FRUIT EATING KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES OF STUDENT-TEACHERS OF FOSO COLLEGE OF EDUCATION IN THE CENTRAL REGION OF GHANA

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study was to investigate various reasons why studentteachers eat fruit. The study sought to find out whether student-teachers eat fruits for its medical purpose, nutritional value or any other reason other than these, and to find out student-teachers’ fruits eating pattern and mode. The study centred on teacher trainees of Assin Foso College of Education. Out of 945 trainees, 150 were used for the study – 75 males and 75 females. The selection of respondents was randomly done by lot. In each class, 10 trainees were selected – five men and five women from all the fifteen classes. Closed-ended form of validated questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. The questionnaire comprised both blank-mode and a checklist mode. Data was presented using percentages. It was noted that, a greater number of respondents eat fruit for health reasons. About the type and nature of fruit, people eat most, it was realised that, raw fruits and oranges are mostly eaten. The number of those who eat fruit daily was largest. Health factor determines the choice of most fruit. About the quantity of fruits eaten by studentteachers, those who said they eat two mangoes were more than all, those who said they eat four bananas also had the largest number, about guava, those who selected two were more than all. About pawpaw, watermelon, pineapple, student-teachers who selected medium size were the largest. Orange/tangerine, had those who selected two being more than the rest and lime and lemon had those who selected less than 1 having the greatest number. The conclusion drawn was that, even though most respondents eat fruit for health and nutritional reasons, the difference between the number of these and those who eat fruit for other reasons were not large. So the researcher suggested that much education must be done to improve upon the eating habit of fruit by student-teachers.