Endocrine Abstracts

Adolescence is specific periods with physical, physiological, behavioral and social changes. Dietary intakes and food habits are important factors in determining those well-balanced changes during this period of life).

336 high school girls (168 urban and 168 rural) in 14–18 years old were randomly selected to determine their daily dietary patterns, in comparing the differences between rural and urban adolescent girls.

Data were collected by 24 hour recall questionnaires for 3 consequent days and analyzed by N3 food analyzer and its significance determined by SPSS.

The percent age of energy from carbohydrate, fat and protein were 64.3, 24.6, 11.1 in urban and 65.8, 23.2, 11.0 in rural, with no significant differences. Zinc, Ca, P and vit A, B2 intakes showed lowered intake among urban and rural in comparison with RDI.

The results suggested that the dietary patterns of urban and rural were not satisfied the needs of daily micronutrient intakes with particular inadequacies in zinc, ca and vit A intakes. Food behavior should be considered in both urban and rural girls.