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Abstract

Background: This study was carried out to assess the dietary diversity score (DDS) and nutritional status of undergraduates students in south west Nigeria. Methods: A representative sample of two thousand (2000) undergraduate students was surveyed from two Nigerian Polytechnics using simple random technique. A pretested interview guide was used to collect information. Information on dietary diversity was obtained using Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance Project questionnaire (FANTA). Body mass index (BMI) according to WHO classification was used in classifying nutritional status. Information on food intake was obtained from 24-hour dietary recall techniques. Dietary diversity score (DDS) was computed and the nutritional status was assessed. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics; SPSS software package version 16.0. Results: The result of the BMI showed that 3% of male students were underweight, 46% of male students had normal weight, 5% of the female were overweight while 2% of the female students were obese. DDS of the subjects showed that cereals and grain group consumed by male was 0.40±.01a while female scored 0.43±0.2a, seeds, nuts and legumes consumed by male were 0.53±.11a while female had 0.52±0.1a score. Mean score of starchy, roots and tubers consumed by male and female were 0.63±0.2a and 0.67±0.9a respectively, vegetables group for male were 0.63±0.23b while female had 0.66±0.3b, of the fruits group 0.50± 0.2a was scored by male while female scored 0.56±0.17b, out of the meat and meat products scored male scored 0.17±0.3a while female had 0.21±0.3b, mean of the fish and sea foods shows that male scored 0.60±0.b while female scored 0.86±0.2a. Oil and dairies group shows that male scored 0.61±0.5a while female scored 0.62±0.9a. The total dietary diversity score for male was 4.07±1.84a while female had 4.53±3.07a. DDS of male were higher than female (P < 0.05). The dietary diversity terciles revealed that the male and female scores were within the low tercile (1-4). Conclusion: The subjects had low DDS with few students malnourished.

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