Analysis of nutritional status among high school-going adolescent students in Gadag town, Karnataka

Abstract

Background: Adolescents are nutritionally vulnerable because of the nutritional demand of the pubertal spurt. At this age, adequate nutrition, nutritional education, and counseling are critical to halting the consequences and their impact on this population segment. Calorie and micronutrient deficiencies are known to cause growth retardation in children and adolescents. It is recognized that a variety of foods must be consumed to meet nutrient requirements. Dietary diversity is a serious issue among poor populations in the developing world. The extent of variation in nutrient intake that occurs in a homogeneous population is useful. Malnutrition is a major component of school health services because it leads to poor cognitive performance and physical growth in children. Adolescents who have an unbalanced diet are more likely to develop chronic diseases, especially if they live an unhealthy lifestyle. The purpose of this study was to determine the nutritional status and factors influencing the nutritional status among Gadag City high school-going adolescents aged 12–19 years. Objectives: (1) To assess the nutritional status of Gadag City’s high school adolescent students. (2) To explore about the factors that influence the nutritional status of high school students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on adolescent students aged 12–19 in Gadag city’s government and private schools. Permission was obtained from the block education officer and principal of the respective school. Students provided informed consent after a brief explanation of the study’s purpose. The data was collected using the proportional sampling technique, with a sample size of 150. Students from both schools were distributed a semi-structured questionnaire. The World Health Organization formula was used to calculate the body mass index. The data was entered into the Excel sheet at the same time. The results were given as a frequency and a percentage. Results: It has been discovered that the nutritional status of private school students in the overweight category is 7.6% higher than that of government school students. When compared to private schools, government schools had 6.4% more underweight students. It has also been discovered that the average weight of students attending government schools is 3.1% higher than that of students attending private schools. One of the major findings of this survey was that overweight students were more prevalent in private schools than in government schools, with less physical activity and junk food consumption being major influencing factors. Conclusion: Students in government schools are more likely to be underweight than students in private schools, according to the current study findings. To address the issue, government school students’ nutritional status should be addressed, and health education and health promotion are important intervention methods.