The influence of adolescents' nutrition knowledge and school food environment on adolescents' dietary behaviors in urban Ethiopia: A qualitative study

Assessment of nutrition knowledge and associated factors among secondary school students in Haramaya district, Oromia region, eastern Ethiopia: implications for health education

Background

Nutrition knowledge stands as a cornerstone in facilitating informed dietary choices, thereby profoundly impacting overall health and lifestyle outcomes. Malnutrition often correlates with deficient nutritional knowledge, highlighting the critical need for comprehensive understanding in this domain. While Ethiopia has seen considerable research on nutritional status and associated factors, there remains a paucity of studies specifically addressing nutrition knowledge among secondary school students, particularly within the Haramaya District. Therefore, this study aimed to meticulously assess nutrition knowledge and its determinants among secondary school students in Eastern Ethiopia.

Methods

Employing an institutional-based cross-sectional design, we carefully selected 417 students from secondary schools in Haramaya District, Eastern Ethiopia, through simple random sampling. Data Research Topic entailed structured interviews, with subsequent entry into Epi Data version 3.1 for meticulous analysis utilizing SPSS version 21 software. Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics, while both bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to elucidate factors associated with nutritional knowledge, setting statistical significance at p-value <0.05.

Results

All 417 selected students participated in the study, yielding a commendable response rate of 100%. The median nutritional knowledge score among students stood at 58, with an interquartile range spanning from 44 to 66. Approximately 46.76% (95% CI: 42-51.59) of students exhibited good nutritional knowledge. Significant determinants of nutrition knowledge included sex [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.03-3.04], being senior secondary students (AOR = 3.3, 95% CI: 1.95-5.73), and access to nutrition information (AOR = 3.3, 95% CI: 1.60-6.87).

Conclusion

Our findings illuminate a notable level of nutritional knowledge among secondary school students in Haramaya District. However, discernible disparities in nutrition knowledge emerged based on gender, educational level, and access to nutrition information. These insights underscore the exigency of targeted interventions aimed at enhancing nutrition literacy among students, thereby fostering holistic health promotion endeavors.

Why Acute Undernutrition? A Qualitative Exploration of Food Preferences, Perceptions and Factors Underlying Diet in Adolescent Girls in Rural Communities in Nigeria

BACKGROUND

Adolescent girls are nutritionally vulnerable due to their rapid growth and increased nutrient requirements. Nigeria has the sixth-largest population in the world. This study qualitatively explored the food preferences, perceptions of nutritive value and factors underlying food consumption of adolescent girls in rural communities in Nigeria.

METHODS

The data were collected via the free listing of foods and focus group sessions conducted in the Hausa language with 48 unmarried adolescent girls. The discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed, translated into English, and analyzed using a deductive thematic framework.

RESULTS

The mean age of the respondents was 13.0 ± 2.7, and almost half (48%) had a primary school education. A total of 19 and 23 foods were identified as preferred, and perceived as nourishing, respectively. The top 10 foods present on both free lists overlapped considerably in terms of cognitive salience. The focus group themes included nutrition knowledge, food preferences, autonomy, household food allocation, courtship practices, and agricultural landscapes and economic access. The participants had minimal knowledge of nutrients and food groups, and their preferred foods were limited in diversity. The key factors in food preferences were desirable health effects, sensory attributes, and the contribution of foods to a desirable body image for marriage. Household food choices depended on parents. Thus, a desire for independence was an incentive for early marriage, mostly at 13 to 17 years. Gender inequities in household food distribution (quantity) and animal protein intake were reported. The participants believed that boys need more food for strength to impregnate girls. As part of a courtship practice, the girls received gifts of animal source foods from potential suitors. The food options were limited by financial challenges and low agricultural diversity.

CONCLUSION

To interrupt the cycle of inadequate food consumption and undernutrition in these adolescent girls, policy makers need to promote nutrition education and address the underlying determinants of inequitable access to nutritious foods.