Feeding Behavior among Health-care Workers in a Tertiary Health Institution Southeast Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Feeding behavior is an important factor in the prevention and management of noncommunicable diseases, which are the leading cause of death globally. Objective: This study is aimed to investigate the feeding behaviors among health-care workers in a tertiary hospital in southeast Nigeria. Materials and Methods: The study was a cross-sectional survey. A total of 418 participants (186 males and 232 females) were involved in the study. The instrument is a sociodemographic questionnaire and a modified form of the British Heart Foundation's questions to assess the nutritional value of individuals. The participants were consecutively recruited from their workstations. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires, which were hand distributed and collected back on the same day after completion. Results: The study showed that health workers in the teaching hospital had an overall “fair” feeding behavior (86.13 ± 8.52 out of 140). It also showed that females had a significant (P < 0.05) overall better feeding behavior (88.15 ± 9.00) compared to males (83.62 ± 7.18). The studied participants had poor feeding behavior in carbohydrates and fats and oil consumption and just fair behavior in fruits and vegetables, salt intake, and water consumption. The feeding behavior was inadequate, and there was no significant gender or profession-related differences in the overall behavior of the participants. Conclusion: The health-care workers in the tertiary health institution in southeast Nigeria have inadequate feeding behavior. They should join in the global call and awareness on healthy feeding behavior to prevent and reduce the burden of noncommunicable diseases.