SOCIOECONOMIC VARIABLES INFLUENCING BODY MASS INDEX OF ADOLESCENT GIRLS IN A RURAL AREA OF HARYANA

Often health and nutritional status of adolescent girls are direct reflection of the cumulative effects of various factors. One of the important parameters that causes under nutrition in adolescent girls is their poor socio-economic status. Further low literacy levels aggravate this dismal situation. OBJECTIVES: (a) To assess nutritional status of adolescent girls; (b) to study socioeconomic variables of adolescents; and (c) to find out the association of socioeconomic variables with the nutritional status of adolescent girls. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Primary Health Centre, Agroha, Haryana. Sample size (273) estimation was based on the extent of under nutrition in adolescent girls. Thirty nine adolescent girls were selected by simple random sampling from each of the 7 villages covered under PHC, Agroha. A predesigned and pretested interview and examination schedule was used for recording of family and individual information. Nutritional status of study subjects was assessed on the basis of BMI. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Proportions and chi(2) test. RESULTS: Two third of the adolescent girls were under nourished. Under-nutrition was significantly least in subjects with main occupation of the family as service (p<0.05). With increasing level of highest literacy in the family, literacy status of father, mother and adolescent girls, significant improvement in nutritional status was noticed. There existed significant (P<0.01) association between socioeconomic status and nutritional status of study subjects. CONCLUSIONS: For improvement of nutritional status of adolescent girls there is a need to develop strategies for improving adult and adolescent education.