Abstract
The majority of 36 million Bangladeshi adolescents live in rural areas. Improved understanding of their dietary patterns is of great public health importance. This study aimed to explore dietary diversity (DD) with its socioeconomic and gender stratification in a rural adolescent cohort and to isolate factors associated with inadequate DD. Household survey provided data for constructing dietary diversity scores (DDS) and assessing relevant socio-demographic variables. Final analysis included 2463 adolescents. Means and proportions were compared, and a binary logistic regression model was fitted. Inadequate DD was observed among 42.3% (40.3–44.2). Consumption of nutrient-rich foods varied significantly across gender and SES categories. Belonging to the poorest households (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.59; 95% CI: 1.27, 2.00) and food insecure households (aOR 1.34; 95% CI: 1.13, 1.59), adolescents’ attainment of secondary education (aOR 1.38; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.71), and having mothers with secondary education or above (aOR 0.76; 95% CI: 0.60, 0.96) were associated with inadequate DD. Compared with girls from food secure households, girls from food insecure ones had higher odds of inadequate DD (aORgirl 1.42; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.81). Improving rural adolescents’ DD would require targeted interventions as well as broader poverty alleviation.
Highlights
Adolescence is a critical phase in the life course, characterized by remarkable physical growth, physiological, and cognitive development, and biological maturation [1,2]
Belonging to food insecure households was positively associated with inadequate dietary diversity (DD), as adolescents from food insecure households had 34% higher odds of inadequate DD compared to those from food secure households
After controlling for confounders, belonging to the poorest households, food insecure households, and having secondary education were found to be positively associated with inadequate DD, while having mothers with secondary education or above was negatively associated with it
Summary
Adolescence is a critical phase in the life course, characterized by remarkable physical growth, physiological, and cognitive development, and biological maturation [1,2]. Adolescence presents an additional “window of opportunity” to correct the nutritional deficits and growth faltering initiated during the first decade of life [6,7]. This is of great importance for LMICs, like Bangladesh, where still a significant proportion of children enter adolescence being stunted and/or underweight [5,8]. Intake of a diversified diet rich in essential nutrients is pivotal in resolving these adolescents’ nutritional vulnerability and in tackling different forms of malnutrition among them [9]
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