DIETARY PATTERNS AND NUTRITIONAL AWARENESS AMONG LATER ADOLESCENTS IN CHENNAI: A PILOT STUDY

Abstract

Background: The period of adolescence is a time of growth and development that requires the adoption of healthy eating habits and adequate nutrition awareness for future health and well-being. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the dietary pattern and nutritional awareness of the later adolescents (17–19 years old) in rural and urban areas of Chennai, India.
Methods: The approach adopted was a cross-sectional pilot study involving 51 later adolescents by administering a structured questionnaire. The data obtained from the questionnaire included socio-demographic, eating habits and nutritional awareness information. Jamovi (version 2.6.26) was used to analyse data. The dietary behaviours were analysed by descriptive data, frequency distribution, reliability analysis (Cronbach's α) and Chi-square tests were conducted to explore the differences between nutritional awareness and place of residence
Results: The findings showed that many of the participants consumed the breakfast regularly and consumed appropriate number of meals and fruits and vegetables daily. Unhealthy eating habits, however, were also noted including skipping meals, eating lots of snacks, eating late at night, and eating out at restaurants. The internal consistency of the dietary pattern scale was acceptable (Cronbach's α = 0.739). Some nutritional awareness variables were found to differ significantly between the teens in the rural and urban areas (p< 0.05) such as knowledge on the sources of vitamin C, protein and health risks from overconsumption of sugar.