Nutritional needs of children with disabilities in the UAE: understanding predictors and mediators of nutritional knowledge and practices
Abstract Background There is a high estimated prevalence of obesity and poor eating habits among children with disabilities. Unfortunately, the extent of parental and teachers’ awareness of the dietary needs and nutritional requirements of children with disabilities has been understudied. This study...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-10-01
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| Series: | BMC Nutrition |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-022-00605-9 |
| _version_ | 1811226760086290432 |
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| author | Maxwell Peprah Opoku Ashraf Moustafa Noora Anwahi Hala Elhoweris Fatima Alkatheeri Najwa Alhosani Anwar Alameri Shashidhar Belbase |
| author_facet | Maxwell Peprah Opoku Ashraf Moustafa Noora Anwahi Hala Elhoweris Fatima Alkatheeri Najwa Alhosani Anwar Alameri Shashidhar Belbase |
| author_sort | Maxwell Peprah Opoku |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background There is a high estimated prevalence of obesity and poor eating habits among children with disabilities. Unfortunately, the extent of parental and teachers’ awareness of the dietary needs and nutritional requirements of children with disabilities has been understudied. This study aims to explore the predictors and mediators of nutritional knowledge and practices among parents and teachers of children with disabilities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) using Nutbeam’s hierarchical health literacy model as a framework to test three hypotheses. Methods A total of 149 parents and teachers were recruited from rehabilitation centres in two of the seven Emirates in the UAE. The revised Food and Nutritional Literacy Scale (FNLIT) was used for data collection. The revised scale was validated and its reliability was assessed using SPSS and AMOS version 28 to compute exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling (confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis), respectively. Results The results confirmed a four-factor structure for FNLIT, and all three hypotheses were supported by the study findings. We confirmed a relationship between understanding and practical nutritional skills (Hypothesis I), and found that two practical nutritional skills, functional and interactive, combined to predict the understanding of nutritional needs of children with disabilities (Hypothesis II). Hypothesis III was partially supported in that participant type mediated the relationship between functional, interactive, and understanding factors. The convergent and discriminant validities of the scale were confirmed, and path analysis showed the ability of practical skills to predict knowledge. Conclusion The study concludes on the need for public education on nutritional needs as well as developing the capacity of teachers and parents to implement appropriate eating programmes for children with disabilities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T09:30:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e26f365970a746cb8da77c147d4f667b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2055-0928 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T09:30:44Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj.art-e26f365970a746cb8da77c147d4f667b2022-12-22T03:38:23ZengBMCBMC Nutrition2055-09282022-10-018111310.1186/s40795-022-00605-9Nutritional needs of children with disabilities in the UAE: understanding predictors and mediators of nutritional knowledge and practicesMaxwell Peprah Opoku0Ashraf Moustafa1Noora Anwahi2Hala Elhoweris3Fatima Alkatheeri4Najwa Alhosani5Anwar Alameri6Shashidhar Belbase7Special Education Department, United Arab Emirates UniversitySpecial Education Department, United Arab Emirates UniversitySpecial Education Department, United Arab Emirates UniversitySpecial Education Department, United Arab Emirates UniversitySpecial Education Department, United Arab Emirates UniversityCurriculum and Method of Instruction United Arab Emirates UniversitySpecial Education Department, United Arab Emirates UniversityCurriculum and Method of Instruction United Arab Emirates UniversityAbstract Background There is a high estimated prevalence of obesity and poor eating habits among children with disabilities. Unfortunately, the extent of parental and teachers’ awareness of the dietary needs and nutritional requirements of children with disabilities has been understudied. This study aims to explore the predictors and mediators of nutritional knowledge and practices among parents and teachers of children with disabilities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) using Nutbeam’s hierarchical health literacy model as a framework to test three hypotheses. Methods A total of 149 parents and teachers were recruited from rehabilitation centres in two of the seven Emirates in the UAE. The revised Food and Nutritional Literacy Scale (FNLIT) was used for data collection. The revised scale was validated and its reliability was assessed using SPSS and AMOS version 28 to compute exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling (confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis), respectively. Results The results confirmed a four-factor structure for FNLIT, and all three hypotheses were supported by the study findings. We confirmed a relationship between understanding and practical nutritional skills (Hypothesis I), and found that two practical nutritional skills, functional and interactive, combined to predict the understanding of nutritional needs of children with disabilities (Hypothesis II). Hypothesis III was partially supported in that participant type mediated the relationship between functional, interactive, and understanding factors. The convergent and discriminant validities of the scale were confirmed, and path analysis showed the ability of practical skills to predict knowledge. Conclusion The study concludes on the need for public education on nutritional needs as well as developing the capacity of teachers and parents to implement appropriate eating programmes for children with disabilities.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-022-00605-9NutritionChildren with disabilitiesParentsTeachersHealth literacyUAE |
| spellingShingle | Maxwell Peprah Opoku Ashraf Moustafa Noora Anwahi Hala Elhoweris Fatima Alkatheeri Najwa Alhosani Anwar Alameri Shashidhar Belbase Nutritional needs of children with disabilities in the UAE: understanding predictors and mediators of nutritional knowledge and practices BMC Nutrition Nutrition Children with disabilities Parents Teachers Health literacy UAE |
| title | Nutritional needs of children with disabilities in the UAE: understanding predictors and mediators of nutritional knowledge and practices |
| title_full | Nutritional needs of children with disabilities in the UAE: understanding predictors and mediators of nutritional knowledge and practices |
| title_fullStr | Nutritional needs of children with disabilities in the UAE: understanding predictors and mediators of nutritional knowledge and practices |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nutritional needs of children with disabilities in the UAE: understanding predictors and mediators of nutritional knowledge and practices |
| title_short | Nutritional needs of children with disabilities in the UAE: understanding predictors and mediators of nutritional knowledge and practices |
| title_sort | nutritional needs of children with disabilities in the uae understanding predictors and mediators of nutritional knowledge and practices |
| topic | Nutrition Children with disabilities Parents Teachers Health literacy UAE |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-022-00605-9 |
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