Nutritional Status of Adolescent Girls Belonging to the Tea Garden Estates of Sivasagar District, Assam, India

BACKGROUND: Any deficiency or inadequate dietary pattern can lead to poor nutrition which can further influence both growth and development throughout from infancy to adolescence. Since adolescents represent the next generation of parents, it is important to monitor their nutritional status at this crucial stage. Thus, this study aimed to explore the factors associated with nutritional status among adolescent girls belonging to these tea gardens. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this community-based cross-sectional study was to assess the nutritional status of adolescent girls belonging to the tea garden community and the association of the sociodemographic factors with it. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Anthropometric measurement was taken among adolescent girls in the tea estates of Nazira subdivision of Sivasagar district, Assam. The pattern of dietary intake among adolescents was also studied. The statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 15. RESULTS: The prevalence of thinness and stunting across 265 adolescent girls was 49.4% and 50.6%, respectively. Calorie and protein deficits were found to be 76.60% and 65%, respectively. Majority of the respondents, i.e., 66.80% of the participants, had a poor intake of essential food constituents. Moreover, 76.21% of the respondents were anemic. The association of different sociodemographic factors with thinness, inadequate protein intake, and anemia were found during the study. CONCLUSION: Thinness and stunting along with protein–energy malnutrition and inadequate intake of important food groups were prevalent in adolescent tea community girls. Overall, the public health burden of malnutrition is still a persisting health problem in the tea gardens of Assam.