FOOD SKILLS AS PREDICTIVE MECHANISM OF DIET QUALITY: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF HEALTHY FOOD CHOICE OF ADOLESCENTS IN ENUGU STATE, NIGERIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53555/nnssh.v8i8.1330Keywords:
food skills, food choice, diet quality, adolescents, girlsAbstract
Several studies have identified young people's food habits and preferences in Nigeria and found a strong preference for fast foods, snacks, and fizzy drinks. Indeed, there is a growing concern about the dietary quality of ultra-processed foods. However, little is known about the role of adequate food skills in an individual's choice of a quality meal. This study examined food skills as a predictive mechanism for healthy food choices in adolescent girls. The participants comprised two hundred and eleven (n-211) female students pooled from three public tertiary institutions in the Enugu state of Nigeria. The respondents completed a self-report measure of food skills and healthy food choices. The result revealed a statistically significant interaction between food skills and food choice F (1,209), 38.17, P<.000. Thus, it was recommended that food skills are an essential determinant of healthy food choices. The result has implications for improving healthy food choices in adolescents.
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