Food Consumption Behavior Among Ethnic Minority Pre-School Children in Mae Chaem District, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand
Keywords:
Pre-school children, Ethnic minority, Consumption behaviorAbstract
This descriptive cross-sectional study aimed to determine food consumption behavior among ethnic minority pre-school children in Mae Chaem district, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand, and was conducted from July to October 2020. The sample was 170 children aged between 3 to 5 years from 3 subdistricts of Mae Chaem district. The research instrument was an interview form with a closed-ended question structure for interviews with parents of children. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The majority (74.4%) of respondents ate three main meals a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner). However, it was found that there were inappropriate food consumption behaviors from eating convenience food such as instant noodles, canned fish, sweet snacks, sweetened beverages, and other snacks, etc. It was found that most of the sample (82.9%) drank cow's milk, consuming an average of one cup of cow's milk per day, which was less than the recommended amount. The results of this study can be used to address consumption behavior in ethnic minority pre-school children jointly among nursery teachers, parents, and other stakeholders in order to further encourage pre-school children to have proper dietary behaviors.
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