Results for Development, Washington, USA.
USAID Advancing Nutrition, Arlington, VA, USA.
Public Health Nutr. 2024 Oct 10;27(1):e208. doi: 10.1017/S1368980024001460.
The objective of this study was to explore adolescent dietary practices, related norms and acceptable communication platforms in northern Nigeria to inform future nutrition project design.
This was a qualitative formative research study. We used purposive sampling and conducted thirty focus group discussions with male and female adolescents aged 10-14 and 15-19 years ( 180) and six with adult influencers ( 36). We also administered a 24-h dietary recall with the adolescents using the Diet Quality Questionnaire.
The study was conducted in urban and rural areas in three states in northern Nigeria.
Adolescents reported consuming six nutritious food groups the previous day on average. However, there was a wide disparity and only half consumed all five recommended food groups. Adolescents' food choices were influenced by perceptions of the functional and physical benefits of nutritious foods and preferences for satisfying foods. Diverse foods were available in the food environment, but affordability constrained access to nutritious foods. Limited access to income and gender norms constrained adolescent agency over food choice. Girls, particularly those who were pregnant, had less agency related to food than boys. Adolescents thought that peers should be reached through group discussions, radio and phones, among other communication platforms.
Adolescents consumed relatively diverse diets. Adolescent food choice was influenced by their embodied experience and knowledge related to nutrition and taste, home food environment and circumscribed agency. Opportunities exist to support healthy diets for adolescents by strengthening adolescents' embodied knowledge, food environments and social support.
本研究旨在探索尼日利亚北部青少年的饮食行为、相关规范和可接受的沟通平台，为未来的营养项目设计提供信息。
这是一项定性形成研究。我们采用目的性抽样，对 10-14 岁和 15-19 岁的男女青少年（180 人）进行了 30 次焦点小组讨论，对成年影响者（36 人）进行了 6 次焦点小组讨论。我们还使用饮食质量问卷对青少年进行了 24 小时膳食回忆。
该研究在尼日利亚北部三个州的城市和农村地区进行。
青少年平均每天报告食用六种有营养的食物组。然而，存在很大的差异，只有一半的人食用了所有五种推荐的食物组。青少年的食物选择受到对有营养食物的功能和身体益处的看法以及对满足食物的偏好的影响。有营养的食物和满足感的食物在食物环境中都有多种选择，但可负担性限制了对有营养食物的获取。有限的收入和性别规范限制了青少年对食物选择的自主权。女孩，尤其是那些怀孕的女孩，在食物方面的自主权比男孩少。青少年认为，应该通过小组讨论、广播和电话等沟通平台来接触同龄人。
青少年的饮食相对多样化。青少年的食物选择受到他们与营养和口味、家庭食物环境和有限自主权相关的身体经验和知识的影响。通过增强青少年的身体知识、食物环境和社会支持，为青少年提供健康饮食的机会是存在的。
