title: Dietary behaviors and nutritional status of adolescents in a remote rural area of Thailand.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nutritional status among adolescents is an important health indicator. The up-to-date information about nutritional status and food consumption pattern in the remote rural area is required for the effective public health intervention in the rural area of the country. The present study aimed to demonstrate the prevalence of malnutrition, eating behavior and nutritional knowledge among secondary school students in a remote rural area in Thailand.
  
  
  METHODS
  Body weight and height data were collected from 298 secondary school students for nutritional status calculation using the Institute of Nutrition Research, Mahidol University, INMU-Thaigrowth program. Eating behavior and nutritional knowledge were observed by self-administrated questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence low height-for-age (<-2SD) 6.1% and it was 0.7% for low weight-for-height (<-2SD). Fruits (69%) and vegetables (79.4%) consumptions were in the high level. The authors found that the students always consumed commercial snacks especially salted chips more often than regular Thai dessert (74.0% VS 52.3%). The inappropriate behavior found in the present study included always drinking caffeine beverage (43.5%), always drinking alcoholic beverage (6.5%) and always consuming instant noodles (64.4%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of malnutrition was low among this population. The studied population had a fair knowledge about nutrition. The authoes found that regular consumption of highly commercialized snack products especially salted chips and instant noodles were at a high level in this remote rural area of Thailand. The pattern of nutritional problems in Thailand may have changed in which a public health program for children in rural areas of the country should recognize this transition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Military and Community Medicine, Phramongkutklao College of Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Wirote
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Areekul
authors.forename: Nantaporn
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Viravathana
authors.forename: Pote
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aimpun
authors.forename: Khanin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watthanakijthavongkul
authors.forename: Jakkapong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Khruacharooen
authors.forename: Abhinant
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Awaiwanont
authors.forename: Chaowanan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Khumtuikhrua
authors.forename: Pichayen
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Silsrikul
authors.forename: Pawarid
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nilrat
authors.forename: Saksit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saksoong
authors.forename: Jirawat
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Watthanatham
authors.forename: Picha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Suwannahitatorn
authors.forename: Pornsirin
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sirimaneethum
authors.forename: Natee
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Meeprom
authors.forename: Wuttiwong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Somboonruangsri
authors.forename: Koonphol
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pongmanee
authors.forename: Ram
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rangsin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012423:Rural Health; D013785:Thailand