1. and Practices.Attitudes,Nutritions'Adolescent
Introduction:
Adolescents are tomorrow’s adult population, and their health and well-being are crucial.
Yet,interest in the health of adolescents is relatively recent, and a focus on their nutrition
evenmore so. The term “adolescents”,asdefinedbythe WorldHealthOrganization (WHO),
includes persons aged 10–19 years. Being in transition, adolescents may no longer benefit
from the attention and care usually given to children, and may not obtain the protection
associated with adulthood either. Adolescents make up roughly 20% of the total world
population.Adolescentshave anevenhigher demographic weight in developing countries,
i.e.approximately26%inSalvador,comparedto14% inUSA. In1995, there were 914 million
adolescents living in the developing world, contributing 85% to their total number. Their
numberis expected to reach 1.13 billion by the year 2025. Nutrition influences growth and
developmentthroughoutinfancy,childhoodandadolescence. However, nutrient needs are
greatest during adolescence. Many adolescents are in school, which provides an effective
and efficient opportunity for large portions of the population beyond the students
themselves to be reached, including school personnel, families and community members.
Overall,nutritional statusisbetterassessed with anthropometry in adolescence, as well as
at otherstagesof the life cycle.Anthropometryisthe single most inexpensive, noninvasive
and universally applicable method of assessing body composition, size and proportion.
However, because of important changes in body composition during adolescence, and
particularlyduringthe puberty-relatedgrowthspurtwhichvariesinitstiming,conductingan
assessmentof obesityorundernutrition is more complex in adolescents than it is in adults
or younger children. Much less is known and carried out with respect to adolescent
anthropometry than in it is for the younger age groups. It is possible that rapid changes in
somaticgrowth in adolescence,problems of dealing with variations in the maturation rate,
and difficultiesinvolved in separating normal variations from those associated with health
risks,have beendeterrents to the development of a corpus of scientific knowledge linking
adolescentanthropometrywithdeterminantsandoutcomes. Adolescence may represent a
windowof opportunityinwhichtoprepare nutritionally for a healthy adult life. Nutritional
deficiencies have far-reaching consequences, especially for adolescent girls. If their
nutritional needsare notmet,theyare likely to give birth to undernourished children, thus
transmittingunder-nutritiontofuture generations. In developing countries, many children
withmildtomoderate malnutritionsurviveto reach adolescence, when malnutrition tends
to remainmildbutchronic,beingdetectable onlyby anthropometric measurement. On the
otherhand,relativelywellnourishedchildrenmaydevelopmalnutrition in adolescence as a
resultof acquired dietary habits, influenced by obsession with thinness. Many developing
countries face an increasing dual burden of under- and over-nutrition. It has been thought
that adolescentshave the lowestmortalityamongthe differentage groups. Therefore, they
have been a low priority in terms of nutritional status assessment. Body mass index (BMI)

2. has beenrecommendedforuse as a screening tool for overweight, obesity and thinness in
adults and adolescents.
Background:
Data on adolescent nutritional status in Palestine are not available, although
adolescent represent one-fourth of the population. Nutritional needs of adolescent as
a group have been largely ignored not only by health care providers but also by
health policy makers. To be able to meet their nutritional needs, we need to assess
the current nutritional situation of this group. These is 7 studies related to the study
subject:
1. Adolescenceisaperiodof intense physiological,psychological,andsocial change.
The transitionfromchildhoodtoadulthoodmayextendovervariable periodsof
time,dependinguponsocio-cultural andeconomicfactors.Eveninagivenculture,
adolescentsare nota homogeneousgroup,withwide variationsindevelopment,
maturity,andlifestyle.(1)
2. The phenomenal growththatoccursin adolescence,second onlytothatinthe first
yearof life,createsincreaseddemandsforenergyandnutrients.Total nutrient
needsare higherduringadolescence thananyothertime inthe lifecycle.Nutrition
and physical growthare integrallyrelated;optimal nutritionis arequisitefor
achievingfull growthpotential.1Failuretoconsume anadequate dietatthistime
can resultindelayedsexualmaturationandcanarrestor slow lineargrowth.1
Nutritionisalsoimportantduringthistime tohelppreventadultdiet-relatedchronic
diseases,suchascardiovasculardisease,cancer,andosteoporosis.(2)
3. High overweight and obesity prevalence has been observed in developed
and developing countries, and obesity is considered an important public
health problem worldwide, mainly due to the close relationship between
inadequate nutritional status and development of cardiovascular diseases
and early mortality.(3)
4. This study examined adolescent nutrition behaviors and associations with a
range of adolescent and parent characteristics to underpin the development
of key objectives for focus in the development of school-based interventions
for the prevention of adolescent overweight/obesity.(4)
5. The quality of breakfast was variable within and between studies, children
who reported eating breakfast on a consistent basis tended to have superior
nutritional profiles than their breakfast-skipping peers. Breakfast eaters
generally consumed more daily calories yet were less likely to be overweight,
although not all studies associated breakfast skipping with overweight.
Evidence suggests that breakfast consumption may improve cognitive
function related to memory, test grades, and school attendance. Breakfast as
part of a healthful diet and lifestyle can positively impact children’s health and
well-being. Parents should be encouraged to provide breakfast for their
children or explore the availability of a school breakfast program. We
advocate consumption of a healthful breakfast on a daily basis consisting of a

