Impact of Socio-Demographic Factors and Educational Interventions on Nutritional Status and Physical Activity among Urban Adolescent Girls of Vijayapura District of Karnataka

Introduction

Adolescence, a pivotal stage in human development, is characterized by significant physical, cognitive, and emotional changes. Proper nutrition during this critical period is essential for the maintenance of overall health and the facilitation of optimal growth and maturation. Adolescent girls, in particular, face unique nutritional challenges due to the physiological demands of their growth spurt, the onset of menstruation, and sociocultural factors that may influence their dietary habits. The nutritional requirements of adolescents girls are higher than children's due to the accelerated growth rate, sexual maturation, changes in body composition, skeletal mineralization, and fluctuations in physical activity levels (Parks et al., 2020). (Anand & Sharma, 2023) Adolescent girls are particularly vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies, such as iron deficiency anaemia, which can impact their cognitive development, immune function, and overall well-being. (Armstrong et al., 2018) [2] Existing research has highlighted significant disparities in physical activity levels among adolescents and young adults, with female adolescents and those from lower-income or minority racial/ethnic backgrounds being less likely to meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity.

These disparities are influenced by various interpersonal and environmental factors, such as social norms, access to resources, and competing priorities. (Christian & Smith, 2018) [3] Studies have also shown that many adolescents do not come close to meeting intake recommendations for nutrient-rich foods, such as fruit, vegetables, and milk. 3,6. Together, these dietary behaviours place adolescents at increased risk for micronutrient deficiencies. Many children in low-and middle-income countries enter adolescence thin, stunted, and anaemic, and often display other micronutrient deficiencies. Considering all these factors, an investigation was made to know the impact of Socio-Demographic Factors and Educational Interventions on Nutritional Status and Physical Activity Among Urban Adolescent Girls of Vijayapura District of Karnataka"

Materials and Methods

The present study was conducted to assess the nutritional status and physical activity of urban adolescent girls of Vijayapura district, thirteen talukas namely Almela, Muddebihal, Bableshwar, Nidagundi, Basavana Bagevadi, Chadchan, Sindagi, Talikoti, Devara Hipparagi, Tikota, Indi, Kolhar, Vijayapura were selected for the study. The study was also intended to focus on the growth of adolescent girls through anthropometric measurements. Selection of subjectsa total of 390 adolescent girls aged 13 to 16 years were selected from 13 taluk of Vijayapura district of Karnataka 30 subjects from each taluka were selected and interviewed. The methods used for collecting data are as follows -a self-structured questionnaire was developed which contains socio-economic information, anthropometric measurements, morbidity patterns, and clinical history of deficiencies of adolescent girls, Jelliffe (1966) [9] and Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A) Kowalski et al.(2004) [11] were recorded by interviewing. Prior permission was taken from the institute head to conduct the research in the schools. The adolescents as well as the institute head were informed about the research and were informed about confidentiality. Later the informed consent was taken from the adolescents to participate in the study. The self-structured questionnaire which consists of questions regarding food habits was used to assess the food habits of adolescent girls in urban areas. The questionnaire is similar to the questionnaire prepared by Das (2020). The anthropometric measurements of subjects were recorded by using standard procedures. Measurements included height, weight, Body weights of adolescent girls, which were measured to the nearest 0.1 kg with the help of portable weighing machine. Adolescent girls were weighed without shoes and with minimum clothing. Heights of subjects were measured to the nearest 0.1 cm by no stretchable measuring tape. The subject was asked to stand straight as possible on a flat floor without shoes. Height and weight were used to calculate the BMI for age using WHO-Anthroplus.

Diet survey:

The diet survey was conducted to collect information about dietary pattern by using questionnaire schedule to record data regarding their frequency of consumption of different food groups in a day, week and monthly. 24 hour recall method was used to know the dietary pattern.

