Food habits and nutritional profile of adolescents

Abstract

The present study entitled, "Food habits and nutritional profile of adolescents" was carried out among 200 adolescents (100 boys and 100 girls) in Thrissur Municipal area. Nuclear family system with good housing and living conditions was found in most of the families. Educational status of parents was high. Most of the fathers were working in private sectors and earned above 12000 rupees per month. But most of the mothers were unemployed. Majority of the adolescents completed their immunization schedule and more girls had normal birth weight than boys. All the adolescents were having the habit of watching T.v. programmes daily. Boys had more number of friends than girls. Most of the boys were interested in sports & games where as girls were interested in watching T.V programmes and reading during their leisure time. Most of them were interested in watching T.Y. advertisements and more girls -were motivated to purchase processed foods than boys. Boys preferred soft drinks where as girls preferred chocolates. Majority of the adolescents took their breakfast and carried packed lunch. Boys received more pocket money than girls. Most of the boys spent their pocket money where as girls saved their pocket money. Boys preferred the company of their friends to go outside for eating once in a week. But girls went out once in a month with their family members and all adolescents preferred non vegetarian foods. Boys preferred branded soft drinks and were more conscious about their body weight and figure than girls.

Unhealthy personal habits were observed only among boys. Boys had more favourable attitude than girls towards their own eating habits. But parents of adolescent girls had more favourable attitude towards the eating habits of their daughters. Majority of the families were non vegetarians and followed 3 major meal pattern. Cereals, milk and milk products, fats and oils and sugar I jaggery were used daily but processed foods were used less frequently by the families. Most of the families preferred rice and rice based preparations for breakfast, lunch and dinner and fried foods were preferred for evening tea. Adolescents also preferred cereal based preparations for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Preparations with vegetables, egg, meat, chicken & fish were used most frequently as side dishes. Majority of the families celebrated special occasions and bought prepared non vegetarian foods from hotels. Consumption of foods such as green leafy vegetables, milk and milk products and roots and tubers and nutrients such as iron, retinol and riboflavin were low among adolescents. Mean body weight of the adolescents was below the Indian standard but mean height of girls was above the Indian standard. Majority of the adolescent boys had grade I and grade II malnutrition whereas girls had grade I malnutrition. Chronic energy deficiency of grade II and III was more prevalent among adolescent boys. Clinical manifestations of deficiency symptoms was very low among the adolescents. The prevalence of anaemia was mild to moderate in boys and it was mild in girls.