Adolescents in developing countries join the work force, get married and become pregnant relatively early. A lot of attention is directed at sexual health issues, substance abuse and violence among this age group. But little is known about their nutritional status. A study in rural Bangladesh attempts to fill this gap.

The research, in four villages in Rupganj Thana, Narayanganj district, involved the Institute of Child and Mother Health, Bangladesh, and the UK Institute of Child Health. Investigators interviewed the guardians of 1483 healthy unmarried 10-17 year olds about family structure and socio-economic status. They weighed, measured and clinically examined 906 adolescents and took blood from 861 of them.

The study found that:

• Median monthly income per person is approximately 554 Taka (US$ 12).
• Two-thirds of adolescents are thin - 75 percent of boys and 59 percent of girls.
• The proportion of thin adolescents falls from 95 percent at ten years to 12 percent at age 17.
• Around half of both boys and girls are stunted and the prevalence of stunting increases with age.
• Nearly half of the adolescents have sores on their lips (angular stomatitis) that suggest they are lacking B vitamins. A quarter have vitamin A deficiency.
• Nearly all children (94 percent of boys and 98 of girls) are anaemic.

Such high levels of adolescent malnutrition and anaemia have serious consequences for work productivity and pregnancy outcome. Reduction of iron deficiency anaemia in older schoolchildren improves cognition as well as productivity. The national effort for vitamin A supplementation is currently restricted to children under six. In this anaemic population a school-based intervention using iron tablets, deworming and vitamin A could yield major benefits.

Source(s):
'Adolescent nutrition in a rural community in Bangladesh' , Indian Journal of Pediatrics 67 (2): 93-98, by A. Shahabuddin et al., 2000

Funded by: Department for International Development

id21 Research Highlight: 27 March 2002

Further Information:
Khurshid Talukder
Institute of Child and Mother Health
Matuail
PO Tushar Dhara
Dhaka 1362
Bangladesh

Tel: 88 02 7512672, 88 02 7512820-3
Fax: 88 02 882 7872
Contact the contributor: info@icmh.org.bd

Institute of Child and Mother Health, Bangladesh

Andy Seal
Centre for International Child Health
Institute of Child Health
30 Guilford Street
London WC1N 1EH
UK

Tel: +44 (0)20 7905 2261/2118
Fax: +44 (0)20 7831 0488
Contact the contributor: A.Costello@ich.ucl.ac.uk

Institute of Child Health, University of London

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