Relationship Between Adherence to a Low-Salt Diet and Blood Pressure Control Among Hospitalized Hypertension Patients at Sembiring General Hospital

Anemia is a common nutritional problem among adolescent girls, primarily due to inadequate intake of essential nutrients, particularly iron. Adolescent girls in boarding school (pondok pesantren) settings are at higher risk of anemia because of suboptimal dietary patterns, high daily activity, and limited food variety. This study aimed to examine the association between dietary pattern and the occurrence of anemia among adolescent girls at Nizhomul Hikmah Boarding School. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among anemic adolescent girls at Nizhomul Hikmah Boarding School, Padang Lawas Regency. Total sampling was used to select respondents. Dietary pattern was assessed using a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), and anemia status was determined through hemoglobin examination. Data were analyzed using univariate and bivariate analyses with the Linear-by-Linear Association test at a 95% confidence level (α = 0.05). Of the respondents, 20 (48.8%) had moderate anemia. All respondents were classified as having a “poor” dietary pattern. Bivariate analysis showed a significant association between dietary pattern and anemia (p = 0.012; p < 0.05). Dietary pattern is significantly associated with the occurrence of anemia among adolescent girls at Nizhomul Hikmah Boarding School, Padang Lawas. Nutrition education and improvement of dietary patterns are needed to prevent anemia in this population.