Effect of Alcohol Consumption on the Nutritional Status of Male Diploma Students in The Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro

Abstract

Two hundred (200) male of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro students randomly selected from the Schools of Pure and Applied Sciences, Engineering, Management Studies and Environmental Studies were used to study the effect of alcohol consumption on nutritional status of Diploma students. A validated structured questionnaire was used as research instrument to collect socio demographic and socio-economic characteristics, and alcohol consumption of the research subjects, while bodyweights and heights (anthropometric parameters) were measured using standard methods. The Body Mass Index (BMI) were estimated and used to define the nutritional status of the subjects. Data were subjected to descriptive (percent frequency, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential (chi-square and ANOVA) statistical analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) VERSION 20.0. The results indicated that alcohol consumption habit was developed by the male Polytechnic students at the early age of 15 to 20 and majority grow to become habitual drinkers consuming as much as thrice daily. The drinking habit spread among the students through peer pressure where alcohol consumption became 57.5% prevalence. Also, the alcohol consumption significantly affected their nutritional status expressed by BMI where 31.5% of them exhibited abnormal bodyweight (underweight and overweight), forms of malnutrition. Consequently, affected students are the risk of associated health complications relating to alcohol consumption if not curtailed.