Dietary habits and nutritional status of adolescents

A person selects foods for a variety of reasons. Whatever those reasons may be, food choice influences human health. The most vulnerable populations a re teenagers and adolescents who make many food choices for themselves. The aim of the study was to assess the quality of adolescents daily diet an d some nutritional habits (number of meals, frequency of consuming foods) u sing Food Frequency Questionnaire designed for this purpose as well as addi tional questions on habits (smoking and alcohol consumption). The sample in cluded 233 adolescents aged from 15 to 17 years. Few different tables, as w ell as one containing chemical contents of local dishes, were used to deter mine the quantity of energy, proteins, total fats, carbohydrates, fatty aci ds, cholesterol and alcohol intake. Body mass index (BMI), centiles of weig ht vs. height, and body fat composition, were taken into consideration. The differences between sexes were analysed using statistical F-test and a cor relation between the anthropometric and dietetic data (correlation coeffici ents) were Calculated. With respect to the average daily food intake, the r esults showed that adolescents consume higher levels of total and saturated fats and cholesterol, and lower levels of carbohydrates. They were also de ficient in their consumption of vegetables and fruits, while an excessive a mount of sweets and soft bevarages was also consumed. According to BMI 82 % of adolescents were nourished well, while body fat was higher in compariso n to referent values. The differences between the sexes were found with reg ard to the mean quantity of food intakes (meat and meat products, milk and dairy products, vegetables, fruits), energy distribution, consumed alcohol, smoking habit, body fat, as well as in the number of over- and undernouris hed adolescents. Nutrition education and continuous studing of adolescent daily diet should be continued in order to improve the nutritional habits of adolescents.