How well are adolescents in the Gouda district of Western Cape meeting the South African food-based dietary guidelines for fat, sugar and sodium?

Abstract

This study aimed to determine whether the dietary intake of primary school learners in a rural area of the Western Cape was in line with three of the South African food-based dietary guidelines: “Use fats sparingly, choose vegetable oils rather than hard fats”, “use sugar and foods and drinks high in sugar sparingly”, and “use salt and food high in salt sparingly”.

A cross-sectional study was undertaken at two primary schools in low socioeconomic settings. Participants were grades five, six and seven learners (10-13 years old) at two schools in the Gouda District of the Western Cape (n=161). The learner’s sociodemographic status was determined by means of a questionnaire. Weight, height and mid-upper arm circumference were measured to assess the nutritional status of each learner. Dietary intake was measured by means of a 24-hour recall and an indicator food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Results showed that 11.8% of learners were overweight and 5.6% were obese (17.4% BMI ≥ +1SD). Of the 161 participants, 30.4% of learners were above the recommended range of intakes for dietary fat intake, 54.7% of learners were above the recommended range for added sugar intake, and 51.6% of learners were above the recommended range for sodium intake.