Impact of the health and living conditions of migrant and non-migrant Senegalese adolescent girls on their nutritional status and growth

Abstract

Objective: To describe the living conditions of Senegalese adolescent girls according to their migration status, and to define the main socio-economic and biological determinants of their nutritional and growth status. Design: Health and living conditions, sexual maturation, and nutritional and growth status of adolescent girls were determined within the framework of a longitudinal study on growth. Settings: The capital city of Senegal (Dakar) and a rural community (Niakhar), 120 km south-east of Dakar. Subjects: Three hundred and thirty-one girls, 14.5 -16.6 years of age, were recruited from the same villages. Thirty-six per cent of the sample remained in the villages to attend school and/or to help with household subsistence tasks (non-migrants). The remaining (64%) migrated to cities to work as maids (migrants) and lived in two different socio-economic environments: at the home of a guardian during the night and in the house of the employer during the daytime. Results: Family rural environment and guardian and employer urban environments were socio-economically different ðP , 0:001Þ: Living conditions in urban areas were better than in rural areas and the employer's environment was socio-economically more favourable. Migrants had more advanced sexual maturation and higher body mass index (BMI), fat mass index (FMI) and mid-upper arm circumference than nonmigrants. However, migrants were smaller than non-migrants. BMI, FMI and weightfor-age were related to socio-economic levels and duration of migration. Schooling was positively related to height and negatively related to BMI. Conclusions: Migrants enjoyed better living conditions than non-migrants. This could be partly due to the better socio-economic environment of the employer. It was associated with earlier puberty and better nutritional status, but not with a better growth.

Iron status of adolescent girls from two boarding schools in southern Benin

“…The average BMI of these adolescents ( (24,25) . However, it is slightly lower than BMI of 21?5 (SD 3?8) kg/m 2 observed in a previous study conducted in 2003 in southern Benin among a group of 100 adolescent girls aged 14-16 years (11) .…”

Variabilidad del peso, la estatura y el índice de masa corporal según desarrollo puberal y tipo de colegio en adolescentes de Medellín, Colombia

“…Adicionalmente, el comportamiento del IMC en la muestra de mujeres de Medellín al finalizar el desarrollo puberal (estadio V), es similar al reportado en países desarrollados, donde las mujeres de condiciones socioeconómicas menos favorables presentaron promedios de IMC mayores, situación explicada por la mayor disponibilidad de alimentos de alta densidad energética, de gran tamaño y bajo costo, acompañada de un estilo de vida sedentario (26,27).…”

Seasonal variations and trends in weight and arm circumference of non-pregnant rural Senegalese women, 1990–1997

“…For agricultural tasks, horses, donkeys and manpower are used rather than engines. Monetary income is very low, and although seasonal migration to the city for labour is common among adolescents and young adults of both sexes, salaries are low (Garnier et al, 2003), and only a small fraction of the income is sent back to families in the villages. Food consumption consists of millet, rice and groundnuts, with small amounts of vegetables and fish.…”