Nutritional Status of Adolescents in Selected Government and Private Secondary Schools of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background: Changes in the nutritional intake combined with increasingly sedentary life styles and increasing urbanization has led to the emergence of chronic disease as a major new health threat. Objective: To assess and compare nutritional status of adolescents and analyze the risk factors associated to/with overweight/obesity in government and private secondary schools of Addis Ababa, 2012. Methods: A comparative cross sectional study comprising 1024 adolescents of government and private secondary schools of Addis Ababa was conducted from February 02, 2012 to June 28, 2012. Information on socio-demographic data, eating habits and physical activity was collected using interviews. Measurements on weight and height were made using standardized weighing scales and measuring boards, respectively. Height-for-age and body mass index-for-age were compared to the 2007 WHO growth reference. Data were entered using Epi info version 3.5.1, WHO AnthroPlus and analyzed using SPSS version 16. Results: Overall, the prevalence of stunting (low height-for-age), underweight (low body mass index-for-age) and overweight/obese (high body mass index-for-age) in all school adolescents was 7.2% (95% CI; 5.8, 9.0), 6.2% (95% CI; 4.9, 8.0) and 8.5% (95% CI; 6.9, 10.4), respectively. Adolescents in government schools were significantly more likely to be undernourished stunting; 51(10.0%) versus 23(4.5%) and underweight; 36(7.0%) versus 28(5.5%) compared to their counterparts in private schools (P-value <0.05). Adolescents in private schools were overweight/obese compared to those in government schools 65(12.7%) versus 22(4.3%); OR=3.2 (95% CI; 1.9, 5.3). Conclusions and recommendations: The findings of this investigation showed that being in a private school, lacking daily breakfast and consumption of animal products more than once a day are significantly associated with overweight/Obese during adolescence. Results of this study emphasize the need for educational interventions at early ages involving the whole family to promote optimal nutritional status.