Prevalence and associated factors of malnutrition among school going adolescents of Dang district, Nepal

Sigma Bhattarai; Chet Kant Bhusal; Sigma Bhattarai; Chet Kant Bhusal

doi:10.3934/publichealth.2019.3.291

AIMS Public Health

2019, Volume 6, Issue 3: 291-306. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2019.3.291

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Research article

Prevalence and associated factors of malnutrition among school going adolescents of Dang district, Nepal

Sigma Bhattarai ^{1
,
,},
Chet Kant Bhusal ²

1.
Nursing Department, Universal College of Medical Science and Teaching Hospital, Tribhuvan University, Bhairahawa, Rupandehi Nepal
2.
Department of Community Medicine, Universal College of Medical Science and Teaching Hospital, Tribhuvan University, Bhairahawa, Rupandehi Nepal

Received: 12 June 2019 Accepted: 04 August 2019 Published: 21 August 2019

Background: Malnutrition is a quiet emergency and one of the most widespread causes of morbidity and mortality among children and adolescent throughout the world; however there are very limited indications about the cause of malnutrition among adolescents. This study aimed to find out the prevalence and associated factors of malnutrition among school going adolescents of Dang district, Nepal. Methods: School based descriptive cross-sectional research design among 510 school adolescents studying in grade 9 and 10 between ages 14–17 years on April–October 2017 was conducted in Dang district Nepal. Among total 130 secondary schools, 10 schools were selected; one government and one private from each 5 electoral constituency using multistage probability random sampling. Results: The mean age and family size was 15.28 ± 0.77 and 5.25 ± 1.56 respectively. Among the total 25.7% of the adolescents are malnourished where 21.8% underweight, 3.1% overweight and 0.8% obese. After adjustment some of the variables such as religion (OR = 0.19; CI = 0.05–0.65, p = 0.008), family type (OR = 0.28; CI = 0.13–0.61, p = 0.001), school type (OR = 0.46; CI = 0.22–0.98, p = 0.044), earning status of family (OR = 4.52; CI = 1.44–14.16, p = 0.010), daily intake of green leafy vegetables (OR = 0.49; CI = 0.26–0.93, p = 0.031) and school sports (OR = 0.49; CI = 0.25–0.96, p = 0.040) were significantly associated with the underweight of adolescent. Similarly, variables such as gender (OR = 0.20; CI = 0.04–0.97, p = 0.046) and religion (OR = 9.75; CI = 2.24–42.39, p = 0.002) were significantly associated with the overweight/obesity of adolescent. Conclusion: Malnutrition was significantly higher among adolescents living in joint family, family having no earning status. Male adolescents were found more likely to be overweight and obesity. Hence to tie up the good nutrition it is recommended that integrated nutritional intervention and health related services should also be focused on adolescents.
- adolescents,
- malnutrition,
- underweight,
- overweight,
- obesity,
- Dang
Citation: Sigma Bhattarai, Chet Kant Bhusal. Prevalence and associated factors of malnutrition among school going adolescents of Dang district, Nepal[J]. AIMS Public Health, 2019, 6(3): 291-306. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2019.3.291

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Abstract

Background: Malnutrition is a quiet emergency and one of the most widespread causes of morbidity and mortality among children and adolescent throughout the world; however there are very limited indications about the cause of malnutrition among adolescents. This study aimed to find out the prevalence and associated factors of malnutrition among school going adolescents of Dang district, Nepal. Methods: School based descriptive cross-sectional research design among 510 school adolescents studying in grade 9 and 10 between ages 14–17 years on April–October 2017 was conducted in Dang district Nepal. Among total 130 secondary schools, 10 schools were selected; one government and one private from each 5 electoral constituency using multistage probability random sampling. Results: The mean age and family size was 15.28 ± 0.77 and 5.25 ± 1.56 respectively. Among the total 25.7% of the adolescents are malnourished where 21.8% underweight, 3.1% overweight and 0.8% obese. After adjustment some of the variables such as religion (OR = 0.19; CI = 0.05–0.65, p = 0.008), family type (OR = 0.28; CI = 0.13–0.61, p = 0.001), school type (OR = 0.46; CI = 0.22–0.98, p = 0.044), earning status of family (OR = 4.52; CI = 1.44–14.16, p = 0.010), daily intake of green leafy vegetables (OR = 0.49; CI = 0.26–0.93, p = 0.031) and school sports (OR = 0.49; CI = 0.25–0.96, p = 0.040) were significantly associated with the underweight of adolescent. Similarly, variables such as gender (OR = 0.20; CI = 0.04–0.97, p = 0.046) and religion (OR = 9.75; CI = 2.24–42.39, p = 0.002) were significantly associated with the overweight/obesity of adolescent. Conclusion: Malnutrition was significantly higher among adolescents living in joint family, family having no earning status. Male adolescents were found more likely to be overweight and obesity. Hence to tie up the good nutrition it is recommended that integrated nutritional intervention and health related services should also be focused on adolescents.

Abbreviation AOR: Adjusted odds ratio; BMI: Body mass index; CDC: Center for disease control; CI: Confidence interval; GSHS: Global School-based Student Health Survey; NDHS: Nepal Demographic and Health Survey; OR: Odds ratio; SBA: Skilled Birth Attendant; SD: Standard Deviation; SEAR: South East Asia Region; SLC: School Leaving Certificate; SPSS: Statistical package for the social sciences; VDC: Village Development Committee; WHO: World Health Organization;
Acknowledgments

Authors would like to acknowledge Prof. Mandira Onta Assist. Dean, Administration T.U. Institute of Medicine, Maharajgunj Campus, Assoc. Prof. Ms. Abhilasha Saha National Medical College, Birjung, Parsa, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Amod Kumar Poudyal Dept. of Community Medicine & Public Health Maharajgunj Medical Campus, Prof. Dr. Sarala Shrestha Chairperson of Research Committee Nepalese Army Institute of Health Campus, College of Nursing, Sano Bharyang for their constructive support. Last but not least, we would like to remember all those adolescents who were respondents of the study for their valuable time and support for providing inevitable information for the study without whom this study would not have been completed.

Conflicts of interests

Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

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