Intervention:

The nutrition education was given using lectures on balanced diet, basic five food groups and impact of skipping of breakfast. The pre-test-and post-test was done by using the self-structured questionnaire to know the impact of intervention

Statistical analysis: Statistical analysis of collected data was carried out after consolidation and computation into frequencies and percentages, correlation coefficient was done

Results and Discussion

Table 1 showed the sociodemographic profile of the individuals' urban parents. The majority of urban moms (58.5%) had completed high school, followed by a primary school certificate (33.10%), a graduate degree (6.9%), and an intermediate or diploma (1.50%). The urban mothers were all literate. The majority of urban fathers (34.6%) had either a diploma or an intermediate degree. Approximately 23% of urban dads were graduates, followed by 15.1% with a high school diploma, 11% with no literacy, 8.5% with a primary school diploma, and 7.70% with a professional or honours degree. When income and occupation are taken into account, the results indicated that the majority of dads (47.7%) were skilled workers and shop owners and market sales people, while the majority of urban parents (39.5%) earned between Rs. 18,497 and Rs. 30,830. Additionally, among urban adolescent girls, physical activity was found to significantly positively correlate with the father's work, education, and socioeconomic level. Adolescents with highly educated parents were found to be more physically active (Marko et al., 2007) [4] . It suggests that higher levels of physical activity are also associated with greater father education, occupation, and socioeconomic position. [12] , who observed that a majority of adolescents had normal BMI, while 6.8 per cent were obese. Anmol et al. (2020) [1] also reported comparable results and noted a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents in urban areas. [8] , who observed significant differences in the physical activity patterns of urban adolescents. Table 4 shows the mean percentage intake of different food groups among urbanadolescent girls. The highest intake was observed for cereals (56.75%), followed by fats and oils (54.60%) and milk and milk products (43.50%). Lower intakes were recorded for pulses (23.00%), vegetables, fruits, nuts and oilseeds, while meat and meat products had the lowest intake (3.82%). Similar findings were reported by Kahssay et al. (2020) [10] . [14,16] . Table 7 presents the menstrual problems experienced by urban adolescent girls. The findings revealed that all participants reported back pain, breast pain, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and vomiting (100% each). A high proportion of girls also experienced fatigue (93.78%), nausea (90.46%), menstrual pain (87.63%), and muscle cramps (58.93%). Similar observations were reported by Beeva et al. (2020) [5] and Sivagurunathan et al. (2015) [14] . NS-non significant Figure 1 illustrates the relationship between selected independent variables and the nutritional status of urban adolescent girls. BMI-for-age showed a significant negative association with the father's occupation, indicating that girls whose fathers had higher occupational status were less likely to be overweight or obese. Physical activity was positively and significantly associated with the father's education, occupation, and socio-economic status. This suggests that better parental education, occupational status, and socio-economic conditions were linked to higher levels of physical activity among urban adolescent girls. [6] who reported that there was a improvement in nutrition knowledge of the study participants. Gordana et al. (2023) [7] found that the intervention program on nutrition education improved the nutritional awareness and understanding of the participants.

Conclusion

This study assessed the nutritional status, dietary habits, and physical activity levels of urban adolescent girls in Vijayapura district of Karnataka, The study also concluded that socio-demographic factors, educational interventions, and nutrient adequacy play crucial roles in determining the nutritional status and physical activity levels of urban adolescent girls in Vijayapura district of Karnataka. Adolescent girls with parents who had higher education levels and better socio-economic status were more likely to have a normal BMI and higher levels of physical activity. Additionally, the prevalence of menstrual issues such as back pain, abdominal pain, and fatigue was influenced by these socio-demographic factors. Nutrient adequacy was a significant concern, with many girls showing deficiencies in essential nutrients like iron, calcium, and vitamin D. The educational intervention, which provided nutrition education, significantly improved the nutritional knowledge of the participants, as evidenced by higher post-test scores compared to pre-test scores. This highlights the importance of targeted educational programs to address nutritional deficiencies and promote healthier lifestyles among adolescent girls, particularly those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Addressing socio-economic barriers, ensuring nutrient adequacy, and providing comprehensive nutrition education are essential strategies for enhancing the overall well-being of urban adolescent girls.

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