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Triple Burden of Malnutrition and Its Sociodemographic Determinants Among School Adolescents in Toumodi, Côte d'Ivoire

Received: 12 September 2026     Accepted: 21 September 2026     Published: 23 October 2026
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Abstract

This cross-sectional study assessed the prevalence of stunting, thinness, and overweight/obesity among school adolescents in Toumodi, Côte d'Ivoire. It also identified their sociodemographic and familial determinants. The sample included 253 adolescents (53.0% male; mean age 13.8 ± 1.5 years) enrolled in Grade 6 and Grade 7 of public secondary schools. Height and weight were converted into body-mass-index-for-age (BAZ) and height-for-age (HAZ) Z-scores, using World Health Organization growth references. Stunting was defined as HAZ below -2, thinness as BAZ below -2, and overweight/obesity as BAZ above +1. Associations with sex, age, area of residence, living companions, family size, and parental education were assessed. Chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression were used. Stunting affected 40.1% of children (95% confidence interval [CI] 34.0-46.1%). Thinness affected 8.4% (95% CI 5.0-11.8%), and overweight/obesity affected 21.2% (95% CI 16.1-26.3%), confirming a triple burden of malnutrition. Concurrent stunting and thinness affected 4.0% of children. Stunting prevalence increased sharply with age, from 17.0% among 10-12-year-olds to 63.3% among 16-18-year-olds. It was independently associated with older age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.57 per year, 95% CI 1.28-1.93) and male sex (aOR 1.79, 95% CI 1.02-3.13). Overweight/obesity was independently associated with younger age (aOR 0.72 per year, 95% CI 0.57-0.91). No sociodemographic or familial variable was significantly associated with thinness. Family size and parental education were not significantly associated with any of the three nutritional outcomes. These findings confirm a substantial triple burden of malnutrition, dominated by stunting, among adolescents in Toumodi. Age and sex, rather than family size or parental education, emerged as the main sociodemographic determinants. The results support the need for age- and sex-targeted nutritional interventions. They also reinforce the importance of extending nutrition surveillance beyond early childhood to explicitly include adolescents in West African school-age populations.

Published in Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences (Volume 14, Issue 5)
DOI 10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.20
Page(s) 365-374
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Stunting, Thinness, Overweight, Triple Burden of Malnutrition, Adolescents, Determinants, Côte d'Ivoire, Sub-Saharan Africa

References
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[17] Khara, T., Mwangome, M., Ngari, M., Dolan, C. Children Concurrently Wasted and Stunted: A Meta-Analysis of Prevalence Data of Children 6-59 Months from 84 Countries. Maternal & Child Nutrition. 2018, 14(2), e12516.
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Diallo, K., Georgette, K. A., Sylvère, Z. K. Y. A., d'Avila, B. A. T., Yao, A. R., et al. (2026). Triple Burden of Malnutrition and Its Sociodemographic Determinants Among School Adolescents in Toumodi, Côte d'Ivoire. Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences, 14(5), 365-374. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.20

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    ACS Style

    Diallo, K.; Georgette, K. A.; Sylvère, Z. K. Y. A.; d'Avila, B. A. T.; Yao, A. R., et al. Triple Burden of Malnutrition and Its Sociodemographic Determinants Among School Adolescents in Toumodi, Côte d'Ivoire. J. Food Nutr. Sci. 2026, 14(5), 365-374. doi: 10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.20

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    AMA Style

    Diallo K, Georgette KA, Sylvère ZKYA, d'Avila BAT, Yao AR, et al. Triple Burden of Malnutrition and Its Sociodemographic Determinants Among School Adolescents in Toumodi, Côte d'Ivoire. J Food Nutr Sci. 2026;14(5):365-374. doi: 10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.20

