Natsiopoulou Triantafilia
The present paper discusses the eating habits, the personal hygiene rules and the physical activities of 192 parents and their children, aged 3?¢???4. The research demonstrated that: a) As far as diet is concerned, the children/subjects were mostly following a Mediterranean type of diet, which involves meat, dairy products and legumes; however, they were consuming great quantities of sweets and small quantities of vegetables and fruits. b) As regards hygiene, the children were quite careful that the fruits and utensils they used were clean, but they were taking less care of washing their hands and brushing their teeth. c) Concerning physical activities, the children were involved mostly in vigorous activities, but they were also watching television on a daily basis.The differences among the subjects were identified in terms of: a) residence. The children living in advantaged areas were found to consume more fruits, which they washed first, and also washed their hands and brushed their teeth more frequently than the children who lived in depressed areas. b) gender. The girls played video games more than the boys, whereas the boys played with balls, or skippingrope, hula?¢???hoop etc. c) age. The children, aged four, were more receptive to advice about how to chew their food and played outdoor games more frequently than the children aged three and a half. d) weight. The overweight children participating in the research were found to eat more vegetables and the percentage of the parents who were not joining in children’s energy?¢???requiring physical activities (bicycling, walking etc.) was smaller in comparison with the percentage.
