Author
Adviser
Since the first cases were discovered and lockdowns were implemented, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on civil society, especially vulnerable populations such as adolescents. The objective of this cross-sectional study is to assess the relationship of the nutritional status of late adolescent (ages 18-24) students of the College of Human Ecology (CHE) in the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) with their income level, dietary intake, and physical activity level (PAL) during the COVID-19 pandemic. One hundred eight-two (182) respondents were selected via simple random sampling and were asked to accomplish an online survey questionnaire after filling out an informed consent form. The survey questionnaire was pre-tested to students (ages 18-24) from other colleges in UPLB. The survey questionnaire gathered data from 187 respondents determine monthly family income, PAL using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Form (IPAQ-SF), a modified semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to measure the adequacy of energy (kcal) and protein (g) intake, and Body Mass Index (BMI) using the World Health Organization (WHO) classifications. 62.6% had normal BMIs while only 16% were underweight, 15.5% were pre-obese, and 5.9% were classified as pre-obese and greater (i.e. obese class I, II, III). The finding of this study imply that while the likelihood of an adequate intake of calories was linked to participants' nutritional status during the pandemic, PAL, monthly family income, and protein intake were not. It is likely that there are other determinants of adolescent nutritional status during the pandemic aside from the investigated variables. Given the ongoing nature of the pandemic and the paucity of research on adolescent nutrition that might be helpful in public health nutrition interventions, these findings point to the need for further study of the issue.