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  • @article{10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.20,
      author = {Koffi Diallo and Konan Amoin Georgette and Zahé Kollet Yao Aimé Sylvère and Bini Adamou Thérèse d'Avila and Assa Rebecca Yao and Soro Doudjo and Assidjo Nogbou Emmanuel},
      title = {Triple Burden of Malnutrition and Its Sociodemographic Determinants Among School Adolescents in Toumodi, Côte d'Ivoire},
      journal = {Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences},
      volume = {14},
      number = {5},
      pages = {365-374},
      doi = {10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.20},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.20},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jfns.20261405.20},
      abstract = {This cross-sectional study assessed the prevalence of stunting, thinness, and overweight/obesity among school adolescents in Toumodi, Côte d'Ivoire. It also identified their sociodemographic and familial determinants. The sample included 253 adolescents (53.0% male; mean age 13.8 ± 1.5 years) enrolled in Grade 6 and Grade 7 of public secondary schools. Height and weight were converted into body-mass-index-for-age (BAZ) and height-for-age (HAZ) Z-scores, using World Health Organization growth references. Stunting was defined as HAZ below -2, thinness as BAZ below -2, and overweight/obesity as BAZ above +1. Associations with sex, age, area of residence, living companions, family size, and parental education were assessed. Chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression were used. Stunting affected 40.1% of children (95% confidence interval [CI] 34.0-46.1%). Thinness affected 8.4% (95% CI 5.0-11.8%), and overweight/obesity affected 21.2% (95% CI 16.1-26.3%), confirming a triple burden of malnutrition. Concurrent stunting and thinness affected 4.0% of children. Stunting prevalence increased sharply with age, from 17.0% among 10-12-year-olds to 63.3% among 16-18-year-olds. It was independently associated with older age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.57 per year, 95% CI 1.28-1.93) and male sex (aOR 1.79, 95% CI 1.02-3.13). Overweight/obesity was independently associated with younger age (aOR 0.72 per year, 95% CI 0.57-0.91). No sociodemographic or familial variable was significantly associated with thinness. Family size and parental education were not significantly associated with any of the three nutritional outcomes. These findings confirm a substantial triple burden of malnutrition, dominated by stunting, among adolescents in Toumodi. Age and sex, rather than family size or parental education, emerged as the main sociodemographic determinants. The results support the need for age- and sex-targeted nutritional interventions. They also reinforce the importance of extending nutrition surveillance beyond early childhood to explicitly include adolescents in West African school-age populations.},
     year = {2026}
    }
    

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    T1  - Triple Burden of Malnutrition and Its Sociodemographic Determinants Among School Adolescents in Toumodi, Côte d'Ivoire
    AU  - Koffi Diallo
    AU  - Konan Amoin Georgette
    AU  - Zahé Kollet Yao Aimé Sylvère
    AU  - Bini Adamou Thérèse d'Avila
    AU  - Assa Rebecca Yao
    AU  - Soro Doudjo
    AU  - Assidjo Nogbou Emmanuel
    Y1  - 2026/10/23
    PY  - 2026
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.20
    DO  - 10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.20
    T2  - Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences
    JF  - Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences
    JO  - Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences
    SP  - 365
    EP  - 374
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2330-7293
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.20
    AB  - This cross-sectional study assessed the prevalence of stunting, thinness, and overweight/obesity among school adolescents in Toumodi, Côte d'Ivoire. It also identified their sociodemographic and familial determinants. The sample included 253 adolescents (53.0% male; mean age 13.8 ± 1.5 years) enrolled in Grade 6 and Grade 7 of public secondary schools. Height and weight were converted into body-mass-index-for-age (BAZ) and height-for-age (HAZ) Z-scores, using World Health Organization growth references. Stunting was defined as HAZ below -2, thinness as BAZ below -2, and overweight/obesity as BAZ above +1. Associations with sex, age, area of residence, living companions, family size, and parental education were assessed. Chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression were used. Stunting affected 40.1% of children (95% confidence interval [CI] 34.0-46.1%). Thinness affected 8.4% (95% CI 5.0-11.8%), and overweight/obesity affected 21.2% (95% CI 16.1-26.3%), confirming a triple burden of malnutrition. Concurrent stunting and thinness affected 4.0% of children. Stunting prevalence increased sharply with age, from 17.0% among 10-12-year-olds to 63.3% among 16-18-year-olds. It was independently associated with older age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.57 per year, 95% CI 1.28-1.93) and male sex (aOR 1.79, 95% CI 1.02-3.13). Overweight/obesity was independently associated with younger age (aOR 0.72 per year, 95% CI 0.57-0.91). No sociodemographic or familial variable was significantly associated with thinness. Family size and parental education were not significantly associated with any of the three nutritional outcomes. These findings confirm a substantial triple burden of malnutrition, dominated by stunting, among adolescents in Toumodi. Age and sex, rather than family size or parental education, emerged as the main sociodemographic determinants. The results support the need for age- and sex-targeted nutritional interventions. They also reinforce the importance of extending nutrition surveillance beyond early childhood to explicitly include adolescents in West African school-age populations.
    VL  - 14
    IS  - 5
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Multidisciplinary Laboratory of Human Movement Sciences, Development and Well-Being (LaP-SMHDBE), National Institute of Youth and Sports (INJS), Abidjasn, Côte d'Ivoire;Department of Chemical and Agri-Food Engineering, Félix Houphouët-Boigny National Polytechnic Institute (INP-HB), Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire

  • Laboratory of Nutrition, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Félix Houphouët-Boigny University, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

  • Laboratory of Nutrition, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Félix Houphouët-Boigny University, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

  • Multidisciplinary Laboratory of Human Movement Sciences, Development and Well-Being (LaP-SMHDBE), National Institute of Youth and Sports (INJS), Abidjasn, Côte d'Ivoire

  • Laboratory of Nutrition, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Félix Houphouët-Boigny University, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

  • Department of Chemical and Agri-Food Engineering, Félix Houphouët-Boigny National Polytechnic Institute (INP-HB), Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire

  • Department of Chemical and Agri-Food Engineering, Félix Houphouët-Boigny National Polytechnic Institute (INP-HB), Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire

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