The meals preparation pattern of boarding schools and its impacts on the health status of students. A case study in the Ashanti region

Abstract

This study was conducted with the objectives of assessing the kind of meals provided for boarding students in Senior High Schools in Ghana; examining meal preparation patterns and the hygienic practices in the schools’ kitchen and assessing the relationship between meals and the health status of students. The main aim was to provide baseline data on the pertaining food safety practices in boarding schools in Ghana for future improvements. The research covered all the three year groups of the school but was centered more on the third year students because of their experience and academic maturity. The study utilized a simple random stratified sampling, to select 100 students (40 girls and 60 boys) and 12 school authorities including 5 assistant cooks and 1 matron and six (6) other members of staff, comprising the management, teaching staff, storekeeper and the bursar. It was revealed that the majority of the students were happy with a number of the meals provided them. However, some breakfast meals were identified as being too light to be taken without any pastry. The study identified that daily three-square meals provided were prepared under fairly good hygienic environment and condition and those meals were served at regular intervals. The study however identified cooks’ occasional negligence on some basic hygienic practices such as how to avoid wiping sweat with napkins, regular hands washing. The researcher, in view of the findings concluded that students were generally safe from foodborne diseases while in school. The researcher therefore recommends that regular and effective in service training for the kitchen staff be organize on food safety practices.