This study assessed the nutritional status of Nigerian adolescent girl
s living in two areas of south-eastern Nigeria. A cross sectional surv
ey was undertaken in a rural village in Ogoniland, and five secondary
schools in Port Harcourt, south-eastern Nigeria. All (386) menarcheal
girls aged 14-19 y living in the rural village, and a stratified clust
er sample (845) of menarcheal girls aged 14-19 in the five urban schoo
ls were investigated. Mean heights and weights of rural girls were aro
und -1 Z-score below the British reference median. 10.4% of rural and
4.7% of urban girls were stunted (less than or equal to 2nd centile, B
ritish 1990 reference values). After calculating mean body mass Index-
for-age, various cut-off points for low body mass index were tested. A
t a cut-off of less than or equal to 9th centile, 15.6% of rural and 8
.0% of urban girls would be classified as thin. Girls with a haemoglob
in <10.0 g/dl were significantly more likely to have a law body mass i
ndex than those with haemoglobin values greater than or equal to 10.0
g/dl. More studies are needed to refine the definition and interpretat
ion of low body mass index in adolescents.