Abstract
Addressing the gap in knowledge, attitude, and practice among adolescent girls are important as malnutrition has a negative effect on their future generation. This study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practice of adolescent girls towards reducing malnutrition in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, Borno State, Nigeria. This was a school-based cross-sectional study conducted among 612 adolescent girls (10 to 19 years old). KoBo collect toolbox was used for the data collection between 3 June and 31 July 2019. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify predictors of knowledge, attitude, and practice towards reducing malnutrition. The majority of respondents (451, 80.2%; 322, 57.3%) had poor knowledge and attitude towards reducing malnutrition respectively, 278 (49.5%) had poor practice towards reducing malnutrition. Schooling (GGSS; p = 0.022; Shehu Garbai; p = 0.003) was a significant predictor of knowledge. Religion (p = 0.023), information (p < 0.001) and motivation (p < 0.001) were significant predictors of attitude. School (GGSS; p < 0.001; GGC; p < 0.001; Shehu garbai; p < 0.001; Bulabulin; p = 0.030; Zajeri day; p = 0.049), education of father (p = 0.001), information (p = 0.026) and behavioral skill (p = 0.019) were significant predictors of practice. There is a need to focus on both school-based and community-based health education intervention to address the poor knowledge, attitude, and practice among adolescent girls for a healthier future.
Highlights
Adolescents are young individuals that are between the ages of 10 and 19 years’ old; this is a period of transition from childhood to adulthood and a critical phase of physical growth and development [1]
Our results indicate that adolescent girls whose fathers had no education were less likely to have good practice towards reducing malnutrition, which could be associated with inaccessibility to nutrition-related information on the consequences of malnutrition
Macro and micronutrient prevailed among adolescent girls
Summary
Adolescents are young individuals that are between the ages of 10 and 19 years’ old; this is a period of transition from childhood to adulthood and a critical phase of physical growth and development [1]. In Nigeria, adolescents constitute about 23% of the nation’s population [3]. This stage is sensitive to malnutrition as a result of the increased physiological need for nutrition that can be affected by insufficiency, excess, or inequality in individual energy intake, which can affect them and their future generation [1,4,5]. Nutrients 2020, 12, 1681 the prevalence of child marriage before the age of 18 years is 39%, and 16% of adolescent girls are Nutrients 12, x FOR. Marriage exposes adolescent girlsIntoNigeria, pregnancy complications such cephalon–pelvic that16%
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