NUTRIENT INTAKE AMONG SCHOOL GOING ADOLESCENT GIRLS IN LUCKNOW DISTRICT, INDIA

Background: Adolescent girls form an important vulnerable sector of population. Under-nutrition among adolescents is a serious public health problem internationally, especially in developing countries. Aim:  To assess nutrient intake among adolescent girls in Lucknow district, India. Material and methods:  A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out in urban as well as rural schools of Lucknow district from October 2008 to September 2009.Multistage random sampling was used to select the requisite number of girls. A total of 847 school going adolescent girls between 10-19 years of age were interviewed and examined. A 24 hour recall method was used to assess dietary intake. Nutrient intake was compared with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA). Nutritional status was assessed by Body Mass Index (BMI) for age. Results: average daily intakes for energy, protein, iron and calcium were less than ICMR Recommended Dietary Allowances and these differences were statistically significant. Overall prevalence of thinness was found to be 17.0% (101/593)and 11.4%(29/254) (BMI <5th percentile according to National Center for Health Statistics- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reference (NCHS-CDC ) among urban and rural school going adolescent girls respectively. Conclusions: The findings indicate that the diets of these girls tended to be inadequate for Energy, Protein, Iron and Calcium. The indications are that the nutritional status of adolescent girls should not be overlooked and suitable approaches designed to improve their nutrition should be considered. Whether, the approach is through education, or more direct interventions such as a school lunch programme.   KEY WORDS: Nutrient intake, Adolescent girls, Lucknow district, Nutritional status.