Assessment of Nutritional Status, Junk Food Consumption among Intellectually Disabled Adolescents (14-19 Years)

Intellectually disabled people tend to have poor nutritional status due to malnutrition and nutritional deficiencies. The present study was aimed to assess the nutritional status, junk food consumption among intellectually disabled adolescents (14-19 years). The data of 100 intellectually disabled adolescents was collected from the special institutes for Intellectually Disabled situated in Hyderabad, using questionnaires that included general information, anthropometric measurements, questions about frequency of junk food consumed, factors affecting the choice and meals replaced by junk foods were included. The study revealed that a significant percentage of studied population was malnourished (59 %). Obesity being highest (30 %), followed by underweight (16 %) and overweight (13 %). Consumption of junk foods was found to be more frequently among malnourished adolescents specifically among obese (60 %), followed by overweight (46 %) and underweight (25 %). The factors that affected choice of junk foods among the obese subjects were mood (43 %), taste (37 %), time (10 %), and social media (10 %), and 67 % replaced one meal with junk food. Among overweight subjects factors were mood (69 %), taste (23 %), social media (3 %) and 62 % replaced one meal with junk food. Among underweight subjects, factors were taste (50 %), mood (40 %) and social media (10 %) and 45 % replaced one meal with junk food. Therefore, the present study concluded that among intellectual disabled adolescents malnutrition and unhealthy eating habits are more prevalent.