Dietary intake and quality for young adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa: Status and influencing factors
Issued Date
2025-07-01
Resource Type
ISSN
17408695
eISSN
17408709
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85151918870
Pubmed ID
37014190
Journal Title
Maternal and Child Nutrition
Volume
21
Issue
S1
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Maternal and Child Nutrition Vol.21 No.S1 (2025)
Suggested Citation
Madzorera I., Bromage S., Mwanyika-Sando M., Vandormael A., Sherfi H., Worku A., Shinde S., Noor R.A., Baernighausen T., Sharma D., Fawzi W.W. Dietary intake and quality for young adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa: Status and influencing factors. Maternal and Child Nutrition Vol.21 No.S1 (2025). doi:10.1111/mcn.13463 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/111162
Title
Dietary intake and quality for young adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa: Status and influencing factors
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Adolescents face the risk of the triple burden of malnutrition—the co-existence of micronutrient deficiencies, underweight and overweight and obesity and related noncommunicable diseases. Poor-quality diets are a modifiable risk factor for all forms of malnutrition in adolescents. However, there is limited knowledge about diet quality for African adolescents. We analyzed data from 4609 school-going adolescents aged 10–15 years in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Sudan and Tanzania. Dietary intake was assessed using food frequency questionnaires, and diet quality computed using the Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS). Generalized estimating equations linear regression models were used to evaluate factors associated with adolescent diet quality. Mean adolescent age was 12.4 (±1.4) years and 54% of adolescents were female. Adolescents reported physical activity on 1.5 (±1.7) days/week. The mean GDQS (±SD) was 20.6 (±4.0) (maximum 40). Adolescent consumption of vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds, eggs, fish and poultry was low, and refined grain consumption was relatively high. Boys consumed unhealthy foods less frequently but consumed fewer cruciferous vegetables and deep orange tubers. Older adolescents had higher fish and lower red meat consumption. Having an unemployed mother versus farmer (estimate −2.60, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −4.81, −0.39), and having 3–4 days of physical activity per week versus none (estimate 0.64, 95% CI: 0.11, 1.17) were associated with GDQS. We found evidence of poor-quality adolescent diets and gender and age differences in the consumption of healthy diets. Programs to address poor-quality diets should consider tailoring interventions for adolescent girls and boys of different ages and also consider the role of physical activity in these contexts.