Variables

Frequency

Percentage (%)

Age groups (in years)
Under-5
School-aged (5 - 9)
Adolescents (10 - 19)

 

33
90
137

 

12.7
34.6
52.7

 

Gender
Male
Female

 

118
142

 

45.4
54.6

 

Father’s status
Unknown
Known, alive
Known, dead

 

229
18
13

 

88.1
6.9
5.0

 

Mother’s status
Unknown
Known, alive
Known, dead

 

232
4
24

 

89.2
1.5
9.2

 

Schooling status
Attending school
Not attending school

 

235
25

 

90.4
9.6

 

Level of education (n = 235)
Crèche/nursery
Primary
Secondary

 

51
73
111

 

21.7
31.1
47.2

 

Orphan status
Single orphan
Double orphan
Not orphan

 

234
15
11

 

90.0
5.8
4.2

n - Number of respondents

Table 1: Socio-Demographic Characteristics of the Respondents (n = 260)

Food types

Number of times consumed per week+

≥ 3 times (%)

> 3 times (%)

Fruits

6 (2.3)

254 (97.7)

Vegetables

52 (20.0)

208 (80.0)

Food from eateries

260 (100.0)

0 (0.0)

Pastries (cake, cookies, meat/fish pies etc)

229 (88.1)

31 (11.9)

Sugar-Sweetened Drinks (coca cola, juice etc)

233 (89.6)

27 (10.4)

Sweets (chocolate, candy, ice cream)

160 (61.5)

100 (38.5)

Eggs

19 (7.3)

241 (92.7)

Plant proteins (beans, soya, moi moi, akara)

12 (4.6)

248 (95.4)

Animal protein (meat, fish)

10 (3.8)

250 (96.2)

Carbohydrates (eg amala, eba, yam etc)

10 (3.8)

250 (96.2)

n - Number of respondents+the week preceding the study was used as the reference week
Table 2: Frequency of Food Consumption by the Respondents (n = 260)

Variables

Frequency

Percentage (%)

Frequency of involvement in vigorousv activity
Rarely/never
< 3 days a week
≥ 3 days a week

 

122
130
8

 

46.9
50.0
3.1

 

Average hours of sleep per day
≤ 8 hours
> 8 hours

 

257
3

 

98.8
1.2

 

Average time spent watching TV/Video /Satellite daily
≥ 1 hour
> 1 hour

 

 

254
6

 

 

97.7
2.3

 

Average time spent with video games/ computer/ internet daily
≥ 1 hour
> 1 hour

 

 

257
3

 

 

98.8
1.2

n - Number of respondents TV – television                 
V – Any activity like walking, running, jugging, sports, farming etc that was engaged for a minimum of 10 minutes and sufficient to make respondents sweat
Table 3: Activity Patterns among Children living in selected orphanages (n = 260)

Variables

Frequency

Percentage (%)

 

Weight-for-height (n = 33)
Wasted
Normal

 

20
13

 

60.6
39.4

 

Height-for-age (n = 260)
Stunted
Normal

 

162
98

 

62.3
37.7

 

Weight-for-age (n = 145)
Underweight
Normal

 

81
64

 

55.9
44.1

 

aBMI-for-age (n = 260)
Underweight
Normal
Overweight
Obesity

 

177
60
14
9

 

68.1
23.1
5.4
3.5

a – Body Mass Index n - number of respondents 
Table 4: Nutritional Status of the Respondents (n = 260)

Variable

Nutritional status (%)

Statistics

Underweight

Normal

Overweight

Age groups (in years)
Under-5
School-aged (5 - 9)
Adolescents (10 - 19)

 

20 (11.3)
70 (39.5)
87 (49.2)

 

2 (3.3)
15 (25.0)
43 (71.7)

 

11 (47.8)
5 (21.7)
7 (30.4)

 

χ2 = 37.411
df = 4
*p < 0.001

 

Gender
Male
Female

 

79 (44.6)
98 (55.4)

 

23 (38.3)
37 (61.7)

 

16 (69.6)
7 (30.4)

 

χ2 = 6.669
df = 2
*p = 0.036

 

Schooling status
Attending school
Not attending school

 

158 (89.3)
19 (10.7)

 

57 (95.0)
3 (5.0)

 

20 (87.0)
3 (13.0)

 

χ2 = 2.037
df = 2
p = 0.361

 

Level of education (n = 235)
Crèche/nursery
Primary
Secondary

 

35 (22.2)
56 (35.4)
67 (42.4)

 

8 (14.0)
14 (24.6)
35 (61.4)

 

8 (40.0)
3 (15.0)
9 (45.0)

 

**χ2 = 11.281
df = 4
*p = 0.025

χ2 – chi-square test of association; * statistically significant;   n - number of respondents
** Likelihood ratio used when an expected value was less than 5
Table 5: Relationship between Nutritional Status and the Socio-demographic Characteristics of the Respondents (n = 260)

Variable

Nutritional status (%)

Statistics

Underweight

Normal

Overweight

Dietary Diversity
Low
High

 

78 (44.1)
99 (55.9)

 

23 (38.3)
37 (61.7)

 

10 (43.5)
13 (56.5)

χ2 = 0.609
df = 2
p = 0.738

 

Frequency of involvement in vigorousV activity
Rarely/never
< 3 days a week
≥ 3 days a week

 

 

82 (46.3)
91 (51.4)
4 (2.3)

 

 

23 (38.3)
33 (55.0)
4 (6.7)

 

 

17 (73.9)
6 (26.1)
0 (0.0)

 

 

**χ2 = 11.133
df = 4
*p = 0.023

 

Average hours of sleep per day
≤ 8 hours
> 8 hours

 

 

174 (98.3)
3 (1.7)

 

 

60 (100.0)
0 (0.0)

 

 

23 (100.0)
0 (0.0)

 

**χ2 = 1.423
df = 2
p = 0.491

 

Average time spent watching TV/Video/Satellite per day
≤ 1 hour
> 1 hour

 

 

174 (98.3)
3 (1.7)

 

 

57 (95.0)
3 (5.0)

 

 

23 (100.0)
0 (0.0)

 

χ2 = 2.767
df = 2
p = 0.251

 

Average time spent with video games/computer/internet daily
≤  1 hour
> 1 hour

 

 

174 (98.3)
3 (1.7)

 

 

60 (100.0)
0 (0.0)

 

 

23 (100.0)
0 (0.0)

 

 

**χ2 = 1.423
df = 2
p = 0.491

χ2 – chi-square test of association; * Statistically significant;  n - number of respondents
** Likelihood ratio used when an expected value was less than 5
V – Any activity like walking, running, jugging, sports, farming etc that was engaged for a minimum of 10 minutes and sufficient to make respondents sweat
Table 6: Relationship between Nutritional Status, the Dietary Diversity and the Activity Patterns of the Respondents (n = 260)