Impact of Nutrition Education on Food Consumption Pattern of Tribal Adolescent Girls in Mayurbhanj, Odisha

BR Abha Ayushree, Jyotirmayee Udgata

Abstract: Adolescence is a critical period of rapid growth and development that requires adequate nutrition to support physical, cognitive and reproductive health. Tribal adolescent girls are particularly vulnerable to poor dietary intake due to socio-economic disadvantages, limited nutritional knowledge, food insecurity and restricted access to healthcare services. Nutrition Education has emerged as an effective intervention strategy for improving dietary practices and promoting healthy food choices among adolescents. The study aimed to assess the impact of nutrition education on the food consumption pattern of the tribal adolescent girls. A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test control group design was adopted. A total of 300 tribal adolescent girls aged 15-19 years from Baripada & Samakhunta blocks of Mayurbhanj district, Odisha were selected and equally divided into control (n=150) and experimental (n=150) groups. Baseline information on socio-economic characteristics and food consumption patterns was collected using a structured interview schedule. The experimental group received nutrition education through lectures, demonstrations, group discussions, posters and leaflets while the control group received no intervention. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and paired t-tests. The findings revealed that there was significant improvements in the consumption of cereals and millets (from 170.25±9.17g to 195.28±12.15g; t=19.538), pulses and legumes (48.20±5.29g to 58.93±8.15g; t=13.661), milk and meat products (18.41±50.75g to 429.61±38.25g; t=12.205), vegetables and fruits (227.02±55.41g to 262.98±37.02g; t=6.808) and fats & sugars (12.06±1.36g to 32.18±1.85g; t=101.144) among the experimental group following nutrition education (p

Keywords: Nutrition Education, Food Consumption Pattern, Tribal, Adolescent Girls, Dietary Diversity, Nutritional Awareness

How to Cite?: BR Abha Ayushree, Jyotirmayee Udgata, "Impact of Nutrition Education on Food Consumption Pattern of Tribal Adolescent Girls in Mayurbhanj, Odisha", Volume 15 Issue 6, June 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 1123-1127, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26620165940, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26620165940

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