Assessment of dietary habits, nutritional status and anthropometric indices of adolescents of selected secondary schools in Nigeria

Abstract

Objective: Attainment of the full potential of growth and development in adolescence has been hugely linked to an adequate diet. The study aimed to assess the influence of adequate dietary habits and nutritional status on adolescent developmental milestones. Methods: The study employed a cross-sectional design and a convenient non-probability sampling technique to select 397 adolescent students from 12 public secondary schools in the Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State. We assessed the anthropometric parameters using weight, height and body mass index (BMI), determined the factors influencing dietary habits among adolescents in Dekina LG and investigated the link between dietary habits, nutritional status and anthropometric indices. Result: The result of this study shows that out of 397 respondents who took balanced diets, energy-rich diets and protein-rich diets respectively, 68, 123, and 12 were underweight, 19, 47 and 100 had normal weight while 10, 18, and 0 were overweight due to frequent ingestion of snacks and soft drinks. The result revealed that out of the 397 respondents, 190 educated parents feed 3 times and above, 18 uneducated parents feed once per day, and 189 feed 3 times and above per day. Conclusion: Significant correlations were found between dietary habits and nutritional status. The study highlights the need for nutrition education and intervention programs to promote healthy eating habits and improve the nutritional well-being of adolescents in Nigeria. The findings can inform the development of targeted school-based nutrition programs and public health policies.