Nutritional status, knowledge and practices of unmarried adolescent girls in rural Bangladesh
Anonymous
HSB Health Science Bulletin 4(3): 6-10
2006
Document Number: 311240
The 2004 baseline survey of the Bangladesh National Nutrition Programme examined nutritional status, knowledge and practices of never married adolescent girls aged 13-19 years living in rural Bangladesh. Adolescents were of poor nutritional status; 9% were severely thin and 16% were moderately thin. More than half did not know the names of energy-dense and protein-rich foods. Most (65%) reported understanding of the need to take extra nutrients during adolescence to attain potential growth. On average, adolescent girls ate 4.7 servings of protein rich and 3.3 servings of fat rich foods in the preceding week. Adolescents in the highest asset quintile (a proxy for economic condition) were 54% more likely to have had fish or meat and 91% more likely to have had egg or milk in the preceding week than those in the lowest asset quintile. Strong community-based nutrition counselling backed by basic services may improve adolescent nutrition knowledge and practices and address undernutrition 'carried-over' from childhood.