Abstract
Objectives: To assess the nutritional status and morbidity pattern of adolescents age 10–16 years and to determine the various factors associated with under-nutrition. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 1600 households which were selected by systematic random sampling method from 64 slum areas. All adolescents aged 10–16 years were included. Required information was collected on a pretested performa. Height and weight were measured to assess their nutritional status and haemoglobin estimation was done by Sahli’s method. Descriptive statistics (frequencies and proportions) and univariate logistic regression were done to determine various factors associated with under nutrition. Results: Out of 603 study participants, 75% of adolescents were under-weight. About 82.3% had anemia. About 36% suffered from one or more infectious disease in the last 3 months. Going to school, occupation, female sex, and suffering from any infectious disease in the past 3 months were found to be associated with malnutrition. Addiction was reported in 9% of study participants. Conclusions: High prevalence of under-nutrition and anemia in our study reflects inequitable distribution of resources, low purchasing capacity of foods, and unequal food sharing patterns in families making them socially and biologically vulnerable.
Highlights
Adolescents in the society constitute critical segment as future demographic, social, economic, and political developments of the entire population are dependent on them and they constitute about 20.9% of country’s population [1]
The urban sector presently contributes about 62% of the GDP and this is expected to increase to 75% by 2021, still, 30–40% of the urban population lives in poverty [2]
Assuming the power of study to be 80%, sample size for each selected slum was calculated by using the formula for single proportional i.e
Summary
Adolescents in the society constitute critical segment as future demographic, social, economic, and political developments of the entire population are dependent on them and they constitute about 20.9% of country’s population [1]. Adolescent is considered as transitional phase where they transit from childhood to adulthood, which is characterized by physical, psychological, and intellectual growth. The urban sector presently contributes about 62% of the GDP and this is expected to increase to 75% by 2021, still, 30–40% of the urban population lives in poverty [2]. This inequality of wealth, unplanned urbanization, and migration lead to creation of slums. Slum is a compact area of at least 300 populations or about 60–70 households (HH) of poorly built congested tenements, in unhygienic environment usually with inadequate infrastructure and poor sanitary and drinking water facilities which has a direct impact on the health status of its residents [3]
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