Household Food Insecurity and Nutritional Status of Female Adolescents in Ikwuano South-East, Nigeria, Post COVID-19

Malnutrition and other dietary-related complications are likely to increase in young people due to the worsening effects of COVID-19 control measures on food security. Adolescent girls are vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies due to menarche and other physiological developments. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the household food insecurity and nutritional status of adolescent girls in Ikwuano districts, Nigeria, Post COVID-19.

A cross-sectional study was carried out in 388 households having at least one female adolescent. Household food insecurity was assessed using interviewer-administered household food insecurity access scale. Anthropometric measurements were collected using standard procedures. Body mass index for age was considered in assessing nutritional status of the adolescent girls. Associations between the household food insecurity access scale and anthropometric measures of the nutritional status were investigated.

Results indicated that more than half of the households (77.06%) experienced degrees of food insecurity (e.g. mild, 26.80%; moderate, 36.59% and severe, 13.66%). Underweight within the adolescent girls was 21.65%, whereas overweight and obesity were 15.96 and 10.05%, respectively. Although no strong associations (R = 0.053, p = 0.459) were recorded between the household food insecurity access scale and all the anthropometric measurements, most malnourished female adolescents (60.7%) where from moderately and severely food insecure households.

Increased food insecurity and emerging cases of nutritional abnormalities in this study could be true reflections of COVID-19 effects on food security. This study recommends to formulate appropriate intervention programs to improve food security and nutrition status of adolescent girls in the study area.