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Table 2 Meal patterns and food intake of Palestinian adolescent boys (n = 439) from North Gaza Strip by sociodemographic factors (%)a

From: Sociodemographic correlates of food habits among school adolescents (12–15 year) in north Gaza Strip

  

Resident statusb

Household SESc

Mother educationf

 

Total

(%)

Local Citizen

(n = 186)

Refugee

(n = 253)

P

Low

(n = 131)

Medium

(n = 190)

high

(n = 106)

p

Low

(n = 242)

Medium

/high

(n = 184)

p

Meal pattern (7 t/w) d

Breakfast

65.6†

64.0

66.8

0.30

55.0

67.9

74.5

0.005

66.1

65.8

0.51

Lunch

82.5†

81.7

83.0

0.41

75.6

84.7

86.8

0.04

78.1

88.0

0.005

Dinner

49.5

47.8

50.6

0.32

45.8

51.1

50.9

0.61

51.7

46.2

0.15

3 meals/day

41.9†

37.6

45.6

0.07

34.4

42.6

49.6

0.07

51.7

46.2

0.15

Snacks

25.1

26.3

24.1

0.37

25.2

21.6

28.3

0.42

24.8

25.5

0.47

Food intake (weekly basis) e

Beef (>3 t/w)

7.3

7.0

7.5

0.41

6.1

6.8

10.4

0.42

6.2

8.2

0.28

Chicken (>3 t/w)

3.4

1.1

5.1

0.02

2.3

1.6

8.5

0.005

2.1

5.4

0.05

Bread (≥ 20 t/w)

76.1†

74.7

77.1

0.32

65.6

80.5

81.1

0.003

73.1

79.9

0.07

Cookies (≥ 7 t/w)

14.6†

9.1

18.6

0.004

13.0

13.7

18.9

0.38

15.7

12.0

0.17

Soft drinks (≥ 7 t/w)

6.2†

1.6

9.5

<0.001

5.3

5.8

7.5

0.76

5.8

7.1

0.37

Eggs (≥ 7 t/w)

13.9

5.9

19.8

<0.001

15.3

11.6

17.0

0.39

11.6

16.3

0.10

Rice (≥ 7 t/w)

6.8†

2.7

9.9

0.002

6.1

6.3

8.5

0.72

5.8

8.2

0.22

Fruits (≥ 7 t/w)

11.6†

9.1

13.4

0.11

6.9

11.1

17.0

0.049

11.6

11.4

0.54

Juice (≥ 7 t/w)

7.5†

3.8

10.3

0.005

4.6

6.8

13.1

0.04

6.6

9.2

0.20

Chocolates (≥ 7 t/w)

10.7†

5.4

14.6

0.001

7.6

10.5

16.0

0.12

11.6

10.3

0.40

Yogurt (≥ 7 t/w)

19.8

16.1

22.5

0.006

19.1

17.9

20.8

0.83

17.8

21.7

0.18

Vegetables (≥ 7 t/w)

27.6†

21.0

32.4

<0.001

25.2

30.0

27.4

0.63

28.1

27.1

0.51

Milk (≥ 7 t/w)

33.7

31.2

35.5

0.19

31.3

31.1

39.6

0.28

34.7

33.2

0.41

Cheese (≥ 7 t/w)

30.8

24.7

35.2

0.02

16.8

31.6

47.2

<0.001

27.3

33.7

0.09

Legumes (≥ 7 t/w)

18.9†

17.7

19.8

0.40

16.8

19.5

21.7

0.63

19.0

18.5

0.50

Tea (≥ 20 t/w)

32.8

30.6

34.4

0.25

31.3

35.3

30.2

0.61

36.4

27.7

0.04

  1. †χ2 test was used to compare differences between boys and girls. Statistical significance was considered at, p < 0.05
  2. aχ2 was used to compare differences between sociodemographic variables. P < 0.05 considered to be significant
  3. bPalestinian population is divided into two Resident status groups; refugees and local citizen of which 70% of the Gaza Population is with refugee status while 30% of them are with local citizen status.
  4. cHousehold SES score was based on the possession of 6 household amenities; each item was given a value of 1.
  5. dThere are three meals consumed on a daily basis in the Palestinian context, in which lunch is the main family meal.
  6. eFoods items frequency intake was calculated on weekly basis and grouped into two categories according to their weekly consumption. Meat and chicken were grouped as > 3 times and 3 times or less per week, bread was grouped as < 20 times and ≥ 20 times per week and all other food items were grouped as <7 times and ≥ 7 times per week.
  7. fMother's education level was divided into two categories based on the numbers of years of education; (1) low was considered 11 years or less, (2) medium/high was considered 12 or more.
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BMC Public Health

ISSN: 1471-2458

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