Prevalence and associated factors of thinness among adolescent girls attending governmental schools in Aksum Town, Northern Ethiopia

Abstract

Introduction: Thinness among adolescent girls has not received due to attention in many developing countries including Ethiopia. However, adolescence period is the last window of opportunity to implement strategies to correct potential growth deficits thereby breaking the vicious cycle of intergenerational malnutrition. Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of thinness and associated factors among adolescent girls. Methods: School-based cross-sectional study design was employed from April to May 2014. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select a total of 823 adolescent girl students. Data were collected using interviewer-administered technique using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire and anthropometric measurements. Five nurses as data collectors and three BSc nurse supervisors were included in the study. Data were entered into EPI INFO version 7 and then exported to SPSS version 20 software and WHO AnthroPlus software for analysis. Descriptive statistics was performed. Binary logistic regression was fitted, odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) and P value was calculated to identify associated factors. Results: The overall prevalence of thinness in this study area was 12.6%. Age of the respondent (adjusted OR [AOR] =2.7, 95% CI: 1.4, 5.3), education status of mother (AOR = 5.4, 95% CI: 3.3, 6.5), menstruation status (AOR = 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3, 0.9), individual dietary diversity (AOR = 3.9, 95% CI: 2.3, 7.0), and wealth index (AOR = 3.8, 95% CI: 1.5, 5.6) were significantly associated with thinness of adolescent girls. Conclusion and Recommendation: Thinness was found to be a serious problem in the study area. Strategies are needed to improve the nutritional status of adolescent girls before they reach conception to break the vicious cycle of intergenerational malnutrition.