George
- 1. and Practices.Attitudes,Nutritions'Adolescent Introduction: Adolescents are tomorrows adult population, and their health and well-being are crucial. Yet,interest in the health of adolescents is relatively recent, and a focus on their nutrition evenmore so. The term adolescents,asdefinedbythe WorldHealthOrganization (WHO), includes persons aged 1019 years. Being in transition, adolescents may no longer benefit from the attention and care usually given to children, and may not obtain the protection associated with adulthood either. Adolescents make up roughly 20% of the total world population.Adolescentshave anevenhigher demographic weight in developing countries, i.e.approximately26%inSalvador,comparedto14% inUSA. In1995, there were 914 million adolescents living in the developing world, contributing 85% to their total number. Their numberis expected to reach 1.13 billion by the year 2025. Nutrition influences growth and developmentthroughoutinfancy,childhoodandadolescence. However, nutrient needs are greatest during adolescence. Many adolescents are in school, which provides an effective and efficient opportunity for large portions of the population beyond the students themselves to be reached, including school personnel, families and community members. Overall,nutritional statusisbetterassessed with anthropometry in adolescence, as well as at otherstagesof the life cycle.Anthropometryisthe single most inexpensive, noninvasive and universally applicable method of assessing body composition, size and proportion. However, because of important changes in body composition during adolescence, and particularlyduringthe puberty-relatedgrowthspurtwhichvariesinitstiming,conductingan assessmentof obesityorundernutrition is more complex in adolescents than it is in adults or younger children. Much less is known and carried out with respect to adolescent anthropometry than in it is for the younger age groups. It is possible that rapid changes in somaticgrowth in adolescence,problems of dealing with variations in the maturation rate, and difficultiesinvolved in separating normal variations from those associated with health risks,have beendeterrents to the development of a corpus of scientific knowledge linking adolescentanthropometrywithdeterminantsandoutcomes. Adolescence may represent a windowof opportunityinwhichtoprepare nutritionally for a healthy adult life. Nutritional deficiencies have far-reaching consequences, especially for adolescent girls. If their nutritional needsare notmet,theyare likely to give birth to undernourished children, thus transmittingunder-nutritiontofuture generations. In developing countries, many children withmildtomoderate malnutritionsurviveto reach adolescence, when malnutrition tends to remainmildbutchronic,beingdetectable onlyby anthropometric measurement. On the otherhand,relativelywellnourishedchildrenmaydevelopmalnutrition in adolescence as a resultof acquired dietary habits, influenced by obsession with thinness. Many developing countries face an increasing dual burden of under- and over-nutrition. It has been thought that adolescentshave the lowestmortalityamongthe differentage groups. Therefore, they have been a low priority in terms of nutritional status assessment. Body mass index (BMI)
- 2. has beenrecommendedforuse as a screening tool for overweight, obesity and thinness in adults and adolescents. Background: Data on adolescent nutritional status in Palestine are not available, although adolescent represent one-fourth of the population. Nutritional needs of adolescent as a group have been largely ignored not only by health care providers but also by health policy makers. To be able to meet their nutritional needs, we need to assess the current nutritional situation of this group. These is 7 studies related to the study subject: 1. Adolescenceisaperiodof intense physiological,psychological,andsocial change. The transitionfromchildhoodtoadulthoodmayextendovervariable periodsof time,dependinguponsocio-cultural andeconomicfactors.Eveninagivenculture, adolescentsare nota homogeneousgroup,withwide variationsindevelopment, maturity,andlifestyle.(1) 2. The phenomenal growththatoccursin adolescence,second onlytothatinthe first yearof life,createsincreaseddemandsforenergyandnutrients.Total nutrient needsare higherduringadolescence thananyothertime inthe lifecycle.Nutrition and physical growthare integrallyrelated;optimal nutritionis arequisitefor achievingfull growthpotential.1Failuretoconsume anadequate dietatthistime can resultindelayedsexualmaturationandcanarrestor slow lineargrowth.1 Nutritionisalsoimportantduringthistime tohelppreventadultdiet-relatedchronic diseases,suchascardiovasculardisease,cancer,andosteoporosis.(2) 3. High overweight and obesity prevalence has been observed in developed and developing countries, and obesity is considered an important public health problem worldwide, mainly due to the close relationship between inadequate nutritional status and development of cardiovascular diseases and early mortality.(3) 4. This study examined adolescent nutrition behaviors and associations with a range of adolescent and parent characteristics to underpin the development of key objectives for focus in the development of school-based interventions for the prevention of adolescent overweight/obesity.(4) 5. The quality of breakfast was variable within and between studies, children who reported eating breakfast on a consistent basis tended to have superior nutritional profiles than their breakfast-skipping peers. Breakfast eaters generally consumed more daily calories yet were less likely to be overweight, although not all studies associated breakfast skipping with overweight. Evidence suggests that breakfast consumption may improve cognitive function related to memory, test grades, and school attendance. Breakfast as part of a healthful diet and lifestyle can positively impact childrens health and well-being. Parents should be encouraged to provide breakfast for their children or explore the availability of a school breakfast program. We advocate consumption of a healthful breakfast on a daily basis consisting of a
