Influence of Socio-economic Status on Adolescents Eating Behaviour

The study was conducted on food habit, nature and type of food intake along with frequency of food group taken by adolescents in urban area of Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh). One hundred adolescents were purposely selected from different schools and colleges of Muzaffarnagar. The information was gathered with the help of "questionnaire-cum-interview technique ". Interview questionnaire contained comprehensive questions related to present study. The data were presented in tabular form .The study revealed that more than half of overall adolescents (68%) were vegetarian, but only 4 per cent adolescents used to consume proper diet regularly. The food habit was associated with socio-economic status (SES) of the family. All food groups were preferred by high socio-economic status (HSES). They showed high consumption of green vegetable (90.9%), grind pulse (60.5%), cereals (51.5%), medium fat and spice (87.8% and 72.7%) and low consumption of tea (36.4%), whole pulses (39.4%), ischolar_main and fibrous vegetables (6.06% and 3.03%). High difference was also found between preferences of intake of food. There were 65 per cent, 78 per cent, 58 per cent adolescents who preferred intake of hot food, occasionally eat junk food, like to eat traditional food on special occasion. It was seen that adolescents of the high socioeconomic group were far better than the adolescents of middle socio-economic group and to maintain nutritional status of adolescents of middle socio-economic group. They should be trained to make a right food habit about their meal consumption pattern. So, they can adopt healthy eating pattern and life style.