Evaluation of nutritional status in Turkish adolescents as related to gender and socioeconomic status

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the nutritional status of Turkish high school adolescents using anthropometric indicators and to determine the relationship of nutritional status with gender and socioeconomic status (SES) in adolescents.

Methods: Six hundred eighty adolescent students (n=284 males, 396 females) aged 14-18 years were selected from 6 high schools of different regions. Nutritional status was evaluated according to the anthropometric indicators, which were based on the WHO criteria. Adolescents were grouped into three SES categories.

Results: The rates of being stunted, underweight, and overweight/obesity were 4.4%, 5.0% and 16.8%, respectively. Height and weight standard deviation scores (SDS) were significantly lower in adolescents with low SES (p<0.05). The frequency of stunting was significantly higher in adolescents with low SES (p=0.012). Frequency of underweight, overweight and obesity did not differ significantly between socioeconomic groups and genders (p>0.05).

Conclusion: Adolescents of low SES were shorter and thinner than those of other SES categories. Undernutrition needs to be addressed in low SES. Among all Turkish adolescents, the major nutritional problems were overweight and obesity. There were no SES and gender differences in prevalence of overweight and obesity among the Turkish school adolescents living in urban areas. Prevalence of obesity is rising, regardless of differences in SES and gender, in developing countries too.

Keywords: adolescents; nutritional anthropometry; obesity; socioeconomic status.

Figure 1. Frequency of being stunted, underweight, and overweight and obesity according to socioeconomic status (SES). The frequency of stunting was significantly higher in adolescents belonging low SES than those with high SES (p=0.012). The frequency of being underweight was not significantly different between socioeconomic groups (p=0.517). Frequency of being overweight and obese in adolescents belonging to middle SES was higher in adolescents belonging to other socioeconomic group, but it was not significant (p= 0.773).

Figure 2. Frequency of being stunted, underweight, and overweight and obesity according to gender. Frequency of being stunted and underweight was not different significantly between male and female adolescents (p=0.354 and p=0.064 respectively). Frequency of being overweight and obese were higher in female adolescents, but there was no significant difference between two sexes (p=0.331).