Abstract

Background: However, there is little information about adolescent eating behaviors, dietary diversification and nutritional status of adolescent girls, especially urban and school based. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of dietary diversity and eating behaviors on school girl’s nutritional status in government schools in Akaki Kality Sub City, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Methods: A total of 384 adolescent girls between the ages of 10 to 19 years were participated. A school-based cross-sectional study design was employed. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used in the study area. Data was coded, imported and analyzed and computed by STATA V14. The Statistical significance was considered at p < 0.05.

Result: Mean age of schoolgirls was 15.67±1.60 years. Overall stunting and thinness of schoolgirls were 15.0% (60) and 14.1% (54) respectively and about 5.2% (20) schoolgirls were overweight and almost half of schoolgirls had low dietary diversity score with their mean (±SD) dietary diversity score of 3.61 ± 1.33. The risk factors for stunting were schoolgirls who used to drink sugary fluids [OR: 18,95% CI (2.49-130.89)], schoolgirls who often feel hungry in the week [OR: 5.2,95% CI (1.95-14.05)], schoolgirls whose family lower income status [OR: 4.97,95% CI (2.46- 10.06)], and schoolgirls whose lower BMI/age [OR: 1.53,95% CI (1.27-1.84)]. Similarly, the risk factors for thinness were schoolgirls who used to drink sugary foods [OR: 13.84, 95% CI (1.74-109.97)].The schoolgirls who used to practice daily eat on late [OR: 9.77, 95% CI (4.60-20.72)] and irregular and who never perform enough healthy exercise [OR: 1.95, 95% CI (1.07-3.55)]. The school feeding program to mitigate poor nutrition outcome following erratic feeding and meal skipping behaviours.