Association between Diet Quality and Nutritional Status among Secondary School Adolescents in Mbeya City

Abstract

Background: Adolescence is a critical phase of life because it involves changes that are crucial to a person’s health and well-being. There is a coexistence of overnutrition and undernutrition among adolescents. Poor diet is among the causes of malnutrition, but little is still known about the quality of diet among adolescents in Tanzania

Objective: The study’s objective was to assess diet quality among adolescents by using the Diet Quality Index International (DQI-I) and assess its association with adolescents’ nutritional status in Mbeya City, Tanzania.

Methods: This study used cross-sectional data from Mbeya City, involving 192 adolescents. Anthropometric measurements (heights and weights) were collected, and z-scores were calculated based on the 2007 WHO growth standards for age and sex. Information on demographics and diet was collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Diet quality score and its component scores were established by the use of the Diet Quality Index- International (DQI-I). Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and multinomial logistic regression were used to establish prevalence, means, standard deviation, and the association between variables.

Results: There was a coexistence of undernutrition (stunting: 58.3%, underweight: 29.0%, and thinness: 21.4%) and overnutrition (overweight: 5.8%). The mean diet quality score was 56.66 (SD=8.97). Diet quality score and all its components did not show a significant association with nutritional status except for diet variety which was associated with thinness (AOR= 0.85(95% CI 0.75-0.97), p=0.01).

Conclusion: There is a coexistence of undernutrition and overweight among secondary school adolescents, along with poor diet quality. This highlights the need for further research and targeted intervention.