Assessment of the factors affecting feeding in schools a case study of Wakiso subcounty, Wakiso district
Abstract
The study was conducted in Wakiso Sub County in Wakiso that is comprised of 13 parishes and 149 villages. The study aimed at assessing the factors affecting feeding in schools using a case study of Wakiso sub county and specifically looking at relationship between family income, distance from home to school, education level of parents, occupation of parents, school farming, price of food around school and feeding at school. The study adopted a cross sectional survey research design so as to obtain primary data that was used to generate the study findings.
Majority of the respondents were males and only 43% were females, 55% of the respondents were aged 15 – 19 years, 24% were aged 20 years and above and 21% were aged 10 – 14 years. The study indicated that 54% of the respondents were from middle class families, 25% were from rich class families and only 21% were from poor class of people. Family income significantly impacts feeding in schools (p-value<0.05) and children from rich families are associated 1.212 times more likely to take more meals per day as compared to those from poor families. Education of parents significantly impact feeding in schools (p-value<0.05), for example, children whose parents had post-secondary education level are 1.323 times more likely to take more number of meals taken per day while those of secondary are 1.205 times more likely of taking more number of meals per day than those from no level of education completed. Parents’ occupation influences the feeding in schools (p-value<0.05) and children from salaried parents are 1.124 times more likely to take more meals per day. Distance from the school, price of food around the school and availability of school garden do not influence feeding in schools (p-value>0.05).
The study concluded that income of parents, education level of parents and distance from the school plays a big role in feeding of children in schools. The study recommended that Food should be subsidized for people from poor economic background so that they can always have food in schools and massive sensitization should be done on people with low education levels and information availed to them on dangers of malnutrition due to poor feeding practices.