Nutritional Status and Eating Habits of Adolescents in Marcory, Côte d'Ivoire: A School-based Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Aims: Adolescence is a period of growth and physiological transformation that requires nutritional intake tailored to specific needs. However, with the expansion of the food industry, teenagers are exposed to high consumption of processed foods, which could cause health problems. Study Design: This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the nutritional status and eating habits of students in a high school. Place and Duration of Study: this study was conducted at Victor Amangou high school in Marcory, Abidjan district, during the school year between November 2022 and April 2023. Methodology: The study was conducted with 418 students aged 12 to 18 from the Amagou Victor Modern High School in Marcory. The students' eating habits was determined with a structured, pretested questionnaire. Nutritional status was determined after calculating the body mass index which was related to the corpulence curve, taking into account gender and age. Results: The average BMI was 20.27 ± 4.29 kg/m². Students of normal weight represented 77% of the respondents. Conversely, underweight, overweight, and obese students represented 11%, 7.2%, and 4.8% of the students surveyed, respectively. Students' eating habits were low because 98.6% of them had a low dietary diversity score, 62.0% had low frequency of meals. Conclusion: It is therefore necessary to conduct awareness campaigns on healthy eating, eating habits, and physical activity among students.