Abstract:

Objective: Optimal diet is critical to nutritional status during teenage pregnancy as pregnant teenagers face serious nutritional deficits. This study was therefore aimed at exploring the many factors including dietary, which are critical in determining the nutritional status and birth outcomes of teenagers in the Tamale Metropolis. Material and Method: A cross sectional survey of 294 pregnant teenagers in Tamale Metropolis was designed to assess food intake and food quality using Food Consumption Scores (FCS) and Dietary Diversity Scores (DDS) respectively. Results: The mean Composite Food Consumption Score (CFCS) was 42.95 with just about half of the teenagers (51.7%) having acceptable levels of food intake based on the FAO/WFP threshold of more than 35 CFCS. The mean Individual Dietary Diversity Score (IDDS) of 10 also showed a considerably high dietary quality. The CFCS was observed to be significantly associated with caretakers' socio-demographic factors such as gender, occupation and relationship with the teenager. Conclusions: These findings highlight the need to consider the caretakers or spouses of pregnant teenagers in designing intervention programs and policies to improve the dietary intake of pregnant teenagers for the improvement and maintenance of their nutritional status during and after pregnancy.

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