Formation of food culture and healthy lifestyle as one of the aspects of school-aged children health maintainance

Objective. The objective of the study is to prove the necessity to form food culture and healthy lifestyle within the framework of medical maintenance of school-aged children. Materials and Methods. A total of320 high school students, 60 students of Samara machine-building college, and parents of 213 first-graders were interviewed on the topic of nutrition and body type. The assessment ofphysical growth and development of teenagers was conducted according to WHO guidelines. Results and Discussion. Questionnaire survey conducted among parents showed that a modern family did not always contribute to healthy lifestyle formation. A survey of teenagers revealed that the nutrition of the majority of high school students (79 %) and college students (83,4 %) was far from being sensible. There was a lack of animal protein in the students’ diet. Their diet contained less vegetables and fruit than it was necessary. But at the same time consumption of refined carbohydrate was excessive. College students had much more nutritional problems. Conclusion. The nutritional problems of teenagers revealed in the trial proved the necessity of large-scale educational work among students, which could help them to form food culture and healthy lifestyle. Teachers, school psychologists, family members and health professionals should work together to solve this problem. The authors suggest using medical, psychological and educational model of preventive control in order to maintain students’ health. This model can be harmoniously incorporated in all educational establishments.