NUTRITIONAL STATUS, DETERMINANTS, AND CONSUMPTION OF IRON AND FOLATE-RICH FOODS AMONG FEMALE ADOLESCENTS IN SELECTED SCHOOLS OF ZARIA LGA, KADUNA STATE
Abstract
Adolescent girls face challenges in meeting their nutritional needs due to biological, cultural, and economic factors, including inadequate intake, and also face a wide range of nutritional disparities across different socio-economic statuses. The current study assesses the nutritional status, determinants, and consumption patterns of micronutrient-rich food among female adolescents in selected schools. Exactly 318 healthy adolescent girls were recruited as the study participants. A validated semi-structured questionnaire (SSQ) was used to collect data on socio-economic and demographic characteristics, and determinants, while a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used for food consumption patterns. Body Mass Index for-age z-score (BAZ) was used to evaluate the nutritional status of the adolescent girls. The result of the study found most private school adolescent girls to belong to small (36%), nuclear (62%), and monogamous (64%) families with higher weekly food expenditure (69%) compared to their public school’s counterparts. The findings also suggest private school girls have more consistent access to heme sources of iron such as meat (36%), poultry (28%), and seafood (28%), than public school girls. Similar trends were also observed in the adolescent girls' consumption of legumes, fruits, and vegetables, which are good sources of iron and folate. Adolescent girls from public schools reported lower awareness, consumption, and access to iron- and folate-rich foods, with higher percentage (65.41%) being underweight compared to girls from private schools. Finally, private school girls consume higher iron and folate-rich diets, indicating socioeconomic factors impacting access and quality, resulting in higher undernourishment rates among public school girls.
References
Abubakar, H.A., Shahril, M.R. & Mat, S. Nutritional status and dietary intake among Nigerian adolescent: a systematic review. BMC Public Health 24, 1764 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-19219-w DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-19219-w
Acharya, S., and Shreyasi, H. (2025). The Price of Nutrition: Can Household Food Budgets Support a Healthy Diet?. Asian Journal of Food Research and Nutrition 4 (3):893-902. https://doi.org/10.9734/ajfrn/2025/v4i3298. DOI: https://doi.org/10.9734/ajfrn/2025/v4i3298
Beal, T., Massiot, E., Arsenault, J. E., and Smith, M. R. (2017). Global Trends in Dietary Micronutrient Supplies and Estimated Prevalence of Inadequate Intakes. PLOS One Journal, 12(4), 120. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0175554 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0175554
Caleyachetty, R., Thomas, G. N., Kengne, A. P., Echouffo-Tcheugui, J. B., Schilsky, S., Khodabocus, J., and Uauy, R. (2018). The double burden of malnutrition among adolescents: Analysis of data from the Global School-Based Student Health and Health Behavior in School-Aged Children surveys in 57 low- and middle-income countries. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 108(2), 414424. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqy105 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqy105
Darmon, N., Drewnowski, A. (2008). Does social class predict diet quality? American Journal Clinical Nutrition. 2008;87(5):110717. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/87.5.1107
Elizabeth Tanjong Ghogomu, Shalini Suresh, Pura Rayco-Solon, Alomgir Hossain, Jessie McGowan Juan Pablo Pea-Rosas, and Vivian (2018). Deworming in non-pregnant adolescent girls and adult women: a systematic review and meta-analysis Welch Systematic Reviews 7:239 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-018-0859- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-018-0859-6
Fisher, J. O, Hughes, S. O, Miller, A. L, Horodynski, M. A, Brophy-Herb, H. E, Contreras, D. A, et al. (2022). Characteristics of eating behavior profiles among preschoolers with low-income backgrounds: a person-centered analysis. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physiological Activity. 19(1):91. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-022-01323-y
Gillespie, B., Katageri, G., Salam, S., Ramadurg, U., Patil, S., Mhetri, J., Charantimath, U., Goudar, S., Dandappanavar, A., Karadiguddi, C., Mallapur, A., Vastrad, P., Roy, S., Peerapur, B., and Anumba, D. (2023). Attention for and awareness of anaemia in adolescents in Karnataka, India: A qualitative study. PLoS ONE, 18(4 April), 115. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0283631 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0283631
Irache, A., Gill, P., and Caleyachetty, R. (2022). The co-occurrence of overweight/obesity and anaemia among adult women, adolescent girls and children living in fifty-two low- and middle-income countries. Public Health Nutrition, 25(6), 15951606. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980021002512 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980021002512
