Diet, Physical Activity and Food Consumption Pattern of Adolescent Girls in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

The prevalence of overweight and obesity especially among adolescent girls has increased at an alarming rate in many parts of the world. This study was designed to assess the diet, physical activity and food consumption pattern of adolescent girls in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. A descriptive cross sectional survey carried out using a pre-tested self-administered structured questionnaire among 236 adolescent girls aged 10-16 years from randomly selected secondary schools in Port Harcourt. A self-administered questionnaire used to collect data on diet, physical activity and food consumption patterns of the respondents. The collected data analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 19.0). The frequency and descriptive analysis were included in the data analysis. The result revealed that a high percentage of girls (55.71%) skip their breakfast sometimes, consumed light meals (47.71%), had their meals thrice per day (61.43%) and eats occasionally from outside their homes (55.71%). The result also showed that rice (44.92%), yam (69.49%), sweet potatoes (47.88%), beans (33.90%), vegetables (47.88%), milk and milk products (36.86%) and energy dense beverages (38.14%) mostly consumed 1-2 times per week, while fish (51.27%), meat (51.27%), fruits (33.05%) and snacks (49.58%) were more consumed daily by the adolescent girls. The result also revealed that the girls were more active in dancing, walking for exercise and jogging/running. It was also found out that more than 60% or more of the adolescent girls were participating in some kind of regular physical activity on a weekly basis. The findings emphasize an urgent need for implementing an appropriate intervention for breakfast consumption, improving vegetable intake and daily milk consumption as this could assist in preventing the development of diseases associated with an inadequate intake of nutritious food.