Anthropometric indices and energy intakes of alcoholic adolescent students in Abia State University

Abstract

The study assessed the nutritional status of alcoholics in relation to non-alcoholic adolescent students, as well as the relationship between alcohol consumption, and energy intake, and the anthropometric indices of the adolescent students of Abia state university. Anthropometricmeasurements (weight and height) of 513 adolescent students of both sexes aged 16-19 years were taken. The z-score values for anthropometric indices were calculated using National Centre of Health Statistics (NCHS) reference population. The food intakes of the subjects were obtained using 24-Hour recall method. Food models were used to identify the quantityof food consumed. The food composition table was used to calculate the energy value. T-Test and Chi-Square were used to test for differences. The results showed that the anthropometric indices were significantly lower in alcoholic than in non-alcoholics adolescent students in all the anthropometric indices (p < 0.05).Similarly, energy intakes of the adolescent student alcoholics were lower than the non-alcoholic students (p < 0.05; t - ratio = 2.842 for males, and -2.396 for females). The same trends were observed in the food frequency, consumption and health factors examined. There were significant but higher associations in alcoholics than non-alcoholic students between the height and weight indices, energy intakes, and level of alcohol consumption of the adolescent students. The Z-scores anthropometric indices as well as the energy intakes of the alcoholics were lower than the non-alcoholics and compared unfavorably with the reference standards. Excessive alcohol consumption could adversely affect nutritional status of adolescent students. Dangers in excessive alcohol consumption should be intensified through media and nutrition education especially in the universitycampuses.