Dietary Pattern, Physical Activity And Anthropometric Status Of Adolescents Aged (10-19) In Ikwuano L.G.A, Abia State.:- Nnamerenwa, Goodness O

ABSTRACT The study aim to determine the dietary pattern, physical activities and anthropometric status and to determine relationship between the dietary pattern, physical activity and anthropometric status ofthe adolescents in Ikwuano LGA, Abia State. A cross-sectional design was used for the study. A descriptive analysis and Chi-square was used to analyze the data using anthroplus software SPSS version 20.0, The result showed that (55%) ofthe respondents were between the ages of 13-15 years old, majority (51.1%) ofthe respondents were females while (48.9%) were males. Christianity was predominant (95.9%), 52.5% ofthe fathers and 64.7% ofthe mothers engaged in business, indicating a dominance of informal employment amongst parents. WHO anthro-plus software was used to determine the HAZ score and BMIAZ score of the respondents in this study. Based on the HAZ score, the prevalence of stunting was (19.0%), tall was( 3.2%) while normal was predominant at (77.8%) Based on the WAZ, 87.8% of respondents had normal weight, 9.0% were underweight while( 3.2%) were overweight. Based on the BMI-for-Age, 91.4% of the respondents were normal, 0.9% were overweight while 7.7% were thin. The study also revealed that majority of the respondents (63.3%) ate thrice daily, 18.6% ate two times, 5.4% ate once while very few( 2.7%) ate five times or above five times. The study revealed that there was low consumption offruits and vegetables (10.9%), moderate consumption of animal protein and legumes, nuts and cereals (52.8%) while there was a high consumption of snacks, roots and tubers and fats and oil (86.5%). The study also revealed that unhealthy dietary patterns such as meal skipping, lack ofsnacks, consumption of soft drinks, poor food-choice determinants, and unhealthy cooking methods were significantly associated with variations in adolescents’ anthropometric status, indicating that healthier eating behaviors are linked to more favorable weight outcomes Unhealthy dietary behaviours including meal skipping (52.49%), going to school without a snack (41.18%), choosing unhealthy snacks (80.50%), consuming soft drinks (48.42%), selecting food based on availability or price (76.43%), and using unhealthy preparation methods (80.47%) were highly prevalent and showed significant associations with adolescents’ anthropometric status. The study revealed that most dietary behaviors are significantly linked to adolescents’ physical activity levels, indicating that eating habits and movement patterns are closely connected. Regular meal consumption was strongly associated with higher physical activity, while skipping specific meals—especially breakfast—also showed significant effects. Therefore, it is important to implement school-based programs that promote healthy lifestyles, including nutrition education and physical activity and ensure that these programs are accessible to students across all socioeconomic levels