UNDERNUTRITION AND ASSOSIATED FACTORS AMONG ADOLESCENT GIRLS ATTENDING SCHOOL IN THE GURAGE ZONE, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA: COMPARATIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Background: Nutritional status of adolescent girls has not received due attention in many developing countries including Ethiopia. However, adolescent is the second most rate of growth period regarding physical growth in life cycle after infants. Clear disparities of undernutrition between urban and rural adolescents were not well known. Therefore the objective of the study was to assess undernutrition and associated factors among rural and urban adolescent girls.Methods: A Comparative cross-sectional study design was employed to assess undernutrition and associated factors among adolescent girls attending schools in Gurage zone. Computer generated simple random sampling technique was used to select study participants. A pretested structured interviewer administered questionnaires with anthropometric measurements was used. Multivariable binary logistic regression model was used to assess the association between dependent and independent variables for each outcome.Results: The overall prevalence of thinness and stunting were 6.3% (95% CI: 4.8–8.0) and 8.6% (95% CI: 6.7–10.8) respectively. Thinness was 6.0% (95% CI: 3.9–8.4) and 6.4% (95% CI: 4.3–8.5) among rural and urban adolescents respectively. Likewise, stunting was 10.1% (95% CI: 7.0–13.0) in rural and 7.1% (95% CI: 4.7–9.7) in urban dwellers. Poor dietary diversity [AOR: 4.70(95% CI 1.1-19.9)] and Occurrence of diarrhea [AOR: 16.9(95% 5.-49.77] in urban and absence of hand washing [AOR: 4.0(95% CI: 1.3-12.3)] in rural were significantly associated with thinness. Poor dietary diversity [AOR: 10.07(95% CI: 3.24-31.24] and absence of waste disposal system [AOR: 3.63(95% CI: 1.07-12.24)] were significantly associated with stunting in rural adolescents.Conclusion and recommendation: The prevalence of thinness was nearly similar to urban and rural adolescent. Stunting was higher among rural adolescent than urban. Attention should be given from different stakeholders to focus maintaining of food varieties, creatingawareness about handwashing and waste disposal system for adolescents.