Association of socioeconomic and dietary factors with the co-occurrence of anemia and stunting among adolescent girls aged 15 – 19 years : Secondary analysis of the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2018

Abstract Background Good health and well-being throughout life improves normal growth development and promotes a healthy pregnancy outcome. Malnourishment among adolescent girls can result in the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition. This study aims to find the association of socioeconomic and dietary factors with the co-occurrence of anemia and stunting among adolescent girls aged 15 - 19 years in Nigeria. Methods A population-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among 2,622 Nigerian adolescent girls aged 15 – 19 years. Data were extracted from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. Multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate the association of socioeconomic and dietary factors with the co-occurrence of anemia and stunting, using SPSS version 27. Results The prevalence of the co-occurrence of anemia and stunting was 9.3%. Multivariable logistic regression revealed among adolescents whose level of education was primary (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.002 – 2.46) had 53% higher odds of having anemia and stunting co-occurring than adolescents in the secondary and higher level of education. Adolescent girls belonging to poorest (OR 2.95, 95% CI 1.41 – 6.21), poorer (OR 2.81, 95% CI 1.40 – 5.64), middle, and richer socioeconomic status had three times higher odds of having co-occurring anemia and stunting. BMI-for-age played a significance role (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.03 – 1.37) with the association of co-occurrence of anemia and stunting. Conclusion Education level and socioeconomic status were inversely associated with the co-occurrence of anemia and stunting. The results suggest that there is a need to address the socioeconomic inequalities among the adolescents in Nigeria