Food, Nutrition and Health Care: diverse conceptions amongst adolescent population in a semi-urban Bangladeshi Muslim community

Authors

  • AKM Dawlat Khan 1. Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), Sylhet 2. International Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) 68 Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Sarani, Mohakhali, Dhaka 1212
  • AKM Mazharul Islam Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3329/bjms.v13i4.19165

Keywords:

conceptions on food, nutrition, health care, adolescent, qualitative study, Bangladesh

Abstract

Objective: This study explores how the adolescents identify diet and why do they select these types of foods as diet and how they conceptualize health.

Methodology: This is an empirical study conducted applying qualitative methods in a semi-urban Muslim community at Sylhet district in the northeastern region of Bangladesh. Data were collected through in-depth interviews.

Results: Adolescents had diverse conceptions on foods related to nutrition and health care. Adolescents relate food categorization mainly with the price of food, function of foods and a number of sensory characteristics, such as taste, smell and color. They categorized foods according to the price of foods- poor and rich; and to the function of foods- hot and cold. They had different preferences in different genders according to the sensory characteristics of foods- black color, sour taste etc. They had also some gender specific taboo on some foods.

Conclusion: This study reveals that adolescents have diversified thinking on foods related to nutrition and health care practices, which demands to provide special attention for improving their understanding on food, nutrition and health care.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjms.v13i4.19165

Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.13(4) 2014 p.391-395

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Author Biographies

AKM Dawlat Khan, 1. Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), Sylhet 2. International Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) 68 Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Sarani, Mohakhali, Dhaka 1212

1. Department of Anthropology

2. Centre for Communicable Diseases (CCD)

AKM Mazharul Islam, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet

Department of Anthropology

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Published

2014-09-27

How to Cite

Khan, A. D., & Islam, A. M. (2014). Food, Nutrition and Health Care: diverse conceptions amongst adolescent population in a semi-urban Bangladeshi Muslim community. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science, 13(4), 391–395. https://doi.org/10.3329/bjms.v13i4.19165

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 4 (2014)

Section

Original Articles

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