Comparing the dietary intake of rural and urban school going children of Sirsa, Haryana

This study was aimed at assessing the dietary intake of school going children of 13-17 years of age and comparing their dietary intake gender-wise and area-wise. Total 220 children were selected from Govt. Sen. Sec. School, Bharokhan Distt. Sirsa (Rural) andSatluj Public School, Sirsa (Urban) randomly. The information on dietary intakes was collected using 24-h recall method and average daily food intakes were compared with the recommended dietary intakes (RDIs) (NIN, 2010). Daily mean intake of cereals, pulses, green leafy vegetables, roots and tubers, other vegetables, fruits & fats and oils was significantly lower than their respective RDls, whereas the daily mean intake of sugar and jaggery was found more than their respective RDls in the diets of both the male and female children of both the age groups. The rural children had significantly higher (P<0.05) consumption of cereals, whereas the urban children had significantly higher (P<0.05) consumption of pulses, fats & oils, GLVs and sugar and jaggery. Theboys had significantly higher (P<0.05) consumption of cereals, pulses, fats & oils, roots and tubers, other vegetables and sugar and jaggery.