Nutritional Status Profile of Grade XII Female Students at MA Muallimat NWDI Pancor

Abstract

Adolescence is a period of growth and development that requires attention to nutritional status. Abnormal nutritional status, including both undernutrition and overnutrition, may affect adolescent health. Anthropometric measurements can be used to describe nutritional status in adolescent populations. This study aimed to determine the nutritional status profile of Grade XII female students at MA Muallimat NWDI Pancor based on anthropometric measurements. This was a descriptive observational study with a cross sectional approach. The study population consisted of 200 Grade XII female students, and 100 students were selected as the sample using simple random sampling. The variables analyzed included age, body weight, height, body mass index (BMI), and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), followed by descriptive analysis using IBM SPSS 27. The mean age of the respondents was 17.04 ± 0.4911 years. The mean body weight was 48.20 ± 8.566 kg, height was 152.60 ± 5.718 cm, BMI was 20.70 ± 3.598 kg/m², and MUAC was 23.67 ± 3.277 cm. Based on nutritional status classification, 64 students (64.0%) were in the normal category, 25 students (25.0%) were underweight, 7 students (7.0%) were overweight, and 4 students (4.0%) were obese. Most of Grade XII female students at MA Muallimat NWDI Pancor had normal nutritional status. However, students with underweight, overweight, and obesity were still identified, indicating the need for continued nutritional status monitoring.