Abstract
BackgroundSocio demographic factors besides dietary factors play important role in determining the health status of an individual. Health and nutritional Intervention programs stand a greater chance of success if planned, keeping the socio demographic characteristics of a certain population in focus. The present study was conducted to identify those socio demographic determinants which have a significant association with poor nutritional status in adolescent girls belonging to economically deprived households of Lahore.MethodsA cross-sectional analytical study of 140 adolescent girls living in the peri urban communities of Lahore was conducted. Socioeconomic and demographic data of the participants was recorded through a pretested questionnaire. Body mass index (BMI), a commonly used anthropometric measurement was taken as an indicator of nutritional status. Below normal (<18.5 m2) BMI was considered a benchmark of malnutrition in adolescent girls. Frequencies and percentages for socio demographic variables were calculated and Fisher Exact test was used to find out the association of nutritional status with socio-demographic predictors. Stepwise backward logistic regression analysis was then run to identify the most significant determinants associated with poor nutritional status in the adolescents. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsChronic energy deficiency was highly prevalent among adolescent girls, 58% had BMI < 18.5 m2. Binary regression analysis result showed that the participants who lived in rented houses (AOR = 3.513; 95% CI = 1.366 to 9.031) who fell ill frequently (AOR = 2.996; 95% CI = 1.198 to 7.491) whose fathers were illiterate (AOR = 2.941; 95% CI = 1.187 to 7.287) were at greater odds of having poor nutritional status. Interestingly, the participants who lived in joint families (AOR = 0.411; 95% CI = 0.145 to 1.168) and were more frequently food insecure (AOR = 0.431; 95% CI = 0.164 to 1.133) had lesser odds of having poor nutritional status than those who lived in nuclear families and were food secure.ConclusionFrequency of illness, house ownership and fathers’ education are the determinants positively associated with poor nutritional status of adolescent girls. Food insecurity and joint family structure were negatively associated with poor nutritional status. The study will help in planning interventions for improving nutritional status of adolescent girls by targeting the significant socio demographic determinants of poor nutritional status among this group.
Highlights
Socio demographic factors besides dietary factors play important role in determining the health status of an individual
As no prevalence study in context to Body mass index (BMI) of adolescent girls was available, sample size was calculated on the basis of anemia prevalence among adolescent girls belonging to low income group in Pakistan which was found to be above 93% in early adolescents (14 years to 16 years) and 60% in late adolescents (17 years to 19 years), taking mean of these two groups, prevalence among adolescent girls was taken as 76.5% [24]
As the study was carried out on small scale due to financial, cultural and time constraints on the part of researcher, the results cannot be generalized to all the working adolescents. This descriptive analytical study provides a new dimension for future studies in the same socio economic and geographical settings on a larger scale. It can be concluded from this study that certain socio demographic determinants such as house ownership, frequency of illness and fathers’ education are significantly associated with the poor nutritional status of adolescent girls belonging to low income households
Summary
Socio demographic factors besides dietary factors play important role in determining the health status of an individual. The present study was conducted to identify those socio demographic determinants which have a significant association with poor nutritional status in adolescent girls belonging to economically deprived households of Lahore. Socio economic status is determined by certain socio demographic factors such as housing characteristics, number of persons living in a room, food security, household income, occupation of the family, education level, and employment status of the person and access to health facilities and hygiene practices. A large and growing body of evidence shows those socio demographic factors – age, race, ethnicity, and language, for example – and socioeconomic status (SES), such as income and education, can influence health and nutritional outcomes [4]. Ever-increasing evidence suggests that the health and nutritional status of a population is greatly determined by the social and economic circumstances of that population, as well as its access to health care services [5,6,7]
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