A Comparison of Food Consumption Frequeııcy Reports of 8-14 Years Old Children (Selfand Mother Reports) in Yunus Emre District in Ankara

Abstract

This is a descriptive study on thefood consumption frecfuency o f 8-14 years old children and the dinıension of agreement between mothers and children on the consumption frecjuency reports. This age group children are able to getfoods also out ofhome. A food consumption freguency score is calculated fo reachfood item by giving one point for noıuıppropriate appropriate consumptionfreguencies and zero point for ııonappropriate freguencies. The mean of food consumption freguency score calculated according to the expressions o f children and nıothers were 15.2±2.1 and 15.4±1.9 respectively. Then freguency points are separated into three groups; 11 points and below are accepted as an insuffıcientfood consumption, 12-15 points accepted as a borderline and 16 and above points accepted as a sufficieııtfood consumption. There is no statistically meaniııgfu l dijference between nıothers' and children's expressions according to this groııpiııg. The rates o f agreement between nıothers and children on consumption freguencies chaııged in a range from 96.3% to 19.3%, \vhen they asked to specify the freguencies as in everyday, in every other day, oııce in a week or rarely. Atıother finding is that the foods like ice-creanı and chocolate \vhich can be eaten oııt ofhome, hav e lo\ver agreement rates than the other s. Tlıese sııggest that nıothers nıay not know thefood consumption pattenı oftheir children in detail and researclıers mııst pay attention to tlıisfact.