Does Exposure to Health-related Information and Peer Effects Affect the Nutritional Status of Adolescents in Urban and Rural Areas?

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The influence of health information exposure particularly from peer influences on the health and nutrition of adolescents and its effect on the nutritional status of female adolescents. AIM: The purpose of this research is to acknowledge the health information exposure and peer influences on female adolescents in urban and rural areas. METHODS: This study used a cross-sectional study design. The sample was 96 female adolescents with 44 from State Junior High School 1 Purwokerto representative of the urban area and 52 female adolescents from State Junior High School 1 Patikraja as representative from rural area. Exposure data and health information sources were collected using a questionnaire, peer influences measurement using Peer Influence Scale (PIS) questionnaire, and nutrition status measurement using Body Mass Index per age. The Statistics Test used in this study was Chi-square and Fisher Exact with 5% accuracy. RESULTS: No significant association was found between health information exposure and peer influences with nutrition status in female adolescents (p = 0.29; 0.77 > 0.05) and there was also no significant difference in acceptance source and health nutrition information topic of female adolescents in urban and rural areas. However, there was a significant difference between peer influences in female adolescents in urban and rural areas (p = 0.00 < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In both groups of female adolescents from urban and rural, there was comparable acceptance in their sources of information regarding health and nutrition. There was a significant difference in the effect of peer influences between female adolescents in urban and rural areas. However, peer influences does not have any effect on their nutrition status.