Dietary diversity score and associated factors among high school adolescent girls in Galkaio town, Puntland, Somalia, 2023

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the dietary diversity score and associated factors among high school adolescent girls in Galkaio, Puntland, Somalia, 2023.

Study design: An institution-based cross-sectional study.

Methods: This study was conducted among high school adolescent girls in Galkaio, Puntland, Somalia, in 2023. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select study participants. Data were collected using a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire. For data entry and analysis, the Epi-Data 3.1.0 version and SPSS version 23 were used, respectively. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions analyses were computed to identify factors associated with dietary diversity score. Variables with a p-value <0.25 on bivariate analysis were entered into the multivariate logistic regression. Results were claimed to be statistically significant when the p-value was less than 0.05.

Results: In this study, a total of 580 high school adolescent girls participated with a response rate of 96.5 %. The overall proportion of low dietary diversity scores was 55.3 % (95 % CI: 51.2, 59.3). Maternal education [AOR = 2.122 (95 % CI: (1.147, 3.924)], parental occupation [AOR = 5.816 (95 %: CI: 3.308, 10.224)], low wealth index [AOR = 1.682 (95 % CI: 1.040, 2.720)], eating less than three times per day [AOR = 4.338 (95 % CI: 2.253, 8.352)], eating outside the home [AOR = 1.820 (95 % CI: (1.205, 2.750)] and not getting nutritional education [AOR = 2.359 (95 % CI: 1.550, 3.6)] were associated with a low dietary diversity score.

Conclusions: The results of this study indicated that more than half of the high school adolescent girls in Galkaio had a low dietary diversity score which requires policy attention. Maternal education, father's occupation, wealth index, meal frequency, eating outside the home and nutritional education were significantly associated with the low dietary diversity score.

Keywords: Adolescent girls; Dietary diversity score; Galkaio; Puntland; Somalia.