Assessment Of Relationship Between IDA And Personal Hygiene, Nutritional Knowledge And Dietary Practices In Adolescent Girls

Dr. Anjali Rajwade

Volume : I, Issue : V, February - 2012

Assessment Of Relationship Between IDA And Personal Hygiene, Nutritional Knowledge And Dietary Practices In Adolescent Girls

Dr. Anjali Rajwade

Abstract :

In India, iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in adolescent girls has very high prevalence. IDA adversely affects health of adolescent girls as well as their role as would be mothers in near future. IDA is probably both preventable and easily curable by synergistic improvement in personal characteristics of the girls. The objectives of the present study were therefore, aimed at assessing the IDA, the personal characteristics and their relationship in adolescent girls. 40 adolescent 10th standard girls belonging to middle income families were selected initially. IDA was confirmed biochemically in 33 girls. Personal characteristics namely, personal hygiene, nutritional knowledge and dietary practices were assessed in the 33 IDA respondents. Moderate anemia (Hb 7.0 to 9.9 gm%) was present in 48.49 percent, while 30.30 percent had severe (Hb 4.0 to 6.9 gm%) IDA. 72.73 percent IDA adolescent girls had poor level of personal hygiene, no respondent (0.00%) had excellent personal hygiene level. Nutritional knowledge level of good, fair and poor category was observed in 30.33%, 39.40% and 30.30% respondents. Poor dietary practices were observed in 66.67% whereas, excellent level was observed in 0.00% respondents. 27.27% respondents had fair dietary practices. There was significant inverse relationship between quality of personal characteristics namely, personal hygiene (–0.1889), nutritional knowledge (–0.1912) and dietary practices (–0.0756) of adolescent girls and their IDA.