By: SUTAPA BHOWMIK, ARGINA KHATUN
Adolescents are considered a nutritionally vulnerable population, and a proper diet with adequate nutrients is essential for their rapid physical development. Thinness indicates poor nutrition, as reflected by a relatively low Body Mass Index (BMI) (kg/m²) compared to height (cm). A cross-sectional study was conducted on 366 school-going adolescent Bengali-speaking Hindu caste girls aged 10–17 years, as recommended by the WHO (1995), in rural areas of the Guriahati Gram Panchayat, Cooch Behar District, Cooch Behar I, West Bengal, India. Thinness was assessed using a low BMI-for-age Z-score. BMI-for-age was calculated using age-specific WHO charts. Socioeconomic, demographic, and other relevant information was collected using schedules and interviews. A Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was used to collect dietary data. All statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, version 20.0) and WHO Anthro Plus software. In this study, the mean height, weight, and BMI generally increased with age. Seventeen-year-old girls had comparatively higher mean values for height, weight, and BMI. Overall, 7.90% of rural girls were classified as thin. Factors such as age at menarche, family type, mother’s educational qualification, monthly income, father’s occupation, and diet were also examined. The present study revealed that food intake significantly impacts nutritional status.
