A cross-sectional study to assess nutritional status of adolescent girls using body mass index

Abstract

Background: Malnutrition continues to be a major public health problem worldwide. World's attention is now toward malnourished girls who are more likely to remain undernourished during adolescence and adulthood, and when pregnant, they are more likely to deliver low birth-weight babies creating a vicious cycle. Objectives: (1) To study sociodemographic profile of adolescent girls and (2) to study the association of undernutrition with sociodemographic status. Materials and Methods: This school-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 268 adolescent girls of 7th and 8th standard, from government high school of Karad. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 for calculating mean with standard deviation and Chi-square test was applied. Results: According to body mass index for age, the prevalence of undernutrition was 32.85%. Similarly undernutrition was found high among rural girls (35.4%), among girls of age group 12 (34.85%) and those who were pure vegetarian (37.3%). It was found very much high among three generation type family (45%). Significantly high proportion of girls with first birth order (38.3%), below poverty line (BPL) families (71.4%), and the girls taking <3 meals per day (76.1%), were found to be undernourished. Skipping breakfast for 1-3 days per week (27.3%) and the girls using fast food (98.9%) as well as soft drinks (56.8%) showed high rate of undernutrition. Conclusion: Undernutrition was found to be prevalent among the rural adolescent girls with first birth order belonging to BPL families and associated with poor dietary habits.