Unhealthy Dietary Patterns and Their Associations with Sociodemographic Factors as Predictors among Underweight and Overweight Adolescents in Southern Thailand

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 20; no. 17; p. 6703
• Main Authors: Kunset, Pikuntip, Punsawad, Chuchard, Petsirasan, Rewwadee, Suwanbamrung, Charuai, Shohaimi, Shamarina, Narkkul, Udomsak, Noonil, Naiyana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.09.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Academic achievement; Child development; Eating behavior; Enrollments; Food; Health care; Malnutrition; Nutrition research; Nutritional status; Nutritionists; Obesity; Overweight; Questionnaires; Rice; Sample size; Sampling techniques; Secondary schools; Sociodemographics; Software; Students; Teenagers; Thailand
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20176703

(1) Background: Adolescence is a critical developmental phase; dietary intake and nutritional status significantly impact health outcomes. (2) Objective: This cross-sectional study investigated dietary patterns (DPs) and the association between sociodemographic factors and unhealthy DPs among adolescents in Thailand. (3) Methods: A multi-stage sampling selected 1480 participants from three public high schools in Nakhon Si Thammarat province. A food frequency questionnaire assessed dietary habits, and principal component analysis was used to identify DPs. Multinomial logistic regression examined the association between sociodemographic factors and DPs. (4) Results: The findings show that 25.9% of adolescents were underweight, 14.7% were overweight, and 5.8% were obese. Three DPs were identified: a healthy ‘protein and vegetables’ pattern and two unhealthy patterns: ‘snacks’ and ‘processed foods’, which explained 12.49%, 10.37%, and 7.07% of the dietary variance, respectively. Among underweight adolescents, higher snack consumption was associated with being younger (odds ratio (OR) = 3.24) and receiving a higher daily allowance (OR = 3.43). Additionally, female adolescents who engaged in frequent exercise had a 2.15 times higher intake of processed foods. Among overweight adolescents, higher snack intake was linked to being younger (OR = 8.65) and having larger families (OR = 6.37). Moreover, an increased daily allowance was associated with higher consumption of processed foods (OR = 11.47). (5) Conclusion: This study underscores the socio-demographic influence on unhealthy DPs. Insights can guide targeted interventions to foster healthier dietary habits during adolescence.