The Nutritional Status and Eating Patterns of Female Secondary School Students in Kirkuk City, Iraq: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background Adolescents are increasingly facing nutrition-related issues such as overweight, obesity, and underweight, and eating patterns may significantly contribute to these issues. So, this study aims to assess the nutritional status and eating patterns of female secondary school students in Kirkuk City, Iraq. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study design was applied, which took place between January 13 and May 30, 2024. The convenience non-probability sampling method was used to select 525 female secondary students in six female government secondary schools. Interview techniques and a structured questionnaire were used to collect data. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 27.0 (Released 2020; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States), was used for the data analysis. Results The mean age of the participants was 15.66 years old (SD 1.56). The finding revealed that 84 (16%) of secondary school female students were underweight, 100 (19%) of them were overweight, and 22 (4%) were obese. On the other hand, 423 (80.6%) of them reported eating snacks between meals, 497 (94%) reported eating fast food, and 378 (72%) reported skipping meals. The chi-squared test concludes that eating fast food and consuming energy drinks show significant associations with weight status, with a p-value less than 0.05. Conclusion A quarter of the female secondary school students were overweight or obese, and about one-sixth of them were underweight. Most of them either had snacks between meals, frequently ate fast food, or skipped meals. For these reasons, it is crucial to implement a school-based nutrition program in Iraqi schools.