A participatory framework for identifying and ranking multidimensional solutions to nutritional behavior issues in...

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Public Health
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Multisectoral collaboration is key for nutritional behavior change.
• Adolescent girls face increasing poor dietary habits, often unmet by current interventions.
• Complex social, cultural, and environmental factors influence adolescent nutrition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a prioritized framework for improving nutritional behaviors in adolescent girls (13-17 years).
• To identify and rank effective, feasible, and culturally acceptable interventions.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods approach combining qualitative inquiry and stakeholder prioritization.
• Directed qualitative inquiry with 17 students to identify dietary challenges.
• Nominal Group Technique (NGT) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for solution prioritization by 9 experts and stakeholders.

Main Results:

• 121 candidate solutions generated, with 90 meeting the ranking threshold.
• Cultural acceptability (35.7%) and sustainability (18.1%) were key AHP criteria.
• Top-priority interventions identified: balanced diet education, parental education, and school nutrition campaigns.

Conclusions:

• A stakeholder-driven framework identified high-priority interventions for adolescent girls' nutrition.
• Recommended interventions include balanced diet education, parental engagement, and school-based campaigns.
• Future research should pilot and evaluate these interventions in real-world settings.