Assessment of Nutritional Knowledge, Food Choice, Food Habits, and Dietary Diversity Among Adolescents at At-Taubah School in Karawang, West Java

Abstract

Adolescence is one of the critical periods in life to fulfill the nutritional requirement for growth and health. Therefore, nutritional knowledge is an essential aspect to achieve an adequate and balanced diet. The objective of this study was to assess the nutritional knowledge along with its sources, food choice, food habits, and dietary diversity of the adolescent at At-Taubah Junior High School. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess nutritional knowledge, source of nutritional knowledge, food choice, and food habits. Meanwhile, an interview using a 24-hour dietary recall method was used to obtain dietary diversity. 3D and 2D food model were used to aid the estimation of food quantity. The mean score for the overall nutritional knowledge of the student was 79.7±9.4 with 29% student had good nutritional knowledge. Doctors and health were found as the most influencing nutritional knowledge sources and food choice motive, respectively. However, their snacking habit was high and varied. Range of the students' DDS was 1-8 with the high consumption of sweets and low consumption of fruits and vegetables. Health and weight control as food motives were negatively associated with nutritional knowledge while an association between nutritional knowledge to food habits and dietary diversity was not statistically significant. In conclusion, the understanding of nutritional knowledge along with the food choice, food habits, and dietary diversity of adolescents at At-Taubah Junior High School should be improved. A program where the adolescent can be educated more about nutrition and health might be needed.