- 3. variety of foods, especially high-fiber and nutrient-rich whole grains, fruits, and dairy product.(5) 6. Adolescence is the second most critical period of physical growth in the life-cycle after the first year. Adolescence is a particularly unique period in life because it is a time of intense physical, psychosocial and cognitive development. Increased nutritional needs at this juncture relate to the fact that adolescents gain up to 50% of their adult weight, more than 20% of adult height and 50% of their adult skeletal mass. During this period, Caloric and protein requirements are maximal. Increased physical activity, combined with poor eating habits and other considerations, e.g., menstruation and pregnancy, contribute to accentuating the potential risk for adolescents of poor nutrition.(6) 7. Underweightandstuntingare highlyprevalentpublichealthproblemsindeveloping countries,particularlyamongpopulationsexposedtofoodinsecurityandchronic malnutrition.Underweightresultsfromrelativelyrecentmalnutritionwhereas empirical researchhasshownthatearlychildhoodmalnutritionisastrongpredictor of stunting.Dietarydiversityhasbeenrecognizedasanindicatorof foodsecurity, withconsumptionof more foodgroupssuggestingbetternourishment.Greater dietarydiversityhasbeenassociatedwithbetternutritionaloutcomesandimproved micronutrientintake.Zinc,anessential mineral,playsacritical role inchildgrowth and development.A deficiencyinZincmaycontribute toincreasedriskforstunting inchildhoodandadolescence.(7) Problem statement The mainnutritional problemsof adolescentsare nutritional deficiencieswhichleadto irondeficiency anemiainparticular,anddependingonthe context, undernutrition or obesityandcomorbidity.Like inanyotherage group,poornutritionisusuallythe resultof dietaryinadequacies,oftencombinedwithunhealthylifestylesorinfections,whichfurther compromise nutritional status. Obesity,malnutrition,stunning,underweightandoverweight hasbecome anincreasingly importantmedical probleminadolescents,andisassociatedwithriskfactorsfor cardiovasculardisease,type 2diabetes,pulmonarycomplications,growthacceleration, dyslipidemia,musculoskeletal problemsandpsychosocial programs. Thisislikelytocause more chronic healthproblems,andmore severe disparitiesbetweenminorityyouthandthe general population. Adolescentswhoare overweightare more likelytobe overweightor obese as adult.Overweightadultsare at increasedriskforheartdisease,highblood pressure,stroke,diabetes,some typesof cancer,andgallbladderdisease.
- 4. Purpose of the study: 1. To give an overview of the dietaryhabitsamongadolescentsandtopresentresults fromstudiesshowingthe relationshipbetweendietaryhabitsandotherlifestyle factors,nutritional statusandsocio-economicconditions. 2. The study examinedthe independentassociations "nutritional deficiency"between dependentvariables"underweight, overweight, stunting,dietarydiversity,and dietaryintake amongadolescent". 3. To assessthe knowledge regardingnutritionandnutritional needsinmaintaining goodhealth. 4. To knowif the adolescentcandetermine healthyfromunhealthyfoodandtheir preferable foodandchoices. Research question: 1- How many calories do adolescents consume per day? 2- Hypothesis: The relationship between nutritional status of adolescent aged between 14-16year and school outcomes. Feeding and assessment of nutritional status of adolescents. adolescent food intake trends. Nutrition knowledge and dietary composition in Italian adolescent female athletes and non- athletes. Demographic data: Place: schools of Unrwa agency. Age group: adolescents aged between 14-16 years. Research variables: Independent variable (cause): Nutrition deficiency. Dependent variable (effect): concentration, physical appearance (weight and hight), school out comes. Variables definitions: Independent variables: show the effect of manipulating or introducing the independent variables, the cause that make adolescents exposed to many dangerous due to nutrition deficiency.
- 5. Dependent variable: are those that the researcher has control over. Lack of food intake effect on adolescent health status, appearances, development and school out come (e.g marks) References: (1) http://psychology.jrank.org/pages/14/Adolescence. (2) http://www.epi.umn.edu/let/pubs/img/adol_ch3.pdf (3) http://www.nutritionj.com/content/12/1/5#B6 (4) http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-0080.2012.01581.x/abstract (5) http://www.andjrnl.org/article/S0002-8223(05)00151-3/abstract (6) http://www.pediatriconcall.com/fordoctor/Conference_abstracts/report.aspx?reportid= 79 (7) http://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses/756/ Group members: Raheel Morar Rami Izghare Wafaa Hinawi Yazan Makhtoob Alaa faqeeh George diabes