Siro Sicelosethu S, Sayed Nazeeia, Swart Elizabeth Catherina
School of Public Health, University of Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa.
School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Robert Sobukwe Rd, Bellville, Cape Town, 7535, South Africa.
BMC Res Notes. 2025 Apr 22;18(1):187. doi: 10.1186/s13104-025-07257-5.
Adolescents and young adults not yet in employment, education, or training (NEETs) account for a sizable fraction of the global population. In South Africa, 34.3% of young individuals aged 15 to 24 were classified as NEETs in 2022. Lack of work in low-income areas may lead to poverty and food insecurity, negatively impacting diet quality.
This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate and compare the anthropometric status, dietary intake, and food security of NEET and non-NEET adolescents and young adults (aged 18-24 years) in Langa and Fisantekraal, two low socioeconomic settlements in South Africa.
Participants were recruited through door-to-door visits. Standardized instruments including a socio-demographic questionnaire, household hunger score, lived poverty index, anthropometric assessments, and 24-hour dietary recalls were used for data collection.
There were no significant differences in the prevalence of household hunger (p = 0.496), the lived poverty index (p = 0.111) and the prevalence of low micronutrient intakes between the NEETS and non-NEETs (p > 0.05). The prevalence of inadequate daily iron intake had the lowest prevalence while the prevalence of inadequate calcium intake was highest in this group of adolescents and young adults. The insufficient intake of micronutrients among adolescents and young adults can be attributed to the diets consumed by this demographic group.
未就业、未接受教育或培训的青少年和青年（即“尼特族”）占全球人口的相当一部分。在南非，2022年15至24岁的年轻人中有34.3%被归类为“尼特族”。低收入地区缺乏工作可能导致贫困和粮食不安全，对饮食质量产生负面影响。
这项横断面研究旨在评估和比较南非两个社会经济水平较低的定居点兰加和菲桑特克拉尔中“尼特族”和非“尼特族”青少年及青年（18至24岁）的人体测量状况、饮食摄入量和粮食安全情况。
通过挨家挨户走访招募参与者。使用标准化工具进行数据收集，包括社会人口统计问卷、家庭饥饿评分、生活贫困指数、人体测量评估以及24小时饮食回顾。
“尼特族”和非“尼特族”在家庭饥饿患病率（p = 0.496）、生活贫困指数（p = 0.111）以及微量营养素摄入量低的患病率方面没有显著差异（p > 0.05）。在这组青少年和青年中，每日铁摄入量不足的患病率最低，而钙摄入量不足的患病率最高。青少年和青年微量营养素摄入不足可归因于该人群的饮食情况。
