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

Pikuntip Kunset, Chuchard Punsawad, Rewwadee Petsirasan, Charuai Suwanbamrung, Shamarina Shohaimi, Udomsak Narkkul and Naiyana Noonil ()
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Pikuntip Kunset: Excellence Center of Community Health Promotion, School of Nursing, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
Chuchard Punsawad: Department of Medical Science, School of Medicine, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
Rewwadee Petsirasan: Faculty of Nursing, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
Charuai Suwanbamrung: Excellent Center for Dengue and Community Public Health School of Public Health, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
Shamarina Shohaimi: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
Udomsak Narkkul: Department of Medical Science, School of Medicine, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
Naiyana Noonil: Excellence Center of Community Health Promotion, School of Nursing, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 17, 1-15

Abstract: (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.

Keywords: unhealthy dietary patterns; sociodemographic factors; adolescents (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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