Prevalence and Associated Factors of Thinness among Adolescent Students in Finoteselam Town, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Abstract Background Adolescence is the period of intense physical, psychosocial and cognitive development and the second to infancy at which highest rate of physical growth occur. So, adolescents need to have good quantity and quality nutrient to cope with this rapid growth and other health risk which increase nutritional demand. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of thinness among school adolescents in Finoteselam town, Amhara region, Ethiopia.Methods A school-based cross-sectional study among adolescent students aged 10-19 in public primary and secondary schools was carried out in Finoteselam town from February 05 to March 27, 2018. A total of 397 adolescent students were included in the study. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were employed to select study subjects. Pre tested structured questionnaires were used to collect the data. Data was entered using Epi info version 7 and analyzed using SPSS version 20 and WHO Anthro Plus soft ware. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors associated with stunting. Crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% level significance were used to measure the strength of association and statistical significance was declared at p-value less than 0.05.Results The prevalence of thinness among adolescents was 14.9%. Early Adolescent stage (AOR= 4.81; 95% CI: 1.23, 18.51), being Male adolescent students (AOR = 2.33; 95% CI: 1.60, 3.40), and using well water (AOR= 3.82; 95% CI: 1.46, 10.04) were significantly associated with thinness at P-value <0.05.Conclusion The study revealed that prevalence of thinness was high in the study area. Age, Sex and sources of drinking water were found to be important factors associated with thinness among the respondents.