Household Food Insecurity And Nutritional Status Of Female Adolescents In Ikwuano South-East District Nigeria In Post Covid-19 Pandemic:- Okereke Grace C

ABSTRACT xii Malnutrition and other dietary-related complications are likely to increase in adolescents due to the worsening effect of COVID-19 control measures on food system. Adolescent girls arc vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies due to menarche and other physiological development. Therefore this study was aimed to evaluate the household food insecurity and the nutritional status of adolescent girls in Ikwuano districts, Nigeria Post Covid-19.A cross-sectional study was conducted in 388 households haying at least one female adolescent between 10-19 years old. Household food insecurity was measured through an interviewer-administered Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). Anthropometric measurements were collected using standard procedures. Body Mass Index (BMI)-for-age was considered in evaluating the nutritional status of adolescent girls. Association between HFIAS and anthropometric measures of nutritional status were also determined. The result indicates that more than half of households (77.06%) experienced some degree of food insecurity (i.e, mild: 26.80%; moderate: 36.59% and severe: 13.66%). Underweight among the adolescent girls was 21.65%, where as overweight and obesity were 15.96 and 10.05% respectively. Although no strong association (R=0.053, P=0.459) was recorded between HFIAS and all anthropometric measurements evaluated, but most undernourished female adolescents (60.7%) where from moderately and severely food insecure households. The increased food insecurity and emerging cases of nutritional abnormalities observed in this study could be a true reflection of COVID-19 effect on food security. This study recommends that appropriate intervention programs be formulated to improve the food security and nutrition status of adolescent girls in the study area.