A CASE STUDY TO EXAMINE THE FEEDING PRACTICES OF PUPILS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN KAYUNGA DISTRICT, CENTRAL UGANDA. A DESCRIPTIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY STUDY.

Abstract

Background This study aims to document the feeding practices of pupils in primary schools in Kayunga district, central Uganda. Feeding is the provision of meals to a person or animals. In children, feeding occurs in the context of the caregiver-child dyad. Feeding practices in this context are arrangements of providing food to school children. For this study, feeding practices are home-packed food, school-prepared food, and commercialized food outlets. Feeding practices are an important determinant of children’s nutritional status, which is directly related to the risk of becoming sick and dying. Kayunga district is one of the districts in the central region of Uganda with many pupils as the leading population of learners. Therefore, feeding is one of the basics to support an education. Therefore, this study seeks to assess the feeding practices of pupils in primary schools in Kayunga district, central Uganda. Methodology This study used a descriptive cross-sectional correlational survey design and adopted a mixed research approach. Results The findings showed that 59% of the pupils were getting meals prepared at school, 36% of the pupils get meals from home and 5% of the pupils are getting meals from food outlets. Conclusion There were three main feeding practices in primary schools in Kayunga District. Namely; package food from home, school arranged feeding and food from outlets like canteen and restaurants. The study documented that among the three main feeding practices, most pupils are fed from school on the school management arrangements in Kayunga District. Recommendation Schools should also provide storage places for meals of students. This will help students to have meals at the appropriate time and use available time to read without interruptions.