Nutrient intake amongst adolescent girls belonging to poor socioeconomic group of rural area of Rajasthan.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the nutrient intake of adolescent girls belonging to low socio-economic group of rural Rajasthan.


METHODS
Cross-sectional, using probability proportionate to size, cluster sampling method.


METHODS
18 villages of Jaipur district.


METHODS
941 adolescent girls of age 10-18 yr.


METHODS
Anthropometric measurements for height, weight, mid-upper arm circumference, triceps skin fold and chest circumference; 24 h recall method to assess nutrient intake. Nutrient intake was compared with Indian Council of Medical Research recommended dietary allowances.


RESULTS
The diets were deficient in calories by 26 to 36%, and in proteins by 23 to 32%. Nutritional status as assessed by body mass index revealed that 8.1% of adolescent girls suffered from chronic energy deficiency (CED) grade I, 6.6% grade II CED, and 78.8% grade III CED. About 73.7% of subjects suffered from anemia and 43.6% had signs of vitamin B complex deficiency.


CONCLUSIONS
Intervention strategies are needed to improve the dietary intake of adolescent girls so that their requirements of energy, protein, vitamins and minerals are met.
Chaturvedi
S
S
Human Nutrition Unit, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.
Kapil
U
U
Gnanasekaran
N
N
Sachdev
H P
HP
Pandey
R M
RM
Bhanti
T
T
D000293:Adolescent; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000886:Anthropometry; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*