Prevalence of challenging nutritional problems among adolescents in Sri Lanka

Background. Although 21% of the population of Sri Lanka consists of adolescents, studies of nutritional status among this group are limited. Objective. To assess nutritional problems and dietary and activity patterns among adolescents in Sri Lanka. Methods. A nationally representative cross-sectional study was conducted on 6,264 adolescents 10 to 15 years of age. All subjects were clinically examined for Bitot's spots, and their weights and heights were measured. The subjects were interviewed during regular class time. Hemoglobin concentration and dietary and activity patterns were assessed among a subsample (n = 787) of 1,521 adolescents. The World Health Organization age- and sex-specific references for body-mass index and height-for-age were used to estimate the prevalence of underweight and stunting, respectively. The International Obesity Task Force age- and sex-specific reference for body-mass index was used to estimate the prevalence of overweight. Age-specific WHO-defined cutoff points were used to estimate the prevalence of anemia. Results. The prevalence rates of underweight, stunting, and overweight were 47.2%, 28.5%, and 2.2%, respectively. The prevalence rates of anemia and vitamin A deficiency were 11.1% and 0.4%, respectively. During the previous 6 months, 10.4% of the subjects had usually not eaten breakfast before going to school. During the week before the interview, 24.4% of the children had not consumed green leafy vegetables, 26.6% had not consumed fruit, 19.0% had not participated in physical activities, and 27.5% had watched television for more than 2 hours per day. Conclusions. The nutritional problems of adolescents aged 10 to 15 years should be addressed through the schools. Specific policies should be developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Education to control nutritional problems among adolescents.