Effect of food cultural beliefs on the dietary pattern and food practices of children in Ondo West local area of Ondo state

The study assessed the effect of food cultural belief of mothers on the dietary pattern and food practices of children in Ondo West Local Area of Ondo State. Four research questions guided the study. The study employed the use of descriptive survey. Questionnaire containing thirty seven items was used for data collection from a 0.12% of 200,007 of mothers. Data obtained were analyzed using Descriptive (frequency, mean and standard deviation). The results of the findings revealed that the food cultural beliefs among the respondents include the facts that washing of hands before eating, fathers are to provide for all the foods needed in the home, children are to be given only small piece of fish/meat to prevent them from being covetous among others and that the most commonly skipped meal is lunch. The determinants of healthy dietary pattern and food practices among children include exposure to media, advertisement and food trends, dietary behavior of friends and peers, nutrition programs in school, parental influence, prevalence of fast and convenient foods, and wider varieties of food. The study concludes that-mothers’ cultural beliefs and values are essential in shaping children’s dietary pattern and food practices. It is recommended that mothers should be enlightened and educated on the impact that their food beliefs may have on the dietary pattern, food practices and the health of their children and their should be awareness creation among mothers on the potential consequences of denying children certain nutrient dense food due to cultural beliefs.