NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF ADOLESCENT BOYS AND GIRLS IN COASTAL AREA (COX’S BAZAR) OF BANGLADESH

Abstract

The study's goals were to identify the contributing elements to the adolescents' nutritional condition and to determine how those factors related to the traits they had chosen. About 250 respondents provided the information needed for this survey. This research was carried out in the coastal area of COX'S BAZAR district. Researcher conducted his own data collection using the respondents' interview schedules from 10 November to 1 February, 2022. Age, MUAC, respondent's education, respondent's mother's education, family income, food intake, and nutritional understanding all exhibited positive significant correlations with their BMI toward nutritional status, according to correlation analysis. The dietary status of the respondent was inversely correlated with the disease information characteristic. The other five factors of the respondents— gender, religion, family size, father's education, and cleanliness practices—had favorable, non-significant associations with their BMI and nutritional status. Children's age, physical activity, transportation, leisure, and involvement in nutrition programs all had adverse, non-significant correlations with their BMI and nutritional status. Because they consumed few calories, the majority of the participants were inactive. About 89.6% respondents were poor active and only 2.4% respondents were active in calorie intake. Majority of the adolescent were suffering from malnutrition. Most of the respondents were underweight about 79.6%, only 20% respondents were normal weight. Majority of the respondent’s mother (63.3%) had primary level of education and 55% of the respondent’s father had primary level of education. According to a multiple linear regression analysis, teenage nutritional status positively correlated with annual family income, food intake, and nutritional awareness. Disease information was substantial and displayed a negative correlation with nutritionalstatus in adolescents. The respondents' parents and their lacked nutritional understanding. Proper intervention programs should be implemented in order to correct the nutritional status nutrient intake and dietary habits of adolescent residing in Cox’s Bazar.