Predictors of nutritional status of Ethiopian adolescent girls: a community based cross sectional study

Abstract

Background: Malnutrition is a major health issue affecting children, women and adolescents globally and developing countries in particular. Adolescence is a time of enormous physiological, cognitive, and psychosocial change but it remain a neglected, difficult-to-measure and hard-to-reach population. The critical role of adolescent nutrition in the intergenerational cycle of Growth failure has not been well addressed in Ethiopia. Hence, this study assesses level of low BMI-for-age and height-for-age and their associated factors among adolescent girls in northwest Ethiopia. Methods: Community based cross-sectional quantitative study was employed. A total of 1281 adolescent girls were included in the study. Multistage cluster sampling method was used. Pretested questionnaire were used to collect the data. The collected data were entered in to Epi Info version 3.5.3 and exported to SPSS version 20.0 software packages for further statistical analysis. The data were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. The degree of association between dependent and independent variables were assessed using odds ratio with 95 % confidence interval and variables with p-value ≤0.05 were considered significant. Result: The prevalence of girls with BMI-for-age Z-score < −2 were 13.6 % and height-for-age Z-score < −2 were 31.5 %. Being in the age group 10-14 years (AOR = 5.83, 95 % CI: 3.26, 10.44), being in the age group 15-17 years (AOR = 2.06, 95 % CI: 1.09, 3.89), with poor dietary diversity score (AOR = 2.48, 95 % CI: 1.60, 3.84), utilizing community based nutrition service (AOR = 0.67, 95 % CI: 0.47, 0.95) were factors significantly associated with thinness in adolescent girls. Being on the age group 10-14 years (AOR = 6.07, 95 % CI: 4.00,9.22), being on the age group 15-17(AOR = 1.39, 95 % CI: 1.93, 2.09), had nutrition and health information(AOR = 1.94, 95 % CI: 1.46, 2.57), living in food secured households (AOR:0.65, 95 % CI: 0.50, 0.84) were factors affecting low height-for-age in study subjects. Conclusion: Finding of this study indicated that prevalence of adolescents with low BMI-for-age and low height-for-age Z-score < −2 were high. Age, dietary diversity score and community based nutrition service utilization were factors affecting low BMI-for-Age in adolescent girls. Age, food insecurity and Nutrition and health information were factors affecting low height-for-age in adolescent girls. Improving community based nutrition service utilization, food security specially in young adolescents is highly recommended.

Nutritional Status of School Going Adolescent Girls in Awash Town, Afar Region, Ethiopia

“…is finding is consistent with some research findings [9,19]. ose early adolescents are at the greatest gain in height as compared to late adolescents.…”

“…According to this study finding, adolescent girls who did eat less because of household financial constraints were three time more likely to be thin than their counterparts (AOR � 3, 95% CI (1.15-7.90)). is finding is consistent with a study done in Amhara Region, Northwestern Ethiopia [19]. is might be explained by the fact that failing to achieve nutrient needs can be manifested by thinness.…”

“…is result is similar to that in a study conducted in Northwest Ethiopia, Gondar town, which was 10.4% [24]. is study result is lower than the study results conducted at Amhara, 13.6% [19], and rural community of Aseko district, Eastern Arsi Zone, and Oromia region, 14.8% [20]. is variation might be related to the nature of the diet and lifestyle of the individual or may be attributed to poor socioeconomic conditions in the study settings.…”

“…is study revealed a prevalence of thinness and stunting of 8.82% and 22.9%, respectively. e prevalence of stunting in this study was comparable with that in a study conducted in Eastern Arsi Zone which was 20.2% [20] and national nutrition survey report of Ethiopia 23% [21], but less than the finding in Amhara Region 31.5% [19]. e possible reason for this difference in prevalence could be a difference in socioeconomic status.…”

“…e sample size was determined using single population proportion formula, considering 95% confidence interval, 80% power, and 5% marginal error, with the proportion of adolescents who were stunted being 31.5% [19].…”