Ready-to-eat savouries consumption behavior of sixth grade students in Muang district, Phitsanulok province

Abstract

The objectives of this descriptive study were to investigate ready-to-eat savouries consumption behaviour and to identify the consumed ready-to-eat savouries based on Thai recommended daily intakes of public sixth-grade students in Muang district, Phitsanulok province. The 321 students of 14 schools from the population of 1,550 students in 51 schools were asked to complete the structured questionnaire from November 2019 to January 2020. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and chi-square test.

The mean age of participants was 12.2 years (SD=0.50). They consumed ready-to-eat savouries at least 3 days per week (65.1% of them), an average of 1–2 packs per day, mean expenditure was 26.5 baht per day (SD=18.25) and bought them from stores in or near the schools only 26.9%. The most frequently consumed savouries were potato chips (85.7%) and fried crackers (4.1%) which the main purchase factor was its taste. According to the Guideline Daily Amount (GDA), most of them were classified as the red group having low quality; less nutrition; and high energy, sugars, fats, and salt. Most students consumed the savouries during the meal (81.2%) and before bedtime (17.2%). The study found preliminary relationships between daily pocket money and purchasing behaviour, price, and colour-group identified nutrient content of the savouries (p=0.000, 0.000, 0.000, respectively). Furthermore, store location related to price, group, and color-group (p=0.000, 0.034, 0.000, respectively). According to daily pocket money related to the consumption, mostly were low-quality savouries; therefore, the skill improvement of choosing the savouries properly and using the money for other benefits besides the savoury consumption should be performed.