Prevalence and sociodemographic factors associated with stunting and thinness in adolescent females: A cross sectional study from Pakistan

Objective: To explore the prevalence and socio-demographic factors associated with stunting and thinness in adolescent females. Method: The survey-based cross-sectional study was conducted in randomly selected schools of the Kotri Taulka of Jamshoro District in Sindh, Pakistan, from October to December 2019, and comprised healthy female adolescents aged 10-19 years. Data about demographic and anthropometric factors was collected using a pre-tested questionnaire. Data was analysed using SPSS 23. Results: There were 393 subjects with mean age 14.93 +/- 2.18 years, mean weight 45.9 +/- 8.85kg, and mean height 151.6 +/- 6.25cm. The prevalence of stunting and thinness was 127(32.31%) and 42(10.68%) respectively. Stunting was more frequent in participants with father's income <= 15000 Pak rupees (p<0.05). Conclusion:The increased prevalence of stunting and thinness in adolescent females needs to be addressed by the policy makers.