3. variety of foods, especially high-fiber and nutrient-rich whole grains, fruits,
and dairy product.(5)
6. Adolescence is the second most critical period of physical growth in the life-cycle
after the first year. Adolescence is a particularly unique period in life because it is a
time of intense physical, psychosocial and cognitive development. Increased
nutritional needs at this juncture relate to the fact that adolescents gain up to 50% of
their adult weight, more than 20% of adult height and 50% of their adult skeletal
mass. During this period, Caloric and protein requirements are maximal. Increased
physical activity, combined with poor eating habits and other considerations, e.g.,
menstruation and pregnancy, contribute to accentuating the potential risk for
adolescents of poor nutrition.(6)
7. Underweightandstuntingare highlyprevalentpublichealthproblemsindeveloping
countries,particularlyamongpopulationsexposedtofoodinsecurityandchronic
malnutrition.Underweightresultsfromrelativelyrecentmalnutritionwhereas
empirical researchhasshownthatearlychildhoodmalnutritionisastrongpredictor
of stunting.Dietarydiversityhasbeenrecognizedasanindicatorof foodsecurity,
withconsumptionof more foodgroupssuggestingbetternourishment.Greater
dietarydiversityhasbeenassociatedwithbetternutritionaloutcomesandimproved
micronutrientintake.Zinc,anessential mineral,playsacritical role inchildgrowth
and development.A deficiencyinZincmaycontribute toincreasedriskforstunting
inchildhoodandadolescence.(7)
Problem statement
The mainnutritional problemsof adolescentsare nutritional deficiencieswhichleadto
irondeficiency anemiainparticular,anddependingonthe context, undernutrition or
obesityandcomorbidity.Like inanyotherage group,poornutritionisusuallythe resultof
dietaryinadequacies,oftencombinedwithunhealthylifestylesorinfections,whichfurther
compromise nutritional status.
Obesity,malnutrition,stunning,underweightandoverweight hasbecome anincreasingly
importantmedical probleminadolescents,andisassociatedwithriskfactorsfor
cardiovasculardisease,type 2diabetes,pulmonarycomplications,growthacceleration,
dyslipidemia,musculoskeletal problemsandpsychosocial programs. Thisislikelytocause
more chronic healthproblems,andmore severe disparitiesbetweenminorityyouthandthe
general population. Adolescentswhoare overweightare more likelytobe overweightor
obese as adult.Overweightadultsare at increasedriskforheartdisease,highblood
pressure,stroke,diabetes,some typesof cancer,andgallbladderdisease.

4. Purpose of the study:
1. To give an overview of the dietaryhabitsamongadolescentsandtopresentresults
fromstudiesshowingthe relationshipbetweendietaryhabitsandotherlifestyle
factors,nutritional statusandsocio-economicconditions.
2. The study examinedthe independentassociations "nutritional deficiency"between
dependentvariables"underweight, overweight, stunting,dietarydiversity,and
dietaryintake amongadolescent".
3. To assessthe knowledge regardingnutritionandnutritional needsinmaintaining
goodhealth.
4. To knowif the adolescentcandetermine healthyfromunhealthyfoodandtheir
preferable foodandchoices.
Research question:
1- How many calories do adolescents consume per day?
2-
Hypothesis:
The relationship between nutritional status of adolescent aged between 14-16year and school
outcomes.
Feeding and assessment of nutritional status of adolescents.
adolescent food intake trends.
Nutrition knowledge and dietary composition in Italian adolescent female athletes and non-
athletes.
Demographic data:
 Place: schools of Unrwa agency.
 Age group: adolescents aged between 14-16 years.
Research variables:
Independent variable (cause): Nutrition deficiency.
Dependent variable (effect): concentration, physical appearance (weight and hight), school
out comes.
Variables definitions:
Independent variables: show the effect of manipulating or introducing the independent
variables, the cause that make adolescents exposed to many dangerous due to nutrition
deficiency.

5. Dependent variable: are those that the researcher has control over.
Lack of food intake effect on adolescent health status, appearances, development and
school out come (e.g marks)
References:
(1) http://psychology.jrank.org/pages/14/Adolescence.
(2) http://www.epi.umn.edu/let/pubs/img/adol_ch3.pdf
(3) http://www.nutritionj.com/content/12/1/5#B6
(4) http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-0080.2012.01581.x/abstract
(5) http://www.andjrnl.org/article/S0002-8223(05)00151-3/abstract
(6) http://www.pediatriconcall.com/fordoctor/Conference_abstracts/report.aspx?reportid=
79
(7) http://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses/756/
Group members:
Raheel Morar
Rami Izghare
Wafaa Hinawi
Yazan Makhtoob
Alaa faqeeh
George diabes