Majority Of The Indians Do Not Talk About The Health Of Adolescents
Ishika Satwika Singh
According to a study published by Cambridge University, the nutritional needs of adolescents are often underestimated, yet they are crucial for optimal growth and development during this transitional life stage. Despite this importance, adolescents are frequently overlooked in global health and nutrition policies, leading to a gap in addressing their specific needs.
The Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing has termed adolescent nutrition a ‘hidden crisis,’ emphasizing the urgency of investing in the health of this population. As adolescents navigate increased autonomy and face growing health risks, it becomes imperative to educate them about nutrition to establish the foundations of lifelong health and well-being.
Youth Ki Awaaz (YKA) and Nutrition International conducted an online perception mapping survey titled “You are what you eat” across five key states in India to understand and assess the level of awareness about nutrition among young people, their barriers to good nutrition and to evaluate how COVID-19 impacted their physical and mental wellbeing, as well as their access to health and nutrition. The online survey captured 2907 responses from the urban/peri-urban population conducted via YKA’s proprietary survey tool.
Majority Of The Indians Do Not Talk About The Health Of Adolescents
The survey findings are striking as a staggering 64.2% of respondents report that diet and nutrition were neglected topics during their crucial adolescent years, spanning from 10 to 19 years. Nutrition is a cornerstone of health and development, profoundly influencing our mental and physical well-being. The food choices we make during this formative period sculpt not just our present but also our future vitality.
Adolescents must be informed about health and nutrition because adolescence is a vulnerable period where health-related behaviors, including eating habits, are established or reinforced. During this critical time, nutritional needs increase due to rapid growth and changes in body composition.
Introducing adolescents to proper nutrition early on helps prevent the development of poor eating habits, which can lead to obesity and diet-related diseases later in life. By establishing and maintaining healthy eating behaviors during adolescence, adolescents can stay healthy and fit into adulthood.
What can be the way forward:
To effectively disseminate information on health and nutrition to adolescents, several strategies should be implemented based on the survey findings:
Utilize social media platforms: Given the active engagement of young populations on platforms like Facebook and Snapchat, government stakeholders should leverage these channels to create and share educational content on nutrition. This approach ensures that information reaches adolescents where they are most active.
Strengthen Health Centers: Despite being the most minor preferred source of information, health centers remain crucial intervention points. Efforts should focus on enhancing their credibility and accessibility as reliable sources of health and nutrition information for both adolescents and caregivers.
Empower Parents, Caregivers, and Schools: Recognizing the influence of parents, caregivers, and school authorities as providers of good nutrition, initiatives should be undertaken to build their capacity for nutrition education. This includes training programs for teachers, parents, and community leaders to impart accurate information effectively.
Enhance Access to Credible Information: While internet sources are commonly accessed, ensuring the accuracy of information remains a challenge. Efforts should be made to make credible information easily accessible, bridging the informational gap between available resources and empowering adolescents to make informed choices about their health.
In conclusion, the survey highlights a concerning lack of nutrition awareness among Indian adolescents. To address this, it’s crucial to educate them about health and nutrition. Leveraging social media, strengthening health centers, empowering parents, caregivers, and schools, and enhancing access to credible information are vital strategies. By taking these steps, we can empower adolescents to make informed choices about their health, ensuring a healthier future for all. For more such youth-led surveys, follow Youth Ki Awaaz.
The survey employed a structured questionnaire, conducted in both English and Hindi languages, with online data collection ensuring participant anonymity and voluntary engagement. A total of 2,907 responses were captured from the urban/peri-urban population using YKA’s proprietary survey tool. Additionally, Nutrition International conducted on-ground surveys in rural areas across five key states. The survey aimed to gauge youth perceptions of nutrition, identify information barriers, and evaluate how effective policies and programs could enhance nutritional status among young people, especially given the aftermath of COVID-19.
Among the 2,908 respondents in the English and Hindi surveys, the majority fell within the 25-29 age group. Women constituted 80.91% (2,353) of the respondents, while men comprised 477 individuals. Additionally, 68 respondents chose not to specify their gender, and 10 identified as non-binary. Notably, the highest number of responses (29.30%) originated from West Bengal, followed by Uttar Pradesh (25.65%), Gujarat (18.36%), Madhya Pradesh (18.33%), and Chhattisgarh (8.36%).
The survey findings also indicated that the majority of respondents (40.3%) had completed post-graduation, with 10.2% having finished Class 12, 1.68% being school students, 1.61% having completed Class 10, and 0.79% not having completed Class 10.
To read more about YKA’s survey methodology click here.
