating their children on food, the research showed no significant difference between the roles parents play and the nutritional choices made for their children (p-value = 0.679>0.05). The study concludes that parental socioeconomic status is a critical factor influencing children's nutritional outcomes and that economic barriers must be addressed to improve child nutrition in the region.
Keywords
Parental Roles, Nutritional Habits, Outcomes, Primary School Pupils, Ekiti State, Nigeria
References
[1] Adams, P., & Mendez, S. (2022). The impact of socioeconomic status on children's nutrition: Challenges and solutions. Journal of Nutrition and Public Health, 19(3), 88-96.
[2] Adesanya, A. O., Musa, I. Y., & Olagunju, T. I. (2022). Parental influence and dietary habits of school-aged children in Ibadan, Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Nutrition Sciences, 43(1), 65–74
[3] Ajayi, O. S., Ojo, R. A., & Oyetunde, T. O. (2020). Cultural beliefs and nutritional practices among mothers of primary school pupils in Osun State. African Journal of Health, Safety and Environment, 11(2), 42–50
[4] American Academy of Pediatrics, (2023). Bright Futures: Recommendation for preventive pediatric health care (2023 edition). https://www.aap.org/periodicty
[5] Davis, R., & Lopez, M. (2023). The importance of parental involvement in children's nutrition for optimal health and development. Journal of Pediatric Nutrition and Development, 25(2), 115-122.
[6] Ezekiel, A. F., & Okechukwu, N. E. (2023). Parents as nutritional role models: A study on feeding practices among Nigerian households. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences in Nigeria, 18(1), 23–32.
[7] Freed, G. L., Singer, D. C., Gebremariam, A., Schultz, S. L., & Clark, S. J. (2021). Parent views on fast food and family meals. C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health, 39(3)
[8] Gundersen, C., & Ziliak, J. P. (2022). Food insecurity and health outcomes. Health Affairs, 41(3), 389-395. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2021.01739
[9] National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). (2022). Nigeria Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2021 Report. Abuja: NBS.
[10] Onabanjo, O. O., Fakoya, M. O., & Oguntona, T. E. (2021). Nutritional awareness and feeding practices of parents in Ogun State: Implications for child health. Journal of Dietetics and Nutrition Research in Nigeria, 7(2), 109–11
[11] Raza, A., Fox, K. R., & Morris, J. (2023). Bringing down barriers to children’s healthy eating: A critical review of opportunities within a complex food system.
How to cite this paper
@article{1714006,
author = {Omodun Kemisola Julianah},
title = {Parental Roles in Shaping the Nutritional Habits and Outcomes of Primary School Pupils in Ekiti State},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2026},
volume = {9},
number = {7},
pages = {2516-2523},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1714006.pdf},
abstract = {This study investigated the roles parents play in shaping the nutritional habits and outcomes of primary school pupils in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Using a descriptive survey design, data was collected from 120 parents of primary school pupils in Ado Local Government, Ekiti State, selected via purposive sampling. The research instruments, two self-designed questionnaires on food types and parental roles, demonstrated strong reliability with Cronbach Alpha coefficients of 0.76 and 0.74. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics (frequency counts, mean, percentage, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (T-test). Key findings revealed that a variety of foods are provided to pupils, but parents' socioeconomic status significantly influences the nutritional choices made for their children (p-value = 0.000<0.05). The study identified the high cost of healthy food as a major barrier to adequate nutrition, an issue tied to the state of the economy. While parents were found to play important roles in monitoring and educating their children on food, the research showed no significant difference between the roles parents play and the nutritional choices made for their children (p-value = 0.679>0.05). The study concludes that parental socioeconomic status is a critical factor influencing children's nutritional outcomes and that economic barriers must be addressed to improve child nutrition in the region.},
keywords = {Parental Roles, Nutritional Habits, Outcomes, Primary School Pupils, Ekiti State, Nigeria},
month = {January},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I7-1714006}
}