Evaluate of Healthy Food Choices and Dietary Habits Among Preschool Children in Zagazig City

Abstract

Background: Healthy food choices are important during the whole life course, it is especially important during the first years of life, since these are the most crucial years for normal physical and mental development. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the healthy food choices and dietary habits among preschool children in Zagazig city. Subjects and methods: descriptive study design was used to conduct the present study where 70 child were selected by using multistage cluster sampling technique from three governmental nursery schools in Zagazig city. Data were collected by using an interview questionnaire developed by the researcher in the light of the current related literature and composed of demographic data, child dietary habits, and a standardized healthy food choices pictorial scale for kindergarten child. The study results showed that about two thirds of preschool children had unsatisfactory knowledge about heart nutrients, energy food, musculoskeletal nutrients, snacks, oral and hand hygiene. The study concluded that, the majority of the study sample had normal dietary habits, they were having unsatisfactory knowledge concerning the healthy food choices. Therefore, it is recommended that further researches should be developed based on the predictors affecting of healthy food choices to tailor more effective intervention for preschool children.