Introduction:
Adolescence is a critical period and an age of opportunity. Rapid growth and physical development in this phase demand adequate nutrition to meet the nutritional needs and demands of these budding individuals. It is also established that the dietary behavior developed in adolescence contributes to their development of dietary habits and can consequently be subject to nutritional deficiencies that will impact their long-term medical health. In other words, it is important to say that adolescence is a vulnerable time with regard to diet and nutrition.
Reduced and suboptimal nutritional intake of dietary nutrients like macronutrients and micronutrients may often lead to malnourished adolescents, sometimes leading to obesity. Overweight adolescents are usually associated with poor food choices and sub-standard dietary quality. This article highlights the importance of nutrition in the adolescent phase and bridging the knowledge gaps in adolescent nutrition to improve adolescent health both physically and mentally.
The three utmost important knowledge gaps include macronutrient and micronutrient supplements implementation, food-based nutrition interventions, and nutritional meal programs for delayed pregnancy interventions.
What Are the Knowledge Gaps in Adolescent Nutrition?
The three critical knowledge gaps outlined for advancing adolescent nutrition and health include,
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Lack in the implementation of micronutrient and macronutrient supplements strategy.
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Food system-based nutrition interventions.
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Nutrition meal programs combined with delayed pregnancy interventions.
Micronutrient and Macronutrient Supplements Strategy:
Micronutrients and macronutrient supplements have the potential to significantly improve the dietary and nutritional status of adolescents. But the lack of evidence and knowledge regarding the implementation and execution of these supplements leads to harmful outcomes. For instance, it is important to give both iron and folic acid to overcome micronutrient deficiencies and anemia in pregnant females. Iron is important to prevent anemia. Folic acid is also recommended to be given in the first month of pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects. Therefore, the World Health Organization has recommended weekly supplements of iron and folic acid for menstruating girls and women who are more prone to the development of anemia. A daily dose of iron is recommended where the prevalence is very high.
Hence, it is important to highlight that future research should aim to improve the existing nutritional knowledge and the execution of both macronutrient and micronutrient supplement strategies. The research studies should analyze the effectiveness and favorable reception of the supplement’s dosage, delivery systems, and duration.
Also, increased calorie-loaded macronutrient supplements like fats and proteins have been found to improve birth outcomes in pregnant ladies. Pregnant women are susceptible to a higher prevalence of malnutrition.
The provision of macronutrient supplements during adolescence has been found to positively impact their mental, neurological, and physical growth. Interventions in macronutrient food production and provision may help control adolescent malnutrition.
They could be given to all adolescents to promote healthy nutrition, but it is important to consider the adverse effects of these macronutrients in overweight or obese children or adolescents.
Food System-Based Nutrition Interventions:
Food system nutrition interventions aim to improve food productivity, availability, conservation, processing, provision, marketing, and commercialization, along with easy access to healthy food choices and dietary consumption. A higher percentage of African adolescents are found to be insecure about food. Often, poor food quality is linked with poor adolescent health and development.
The energy requirement of adolescents is quite high as compared to other age groups. The average intake of fruits and vegetables is quite low, and that has become a crucial risk factor for the prevalence of diseases worldwide. It is therefore important to increase food accessibility, availability, security, and nutritional quality for the children that fall within the age group of 10 to 19 years old. This will have a great impact on their overall physical and mental growth. Moreover, it will have a positive implication for improved dietary habits into their adulthood as well.
Some of the methods by which the food-based intervention can be increased include:
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Increased production of fruits and green vegetables.
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Reducing food wastage in communities.
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Strengthening the food chains.
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Introduction of innovative community approaches such as marketing approaches for various agricultural programs.
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Restrict unhealthy food options at schools.
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Work in close coordination with the local food vendors within or near the school surroundings to reduce the availability of unhealthy and processed food items.
However, more research and scientific evidence are required to identify how agricultural ecosystems affect the food choices, preferences, and behaviors of adolescent populations and how they affect their security towards food and nutritional value.
Nutrition Meal Programs Combined With Delayed Pregnancy Interventions:
Early pregnancy results in adverse side effects on the maternal as well as infant health, including poor nutritional outcomes. It is crucial to integrate nutritional programs with reproductive health interventions. Sexual education is a must, along with providing nutrition knowledge to young girls. The aim of these intervention programs is to delay pregnancy. Approximately 20 to 30 percent of young girls become pregnant before the age of 18 years in developing countries. Likewise, the nutritional requirement is higher in young mothers because of additional fetal needs. The young mothers are themselves growing during that phase, eventually leading to nutritional deficiencies.
Hence, delayed pregnancy interventions will improve adolescent nutrition and medical health. The birth outcomes will also improve. Child marriages should be prohibited, and sex education should be made mandatory in every school. Education regarding healthy food choices and the benefits of healthy eating should also be advocated in order to improve their overall growth. Knowledge should be imparted equally among both males and females to spread awareness.
Conclusion:
The age of adolescence is full of opportunities to amend the nutritional deficiencies that might have occurred in their initial years. It is important to bridge the gap in adolescent nutrition to achieve good dietary behaviors and establish good physical and mental health. However, sustained and persistent efforts from various sectors, such as public health, agriculture, and school education, along with the involvement of adolescents and their parents, will help to bridge this knowledge gap in adolescent nutrition.
