Abstract
Inadequate food security contributes to poor health outcome for all, including adolescent girls. The study aims at determining the level of food security and hygiene among adolescent girls. A school-based cross-sectional study was carried out among adolescent girls aged 10 to 19 years old from six schools in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, Borno State. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire using KoBoCollect Toolbox between June and July 2019. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of food security and hygiene among respondents. A majority of the respondents (73.5%) were in a very low food security level. Three factors were significantly associated with food security level, these included schools (p = 0.007), age of mother (p = 0.004), and occupation of mother (p < 0.001). School (p = 0.003), age (father p = 0.017; mother; p = 0.012), hygiene (p = 0.005), and occupation of mother (p = 0.002) were predictors of food security. About (46.6%) of respondents had poor hygiene practice, school (p = 0.016) was significantly associated with hygiene practice. School (p = 0.019; and p = 0.005) and food security (p = 0.009) were predictors of hygiene practice. This study reveals a high prevalence of low food security among adolescent girls.
Highlights
Adolescence is a period of transition from childhood to adulthood, often divided into early (10–13 years), middle (14–16 years), and late (17–19 years) adolescent stages [1]
This study showed that more than half of respondents (73.5%) were in a very low food security level presented in Table 2, this was higher than research conducted in Canada [37], Dhaka city [7], Southeast, Nigeria [12,38], Ethiopia [39], Boston [40], Ethiopia [41,42,43], Australia [44], and the U.S [45]
There is need for further research on food security as a protective factor in the outcome of adolescent health
Summary
Adolescence is a period of transition from childhood to adulthood, often divided into early (10–13 years), middle (14–16 years), and late (17–19 years) adolescent stages [1]. 821 million people (one in every nine people) are malnourished as a result of food insecurity [2]. Adolescents are exposed to environmental factors such as food insecurity and hygiene that may influence their growth, development, and well-being [3]. Everyone needs food to have appropriate nutritional status and to sustain life [4]. Food insecurity and poor hygiene has become a problem among low-income households in developing and underdeveloped countries globally [5]. People do not have economic, social, and physical access to sufficient and nutritious food that can meet their dietary needs for an active and healthy life. Accessible, utilized adequately, and in stable condition to meet nutritional demand [6]
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