Lorraine Cordeiro, Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition will present an oral presentation at the APHA 137th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia on November 9, 2009

Dr. Cordeiro's presentation at the APHA 137th Annual Meeting on Monday November 9, 2009 will address " A descriptive study of undernutrition, gender and sexual maturation
among adolescents in Kilosa District, Tanzania".

Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: Undernutrition is a major public health concern and afflicts between
15-30% of adolescents in Sub Saharan Africa. A significant gender difference in
adolescent nutritional status has been observed in several developing country
studies, with boys appearing to be twice as undernourished as girls. We sought
to examine the associations among undernutrition, gender, and sexual maturation
in a sample of adolescents from Tanzania.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study examined the nutritional status of 670
individuals aged 10-19 years from 28 villages in Kilosa District, Tanzania.
Undernutrition was defined as BMI for Age <5th percentile of the NCHS/WHO
reference. Logistic regression models tested associations between gender, sexual
maturation, and the outcome variable, undernutrition. We also included an
interaction term to represent the cross-product of male and mid-adolescence, a
period associated with peak linear growth.

RESULTS: The prevalence of undernutrition in this sample was 25.4% among boys
and 15.7% among girls. Undernutrition appeared to be transient during
adolescence, with marked improvement in nutritional status after
mid-adolescence. Multivariate analyses indicated a moderating effect of
mid-adolescence on the nutritional status of males but not females. The odds of
being undernourished were significantly greater for mid-adolescent males
relative to all other groups.

CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that undernutrition among adolescent males in
this sample might be a function of the rapid growth, physiological changes, and
increased nutrient demands associated with sexual maturation. Longitudinal
studies are needed to determine whether the gender differential observed in
adolescent nutritional status in developing countries has a physiological
explanation.