Author(s)

Téné Marceline Yaméogo¹, Bazoumana Coulibali¹, Aimée Senkaye-Lagom Kissou², Issiaka Sombié¹, Carole Gilberte Kyelem¹, Mireille Marie D. Tapsoba¹, Alassane Ilboudo², Omar Guira³, Djingri Lankoandé², Abraham Bagbila², Marina Birba², Macaire Sampawindé Ouédraogo¹, Youssouf Joseph Drabo³

¹INSSA, University Nazi Boni, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.
²CHU Souro Sanon, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.
³UFR-SDS, University Joseph Ki Zerbo, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Introduction: Diet is a determinant of chronic non transmissible diseases. The aim of this study was to describe pupils’ diet in the city of Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso). Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study that took place from March to April 2016, among 1st, 4th and 7th form pupils of public and private schools in the city of Bobo-Dioulasso. Diet survey methods were a reminder of the last 24 hours and the questionnaire of consumption frequency. Results: A total of 1993 pupils were surveyed. The mean age was 17.5 ± 3.6 years and the sex ratio 0.7. The majority of pupils (90.5%) reported eating at least 3 meals a day. Dietary recommendations were different according to food groups. For example, vegetables (90.0%), fruits (75.4%) and dairy products (79.3%) were the least well consumed foods compared to recommendations. Protein and starch intake were inadequate among these pupils with 39.7% and 58.2% respectively. Almost 1/4 had a regular weekly alcohol consumption (23.4%) while an excessive consumption of sweet drinks and fried foods was noted in 12.7% and 28.2% of them, respectively. Conclusion: This study has revealed a general insufficiency in the recommended dietary intakes of fruit, vegetables, proteins, starchy foods and dairy products among pupils, and on the other hand, a regular consumption of fatty, sugary and alcoholic foods for about a fifth of them. An intervention program such as “Communication for Continuous Behavior Change” would help improve these habits.

Food Behavior, Pupils, Burkina Faso

Marceline Yaméogo, T. , Coulibali, B. , Senkaye-Lagom Kissou, A. , Sombié, I. , Gilberte Kyelem, C. , Marie D. Tapsoba, M. , Ilboudo, A. , Guira, O. , Lankoandé, D. , Bagbila, A. , Birba, M. , Sampawindé Ouédraogo, M. and Joseph Drabo, Y. (2018) Food Behavior of Pupils in the City of Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso). Open Journal of Pediatrics, 8, 134-140. doi: 10.4236/ojped.2018.82016.