Determinants of Eating Habits and Body Mass Index in Transition; A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study of Public and Private Schools of Lahore

Background: Pakistan is facing a double burden of disease. Nutrition has an impact on nutritionally related non -communicable diseases. Malnutrition in adolescent age continues in adulthood so interventions in this stage can help us fight this emerging problem. Objective: To determine the nutritional status of school -going adolescents and their eating patterns and then compare them between public and private secondary schools of Lahore. Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study was done on 372 school -going adolescents from 01.03.2023 to 20.06.2023 (3.5 months). A self -structured questionnaire was filled with interviews by convenience sampling. Weight and height were measured and BMI was plotted on WHO z charts to determine the nutritional status. Data were entered and analyzed by SPSS Version 21. The chi-square test was used to compare BMI and its determinants. Factors found significant were subjected to Binary logistic regression. P -value <= 0.05 was taken as significant. Results: Out of the 372 school -going adolescent participants had a mean age of 14.86 years SD +/- 1.75 (164 males and 208 females). 76(20.43%) were underweight, 201 (54.03%) had normal weight, 66(17.74%) were overweight and 29(7.8%) were obese. Public Schools had higher odds of undernutrition AOR 1.49 and lower odds of overweight and obesity AOR 0.38. Males had a reduced chance of undernutrition AOR 0.59 while the increased odds of overweight/ Obesity AOR 1.81. Age groups 11 to 15 years had reduced odds of undernutrition as compared to 16 to 19 years AOR 0.53 and increased odds of overweight/ obesity as compared to 16 to 19 years AOR 2 .00. Conclusion: There is a significant difference in the nutritional status and eating habits of adolescents between public and private schools. Undernutrition is higher in public schools, among females and age 16 to 19 years. Nutritional interventions should be strengthened in school health services.