Kuponiyi, O.T., Amoran, O.E. & Kuponiyi, O.T. School health services and its practice among public and private primary schools in Western Nigeria. BMC Res Notes 9, 203 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-016-2006-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-016-2006-6
Liu, H., Zhang, M., Fu, P., Chen, Y., and Zhou, C. (2022). Dual Burden of Malnutrition Among Adolescents With Hunger Aged 1215 Years in 41 Countries: Findings From the Global School-Based Student Health Survey. Frontiers in Medicine, 8(January), 19. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2021.771313 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2021.771313
Madjdian, D. S., Azupogo, F., Osendarp, S. J. M., Bras, H., and Brouwer, I. D. (2018). Socio-cultural and economic determinants and consequences of adolescent undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies in LLMICs: a systematic narrative review. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1416(1), 117139. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.13670 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.13670
Mwangi, M. N., Mzembe, G., Moya, E., and Verhoef, H. (2021). Iron deficiency anaemia in sub-Saharan Africa: a review of current evidence and primary care recommendations for high-risk groups. The Lancet Haematology, 8(10), e732e743. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-3026(21)00193-9 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-3026(21)00193-9
Norris, S. A., Frongillo, E. A., Black, M. M., Dong, Y., Fall, C., Lampl, M., Liese, A. D., Naguib, M., Prentice, A., Rochat, T., Stephensen, C. B., Tinago, C. B., Ward, K. A., Wrottesley, S. V., and Patton, G. C. (2022). Nutrition in adolescent growth and development. The Lancet, 399(10320), 172184. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01590-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01590-7
Opara, D.C., Ikpeme, E.E. and Ekanem, U.S., (2010). Prevalence of Stunting, Underweight and Obesity in School Aged Children in Uyo, Nigeria. Pakistan Journal of Nutrition, 9: 459-466. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-025-01079-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3923/pjn.2010.459.466
Soans, J. S., Noronha, J. A., Mundkur, S. C. et al. Mapping evidence on the impact of junk food on anaemia among adolescent and adult population: a scoping review. BMC Nutrition 11, 96 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-025-01079-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-025-01079-1
Sari, P., Judistiani, R. T. D., Hilmanto, D., Herawati, D. M. D., and Dhamayanti, M. (2022). Iron Deficiency Anaemia and Associated Factors Among Adolescent Girls and Women in a Rural Area of Jatinangor, Indonesia. International Journal of Womens Health, 14(August), 11371147. https://doi.org/10.2147/IJWH.S376023 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2147/IJWH.S376023
Udoh, S. B. and Iyanam, V. (2016) Overweight, obesity and underweight profile among adolescent secondary school students in Uyo, South-South, Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Family Practice -- Vol. 7 No. 3 (2016): https://www.ajol.info/index.php/njfp/issue/view/14797
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2018). Adolescent Development Explained. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 136. opa.hhs.gov/adolescent-health/adolescent-development-explained
Waziri, A. A., Garba, A., Salman, A. A., Ndidi, U. S., Saliu, M. A., & Isah, Y. J. (2025). Food Insecurity and Micronutrient Deficiencies Among In-School Adolescents In Sabon Gari, Zaria, Kaduna, A Peri-Urban Settlement In Nigeria. Fudma Journal of Sciences, 9(1), 423 - 432. https://doi.org/10.33003/fjs-2025-0901-3065 DOI: https://doi.org/10.33003/fjs-2025-0901-3065
Wiafe, M. A., Ayenu, J., and Eli-cophie, D. (2023). A Review of the Risk Factors for Iron Deficiency Anaemia among Adolescents in Developing Countries. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/6406286 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/6406286
World Health Organization. Soil-transmitted helminth infections: fact sheets. 2015; Available from: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs366/en/.
World Health Organization. (2021). Anaemia in women and children.
World Health Organization. (2024). Prevalence of anaemia among adolescents.
Wrottesley, S. V., Mates, E., Brennan, E., Bijalwan, V., Menezes, R., Ray, S., Ali, Z., Yarparvar, A., Sharma, D., and Lelijveld, N. (2023). Nutritional status of school-age children and adolescents in low- and middle-income countries across seven global regions: a synthesis of scoping reviews. Public Health Nutrition, 26(1), 6395. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980022000350 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980022000350
Copyright (c) 2025 FUDMA JOURNAL OF SCIENCES
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
FUDMA Journal of Sciences
