Chapter 1 Feeding Program
Chapter 1 Feeding Program
Introduction
this fast-paced world due to rising demands in technology as well as the inevitable
intervention of these technologies in people’s lives of all ages, for parents, child feeding
has even become a real challenge. Childhood nutrition in this period of life is crucial
because it guarantees physical growth and mental development, while at the same time
becomes a preventive factor for some diseases (Schmidt, Stack & Conde, 2018). The
context in which a child belongs has influence over her eating habits that can be
attributed to food availability at home, stipulate rules for eating practices and parents’
food behavior modeling (Calvaho, Fonseca, Priore, Franceschini & Novaes, 2015). In
addition to these, one factor that may have seen to affect the nutritional status of these
Every parent cares more about their child’s well-being and success. Pinola (2020)
said that the world is now digitally-fueled, there is a need for strict guidance not just in
the real world that their children are involved but as well as in the virtual world they are
actively engaging. Some unhealthy signs that children have unhealthy use of the
technology are: they often complain that they are bored or unhappy when they do not
have access to technology; they have tantrums or harsh resistance when set with screen
2
time limits; and screen time interferes their sleep, school, face-to-face communication
and food intake habits. If this happens, one of the aspects in child’s health that may be
development, and their education. Nutrition problems can arise from many factors that
can range from malnutrition to irregular and excessive feeding. However, socioeconomic,
genetic, culture, environment, level of education about nutrition, and family affect
students’ nutrition quality and their habits. Even underdeveloped, developing and
developed countries, the nutritional problems are different sizes, face with nutrition
increased demand for energy and nutrients. So, the importance of developing healthful
eating habits during childhood and adolescence is obvious to decrease people's risk for a
number of immediate health problems, such as iron deficiency anemia, obesity, eating
disorders and dental caries, and may prevent long-term health problems as (heart disease,
height and weight and is affected by food intake and incidence of childhood infections.
Of the 7.6 million deaths reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2010,
64% were attributable to infectious causes including pneumonia, diarrhea and malaria
which claimed the most lives (Lui, Johnson, Cousens, Perin, Scott, Lawn, Rudan,
Physical activities can contribute to a total wellness of young children which will
later on translate into physical fitness in adulthood (Utesch, Bardid, Busch, & Strauss
(2019). However, despite the importance of physical activities, only about half of school
children ages 5-12 years old meet the current physical activity recommended for them.
According to Joseph, Kracht, St. Romain, Allen, Barbaree, Martin, and Staiano (2019),
the current recommendation for this age group is three hours per day of any intensity
activity (light to moderate, or vigorous), which has been endorsed by four dependent
panels from separate countries (Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United
States). In addition, important guideline for young children is screen time (watching TV,
using computer, or playing video games) which is one hour or less per day (Okely,
Ghersi, & Hesketh, 2017; Tremblay, Chaput, &Adamo, 2017). But as proven in the
survey conducted, only 24.4% of school children met this guideline (Chaput, Colley,
Aubert, et. al, 2017). Early screen time done with toddlers may have association with
their social skills and screen time in their later age (Carson, Lee, Hesketh, et. al., 2019).
Therefore, this excess amount of screen time may hinder physical activity engagement
and its benefits (Joseph, et. al., 2019). Stated in The Australian Parenting Website (2019),
screen time can be part of a healthy lifestyle for children when it’s balance.
Parents are a large influence on young children’s physical activity and screen
time, and parents’ behaviors can both positively and negatively influence physical
activity and screen time (Garriguet, Collet and Bushnik, 2017). Despite parents’ large
influence and opportunity to model physical activity behaviors for their children,
previous qualitative studies have found mothers of 2 to 5 year olds felt that there were
many barriers to physical activity (Pratt, Fossen, Cotto-Maisonet, Palmet and Eneli,
4
2017). Specifically, mothers felt that they had limited time to engage in physical activity
with their children due to household demands and have safety concerns at home for
In delivering health and nutrition, schools are appropriate avenue to reach out to
many parents because most of their time and theirs as well are spent in school in various
activities that the schools are conducting. In schools in the Philippines, nutrition and
health is being enforced by DepEd Order No. 43, s. 2011, also known as the
Strengthening the School Health and Nutrition Programs for the Achievement of the
Education for All (EFA) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Likewise, there
are several activities that contribute good nutrition and health such as Gulayan sa
Paaralan Program, School Feeding Program, and the conduct of inventory of Nutritional
Status of every pupil. Statistics says that in 2011, about 32% of Filipino children 5 to 10
years were underweight, stunted (33/6), and aster (8.5%) (DOST-FNRI, 2011). Anaemia
prevalence among school children aged 6-12 years is 20% (DOST-FNRI, 2008). With the
school programs enforced such as the 120-day revitalized feeding programme, it improve
the nutritional status from severely waster to normal status, improve classroom
attendance by 85% to 100% and improve children’s health and nutrition values and
Meanwhile, the Sorsogon City is currently faced with children who are engrossed
with the use of technology such as the cellphone, tablets, ipads, laptops, desktops, PSP
among others. During the past years where face-to-face teaching was undergoing, these
gadgets are prohibited in schools. But because of the need for home learning in the new
normal, gadgets are freely used by children at homes, and their homes are now equipped
5
with internet connectivity. Through this, they can instantly obtain information in different
media through the use of their gadgets. Also, children nowadays are not anymore settling
for simple cellphones even at young age. They wanted their units to be android or apple
so that they can enjoy the different formats of multimedia in the internet. Their parents
tolerate this context and serving this to their children may lessen their guilt of not giving
the best for their children. For some parents, screen time of children may widen their
world and enhance their cognitive ability needed to beat their academic challenges and
the demands especially of the distance learning setting. But there are times when this is
overdone and would lead to damages to children that are at first invisible to our eyes.
