This study aimed to describe dietary habits of young Indian adolescent girls attending higher secondary schools in Coimbatore city. A cross sectional study was carried out in 300 adolescent girls of age 15–16. Data were collected using researcher-designed questionnaire and checklist on dietary practices and study habits. The results of the study showed that vegetarians had better study habits than ova vegetarian and non vegetarian students and students who followed a meal pattern of 3 meals per day showed better study habits. The questionnaire was constructed based on various aspects of food intake like dietary pattern, food consumption pattern (frequency of intake of various foods) physical activity pattern and health related problems. Priority for nutrition, health, education and holistic development of the adolescent girls is imperative for her to develop into a healthy mother. However, the situation of adolescent girls in India needs to be studied in detail. Compared to Non vegetarians and ova vegetarians, the students who were vegetarians were found to possess good and consistent study habits. The study also demonstrated that students who practice a systematic meal pattern of 3 meals/day as recommended in many Indian scriptures had a consistent and better study habits than students with a meal pattern of 2 or 4 meals per day.
Dietary pattern, meal pattern, study habits, adolescents
