HOME JOURNALS CONTACT

Asian Journal of Scientific Research

Year: 2013 | Volume: 6 | Issue: 1 | Page No.: 16-26
DOI: 10.3923/ajsr.2013.16.26
Dietary Intake, Anthropometry and Nutritional Status of Adolescents in Nigeria: A Review
I. Yunusa and L.U.S. Ezeanyika

Abstract: Studies of dietary intake and status were collected from across Nigeria by literature search and personal contact with some country experts. Studies that satisfied a defined set of criteria; published, based on individual intakes and adequate information provided to enable its quality to be assessed were selected for further analysis. Twenty seven articles from four agroecological zones of the country were included and from them data on energy, protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and trace elements were collected. Data on energy intakes were given in a large number of studies, but information was very limited for some micronutrients. Studies gave data on food patterns peculiar to their cultural and/or regional characteristics. A variety of collection methods were used, there was no consistency in the ages of adolescents studied or the age cut-off points, but some studies gave data for males and females separately at all ages. None of the study article was nationally representative and most of the remainders were regional. Apart from anthropometric measurements, status data were also collected from the four regions. Males had higher energy intakes than females. Variations in energy intakes and other nutrients related to energy intakes were not apparent across the regions within the country. In addition, most of the dietary studies did not rely on food composition tables for the conversion of food intake data to estimated nutrient intakes as there is no universally accepted food composition table across the country with a definite analytical methods, units and modes of expression. This can make comparisons between regions difficult and inaccurate. There are insufficient data on status to be able to be able to draw any conclusions about the nutritional quality of the diets of adolescents.

Fulltext PDF Fulltext HTML

How to cite this article
I. Yunusa and L.U.S. Ezeanyika, 2013. Dietary Intake, Anthropometry and Nutritional Status of Adolescents in Nigeria: A Review. Asian Journal of Scientific Research, 6: 16-26.

Related Articles:
© Science Alert. All Rights Reserved