Plant-based protein foods consumption and its associated factors among adolescent girls in Northwest Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study
This cross-sectional study in Northwest Ethiopia reveals that only 36.94% of adolescent girls consume plant-based protein foods, with daily commitment to preparation and participation in school club activities identified as significant positive predictors of such consumption.
Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer
In many parts of the world, growing up healthy requires more than just filling a stomach; it demands a specific balance of nutrients that the body cannot make on its own. Among these, protein is essential for building muscle and supporting the rapid changes of adolescence. For families with limited budgets, the most common sources of this protein—meat, fish, eggs, and dairy—are often too expensive to buy regularly. This economic barrier leaves many young people, particularly girls in low-income regions, at risk of becoming too thin, a condition that weakens their bodies and can affect their future health and ability to learn. Nature, however, offers a more affordable alternative in the form of pulses. These are the dried seeds of plants like lentils, chickpeas, and broad beans. When eaten alongside grains like wheat or maize, they provide a complete protein source that rivals animal products in quality but costs a fraction of the price. Despite their availability and low cost, it remains unclear how often young people actually eat them or what stops them from doing so.
To understand this gap between availability and consumption, researchers in the Central Gondar zone of Northwest Ethiopia set out to observe the daily lives of adolescent girls. They focused on a specific group: girls between the ages of fifteen and nineteen who were attending high school. The team recruited 900 students from six different schools, using a method that ensured a fair representation of the area's population. Over a single day, these students were asked to recall exactly what they had eaten in the previous twenty-four hours. The researchers were looking for a specific sign of healthy eating: whether the girls had consumed a serving of pulses mixed with their staple grains. A serving was defined as a modest amount, roughly the size of a cup or a handful, which is enough to provide a meaningful nutritional boost. The students also answered questions about their feelings toward these foods, their knowledge of how to cook them, and their involvement in school activities.
The results painted a picture of missed opportunities. While nearly all the girls ate grains, which form the base of their diet, only about thirty-seven percent had eaten any form of pulses in the day before the survey. This means that nearly two out of every three girls went a full day without this affordable source of high-quality protein. The study found that the girls were not eating these foods because they were unavailable; in fact, pulses are a major crop in the region. Instead, the barriers were personal and social. The researchers discovered that the girls who were most likely to eat pulses were those who had made a conscious decision to include them in their daily meals. This commitment to preparing and eating the food was a strong predictor of whether a girl actually did so.
Another significant factor was the girls' involvement in their school communities. Those who had participated in at least one school club were more likely to eat pulses than those who had not. This suggests that the social environment and the exchange of ideas within a school setting play a crucial role in shaping dietary habits. The study did not find that the girls' age, their religion, or whether they lived in a city or a village made a difference in their eating patterns. What mattered most was their attitude toward the food and their engagement with their peers. The researchers noted that many girls lacked the confidence or the specific knowledge to prepare pulses in tasty ways, and some simply did not like the taste of boiled pulses, which is a common preparation method.
The findings point toward a clear path forward. Since the food is available and affordable, the solution lies in changing how girls think about it and how they learn to cook it. The study suggests that schools could play a vital role by teaching students not just that pulses are healthy, but how to prepare them in ways that are enjoyable and varied. By integrating nutrition education into school clubs and daily lessons, communities could help girls overcome the hesitation to try these foods. If girls can be encouraged to commit to eating these nutrient-rich foods every day, they could significantly improve their growth and long-term health, turning a readily available local crop into a powerful tool for fighting malnutrition.
Drowning in papers in your field?
Get daily digests of the most novel papers matching your research keywords — with technical summaries, in your language.