Dissertation (MSc Pediatric Nursing)
The burden of malnutrition among adolescents was serious public health concerns. Adolescents are not common prioritized in health and nutritional survey despite been at risk of malnutrition due to increase nutritional demands were majority of studies ignore this group. This study aimed to assess nutrition status and associated factors among secondary school adolescents in Kilimanjaro region- Northern Tanzania. Across-sectional study was conducted with quantitative approach between February to April 2021. Multistage sampling techniques was used to obtain 383 schools adolescents who were interviewed by using adopted self-administered questionnaire. Nutritional status was assessed by using Anthropometric measurements and Hemoglobin level. The collected data were analyzed by using WHO Anrthroplus software and SPSS version 23.0 whereby both descriptive and logistic regression was wined; frequency, p-values and OR and AOR were presented. The findings revealed that 47.8% of the adolescents were affected with at least one form of malnutrition. Overall nutritional status were; anemia 25.1%, stunted18.5%, overweight17.2%. Moderate anemia was associated with gender (girls)[AOR; 2.21; p.<0.023; 95%CI;0.12-4.38] residence (urban) were [AOR= 4.44; p<0.01;95%CI;1.39-12.11] school ownership (private) were [AOR=0.20; p<0.012; 95%CI: 0.57-0.69]; stunting was associated with (gender)girls [AOR=0.23;p<0.001;95% CI:0.12-0.44;p<0.001]:and residence adolescents living (urban) [AOR=0.44;p<0.001;95% CI:0.24-0.80];Overweight was associated with gender (girls) [AOR=3.17;p<0,001;95%CI: 1.61-6.25],Food consumption level was associated with (poor) [AOR=21.66;p<0.00195%CI: 10.03-46.81], and borderline [AOR=3.28;p<0.001;95% CI: 1.58-6.80] Knowledge and attitude influencing nutritional status but did not showed statistical significance./ Anaemia, stunting, and overweight was high among secondary school adolescents in Kilimanjaro region. Gender, school ownership, dietary habit and residence were determinants for nutritional status. This calls for interventions to increase level of awareness and knowledge of nutrition in the secondary schools and community at large which will reduce the incidence of morbidity and mortality contributed by nutrition.