EC Nutrition

Background: In worldwide nutritional status with their health complications are increasing suddenly, and it has reported as a higher health problem in developing countries related to poor socio-economic situation. Adolescence is a time of increased growth and maturation in human development that needs extra nutrients and energy for the development and growth. Focusing on adolescents’ nutrition, nutritional status provides a good Chance to reduce the intergenerational cycles of malnutrition also, an opportunity to correct existing nutritional problems starting from childhood; since there is no adequate information about nutritional status of adolescents aged 10 - 19 years in Somaliland.

Objective: To determine nutritional status and its associated factors among adolescents in Abaarso village western part Hargeisa Town, Somaliland, 2019.

Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was employed and using systematic random sampling technique was used and K interval was calculated then every k^nd Household were included into the study. Face to face administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 218 adolescents. Data were entered to Statistical package for social science version 23 for data analysis. World health organization Athroplus was used to identify the nutritional status of adolescents. Multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to identify factors associated with the nutritional status of adolescents at P < 0.05 and 95%CI.

Result: Findings of this study showed the prevalence of stunting and thinness were 16.7% and 22.5% respectively. Being male adolescent were significantly associated with stunting (AOR: 0.46 (3.971 AOR = 5.712) and thinness (AOR = 3.631, 95% 1.946, 6.776 P < 0.0001).

Conclusion: This study revealed stunting and thinness were highly prevalent among adolescents. Recognizing the high prevalence of under-nutrition in Abaarso village western part of Hargeisa city, there is a clear need for immediate designing interventions to reduces the risks of malnutrition among adolescent in Abaarso Village by both government and non-government organization.

 Keywords: Nutritional Status; Adolescents; Hargeisa; Somaliland

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