Above all, one concern of parents is about the physical health of their children at
this time that distance learning is being undertaken. Children are now vulnerable to
longer screen time due to distance learning. Classroom lessons are also now being served
through the internet and television shows. This setting has made school-age children
overall health of their children. This present research therefore would like to investigate
on the relationship of screen time of children and their nutritional status. With this study,
school and parents may be given awareness of what still to be done at home and at school
to help children overcome their dependence on technology and give more priority to their
health and nutrition. Likewise, school children may also be given the opportunity for a
balance lifestyle besides the limitation of space at this time of pandemic. Hence, this
This study will determine the screen time (online and offline activities) and the
a. Age
b. Gender
c. Parents’ Income,
e. Hours Spent on Online and Offline Activities by both parents and pupils
3. What online and offline activities do these children have which are perceived by
4. What factors in the profile may have a significant relationship on the food
5. What practices do parents have to improve their children’s nutrition in the midst
Assumptions
With the above mentioned problems, the researcher outlined the following
hypothesis:
7
3. Online and offline activities of these children which are perceived by parent to
4. There are practices that parents have to improve their children’s nutrition in the
Hypothesis
1. There is no significant relationship between the profile and the food behavior of
these pupils.
The findings from this study may be beneficial to the following end-users:
health welfare is the focus of this research. They may be given other healthy alternatives
to live healthy lives as early as their age so that they may continue to live healthier
Parents. Parents may also gain benefit from this present research through
providing them with useful insight to beat the challenges of parents faced when it comes
to providing their children with balance life and promote good nutrition to their children
Teachers. Teacher may also gain advantage out of this study because it can
provide them with activities that can enhance nutritional status and invite schoolchildren
so that they can promote good health through limited screen time habits of
schoolchildren.
health and nutrition through implementing programs that encourage teachers and parents
to make use of wholesome activities with less engagement to digital technologies, and
programs and projects to implement that may promote balance life among children of
school age.
enthusiasts and may provide them with further inputs and research-based information that
they may be used to establish the gap between this research and their research.
This study will determine the screen time (online and offline activities) and its
effect on the nutritional status of elementary pupils in Bacon District, Sorsogon City
Age, Gender, Parents’ Economic Status, Gadgets Owned by the Parents and by the
Pupils, Hours Spent on Online and Offline Activities by both parents and pupils, and
9
Nutritional Status of pupils. It will also ascertain the food behavior of these pupils as
perceived by their parents; the online and offline activities these children have which are
perceived by parents to have effect on their food behavior; factors in the profile may have
a significant relationship on the food behavior of these pupils; and practices do parents
have to improve their children’s nutrition in the midst of growing demands for the screen
time. Lastly, it will propose an intervention out of the results of the study.
The respondents are the intermediate pupils (Grade four to Grade six) of Bacon
East District, Sorsogon City Division for SY 2019-2020. Parents of these children are
also part of this study. Other intermediate pupils from other school outside the said
district will not be part of the present study. Also other SY are not part of the study.
Parents whose children are not enrolled to in the intermediate classes are not part of the
Definition of Terms
The following terms are conceptually and operationally defined for clarity and
Screen Time (Online and Offline Activities). This term is defined as the amount
of time spent using a device with a screen such as a smartphone, computer, television, or
video game console (Alvarez, Torres, Rodrigues, Padilla and Rodrigo, 2013). As used by
this study, it refers to the amount of time spent by school children to get engage with
different online and offline activities with the use of smartphone, computer, television, or
schoolchildren’s profile along Age, Gender, Parents’ Economic Status, Gadgets Owned
by the Parents and by the Pupils, Hours Spent on Online and Offline Activities by both
Food Behavior. It refers to the food choice and motives, feeding practices,
dieting and eating-related problems such as obesity (Joung, Kim, Yuan and Huffman,
2011). In this paper, this term refers to the food choices and motive, feeding practice,
actions being done by parents to promote good health and well-being of their
schoolchildren.