شبكة المعلومات العربية التربوية

This study aims to assess food habits and nutritional awareness for girls Adolescents and describes its relation with body mass index and health status and socio-demographic differentials. This study was carried out on 300 girls Adolescents aged 12 to 17 years were chosen from 32 intermediate schools Al Madinah Al Munawwarah, KSA. Data socioeconomic status, health history, food habits, anthropometric measurements and, Nutritional awareness were collected. The results showed taht: The mean value of age was 14.33 ± 1.11 years, the mean value of length was 150.86 ± 5.58 cm, the mean of arm circumference was 24.33 ± 2.71 cm and the mean value of weight was 47.71 ± 10.86 kg. Also the result showed that 11.7% of studied girls were suffering from overweight, while the most of girls had normal weight 52.0%, the mean value of body mass index mean was 20.82 ± 4.12 kg/m2. Most of girls 84.3% were no suffering from diseases, while about 15.7% of girls were suffering from diseases including; anemia, tuberculosis, diabetes mellitus. As for bad dietary habits were like eating one meal per day, delete the breakfast, and low rates of milk consumption, meat and fruits and vegetables daily. The nutritional awareness degree was classified into three degrees; of the categories; awareness is low (less than 60%), awareness is intermediate (greater than 60% - 79.9%), awareness is high (80% or more), the nutritional awareness level in the study sample, the most of girls 52.5% have middle level of awareness, while 38.1 % of them have high level of awareness, and finally 9.4% of them have low level of dietary awareness. There was a statistically significant relationship between nutritional awareness degree and health status at (P<0.01), also there was a statistically significant relationship between nutritional awareness degree and anthropometric measurements (weight, body mass index). In conclusion: High percentage of girls’ adolescents had a middle degree of nutritional awareness. This study recommended to the importance of raising awareness of food among teenagers, because of its positive effects to change some beliefs and habits inherited misconceptions. Stay nutrition education workshops for teenagers’ diet patrol through the institutions concerned. (Published abstract)