NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AND ITS CORRELATION WITH ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS IN BEDELE RURAL WOREDA, SOUTHWEST ETHIOPIA

Background: Adolescence is a period of intense physical, psychosocial, and cognitive development and the second to infancy at which the highest rate of physical growth occurs. So Adolescents need to have a good quantity and quality nutrients to cope with this rapid growth and other health risks which increase nutritional demand. However, there is limited study and attention for adolescent nutrition and its relationship with school performance. Objectives: This study was conducted to assess nutritional status and associated factors and its correlation with academic performance among primary school adolescents in Bedele rural woreda, southwest Ethiopia Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted. Data were collected using a pre-tested structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Sex, age, height, and weight were transferred to WHO Anthroplus v1.0.4 to convert nutritional data into Z-scores to calculate Stunting and thinness according to WHO definition. Binary and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent predictors of nutritional status and correlation analysis was used to see the correlation between nutritional status and school performance. An odds ratio with a 95 % Confidence interval was estimated to identify the predictors of the outcome variables. Statistical significance was affirmed at a p-value ≤ 0.05. Results: A total of 587 study participants were involved from May to June 2021, which made a response rate of 100%. The overall prevalence of stunting and thinness among the school adolescents were 14.70 (95% CI, 11.90-17.50) and 24.2% (95%CI 20.60-27.80) respectively. Skipping breakfast 3.707(2.263-6.072), food purchased 2.037(1.042-3.980), and sometimes hand washes with soap after toilet 1.995(1.319-3.016)were factors significantly associated with thinness. Age greater than 14 years [AOR= 3.47,95 % CI =2.06-5.85], meal frequency less than three times per day [AOR=2.22, 95% CI=1.27-3.89], male sex [AOR=0.50, 95%CI= 0.30-0.84] and having breakfast always [AOR=0.24, 95%CI =0.10-0.57] were significantly associated with stunting. HAZ and BAZ were positively correlated with academic performances. Conclusion: One out of four study participants were found to be thin and one out of seven adolescent was found stunted. Stunting and thinness affect the academic performance of adolescents. Hence, health extension workers should be aware families on adolescent nutrition.