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Food security, dietary diversity, and age as determinants of nutritional status among adolescent girls in coastal Bangladesh

Journal of Biomedical and Life Sciences | Vol 5, Issue 2

Table 4. Association of respondents’ age, dietary diversity, and food security withnutritional status

Variables Frequency (%)Nutritional statusχ2 valuesρ-value
Underweight (35)Normal (207)Overweight (52)Obese (51)
n%n%n%n%

Age group
10-12 years94 (27.25%)1212.77%5558.51%1515.96%1212.77%13.634.034
13-15 years117 (33.91%)1311.11%7160.68%1613.68%1714.53%
16-19 years134 (38.84%)107.46%8160.45%2115.67%2216.42%

Dietary diversity
3 or less than 3 food groups12 (3.48%)18.33%758.33%216.67%216.67%24.074.019
4 food groups68 (19.71%)68.82%4464.71%1014.71%811.76%
5 food groups134 (38.84%)1410.45%6548.51%2216.42%3324.63%
6 food groups71 (20.58%)79.86%4664.79%1115.49%79.86%
7 or more than 7 food groups60 (17.39%)711.67%4575.00%711.67%11.67%

Food security
Food secure234 (67.83%)2711.54%15164.53%2711.54%2912.39%12.703.048
Moderate food secure/insecure84 (24.35%)67.14%4351.19%1720.24%1821.43%
Food insecure27 (7.83%)27.41%1348.15%622.22%622.22%