ABSTRACT
Linear growth during adolescence is faster than in any other period of human growth after birth with the exception of the first year of life. As a transitional period between childhood and adulthood, adolescence provides an opportunity to prepare for a healthy productive and reproductive life. Puberty is a dynamic period of growth during adolescence characterized by rapid changes in body composition, shape and size, all of which are distinct for boys and girls. The onset of puberty approximately matches with a skeletal (biological) age of nearly 11 years in girls and 13 years in boys [1, 2]. On average, girls pass through each stage of puberty earlier than boys. The timing and duration of this pubertal development is influenced by a number of factors, including genetic characteristics, body composition, physical activity and diet [3-7]. Nutritional status and heavy exercise were identified to be the two major influences on the linear growth of adolescents [8]. However, in food insecure environments, it is hardly possible to fulfill the nutritional requirements of adolescents for healthy growth.
Food insecurity is prevalent among adolescents in Jimma, Ethiopia [9-11]. Evidence shows that food insecurity is associated with poor development and morbidity in children [12, 13], morbidity [9, 14, 15] and poor subsequent dietary habits [16] in adolescents. Food-insecure and stressed adolescents are likely to alter their dietary behavior in ways that increase the risk of stunting [16, 17]. It has been documented that even stunting that occurs soon after birth can have an impact on adolescent height [18] with a subsequent permanent negative effect on final height. However; growth spurts during adolescence can compensate for earlier stunted growth and provide an opportunity for catch-up growth before final height is attained.
