Junk Food Consumption Patterns, Gender Differences, and Health Awareness among School Children in a Remote Region of Nepal

Abstract

Many school children in Nepal eat junk food. It often replaces healthy meals. They know it can harm their health. Still, they keep eating it. Friends, advertisements, taste, and easy access encourage them. Gender, age, and location also influence what they eat. Awareness programs help for a short time. For lasting change, families, schools, and communities must work together. This study explored junk food consumption among children, with a focus on gender differences and reasons for food choices. A survey was conducted in January 2025, taking 100 students from four schools in a remote mountain village in Far-Western Nepal. Information collected with a structured questionnaire seeks the types of junk food eaten, frequency, reasons for choosing them, and awareness of their health effects. Chi-square tests were applied to identify gender differences, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results showed that taste was the main reason for choosing junk food where boys are slightly more than girls. Knowing the health risks did not always make children choose healthier food. The study suggests making healthy food more attractive. It also advises designing programs that consider small differences between boys and girls. Schools and parents should work together to improve the food choices available to children. The study looks at the local situation and shows the gap between what children know and what they do. These findings can help create better public health plans. Teaching healthy eating early and giving children tasty, healthy options may reduce their dependence on junk food over time.