Lifestyle and Nutritional Status of School Going Adolescent Girls in a Semi Urbon Area of West Bengal, India

Adolescence is a journey from the world of childhood to the world of adulthood. In India adolescents constitute 21.4% of the population that comprises one-fifth of the total population. The health and nutritional status of the children is an index of the national investment in the development of future manpower. Thus present study was undertaken to assess the nutritional status of school going adolescent girls in semi urban area of West Bengal. This study was conducted among 746 school children of 11-18 years studying in four girls’ schools in Hooghly district. School was selected by simple random sample in two municipality areas. Nutritional status was evaluated using anthropometric indicators recommended by WHO(World Health Organization) experts committee. Height for age below 3 percentile of NCHS (National Centre for Health statistics) /WHO reference values was classified as stunting. Thinness was defined as BMI-for-age <5 percentile of WHO/NCHS standard data. Over weight and obese were defined as BMI-for –age >85 percentile and >95 percentile respectively. The present study highlight the duel burdens of underweight and overweight in semi urban adolescent girls. Overweight is more urgent problem than underweight. Lifestyle (physical activity and fast food intake habit) was one of the contributing factor of overweight. To minimized both forms of malnutrition, it is essential to educate and create awareness programmes at the community levels. Health education programmes and effective policies are urgently required to promote healthy eating and physical activity.