Assessment of health parameters in adolescents: Dept. of PG studies in FSN
Assessment of health parameters in adolescents was done by the students of III semester of Department of P.G. Studies in Food Science and Nutrition.
Target group
The target age group selected was 16-18 years.
Assessment
The nutritional assessment of the adolescents of age group 16-18 years was done by anthropometric measurements, clinical signs detection and dietary assessment. The anthropometric measurements that were used are:
- Height measurement
- Weight measurement
- Hip and waist measurement
In clinical sign analysis the parts of the body such as hair, face, eyes, lips, tongue, teeth, gums, were examined to see if any abnormalities were present. In order to interpret the physical activity level of the individuals, their daily physical activity was recorded and they were categorized into sedentary, moderate or heavy workers.
The dietary assessment was carried out by obtaining details about their dietary intake pattern using frequency of the food groups consumed and 24-hour diet recall. Based on the calculations their nutritional intake was interpreted.
Interpretation
The results obtained after the assessment were statistically analysed. The sample size of 25 was taken for the study out of which 32% were 16 years old,48% were 17 years old and 20% were 18 years old.
The anthropometric measures were used to attain details regarding BMI and waist hip ratio which depicted the nutritional status and the result stated that 64% had ideal weight, 24% were under weight and 12% were obese.
The clinical examination stated that 36% had minor signs of clinical deficiency like thin hair, uneven skin tone, paleness etc., and 64% didn’t show any signs and were healthy without any evident deficiency.
The dietary assessment revealed that most of the adolescents consumed very low amount of vegetables, GLVs and milk. Cereals, pulses, egg and meat consumption was good. However, after calculations it was interpreted that the nutritional intake in girls was inadequate as compared to boys. 40% of boys showed caloric deficiency whereas, 60% of girls were calorie deficient.
Outcome
The study conducted showed that nutritional status in adolescents was influenced by their food habits, likes and dislikes, peer pressure, body image related issues and lack of knowledge on nutrition.