Food and nutrition security of adolescents and young adults NEETs and non-NEETs in two low socioeconomic urban settlements in South Africa

Abstract

Introduction Adolescents and young adults not yet in employment, education, or training (NEETs) account for a sizable fraction of the global population. In South Africa, 34.3% of young individuals aged 15 to 24 were classified as NEETs in 2022. Lack of work in low-income areas may lead to poverty and food insecurity, negatively impacting diet quality. Objective This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate and compare the anthropometric status, dietary intake, and food security of NEET and non-NEET adolescents and young adults (aged 18–24 years) in Langa and Fisantekraal, two low socioeconomic settlements in South Africa. Methods Participants were recruited through door-to-door visits. Standardized instruments including a sociodemographic questionnaire, household hunger score, lived poverty index, anthropometric assessments, and 24-hour dietary recalls were used for data collection. Results There were no significant differences in the prevalence of household hunger (p = 0.496), the lived poverty index (p = 0.111) and the prevalence of low micronutrient intakes between the NEETS and non-NEETs (p > 0.05). The prevalence of inadequate daily iron intake had the lowest prevalence while the prevalence of inadequate calcium intake was highest in this group of adolescents and young adults. The insufficient intake of micronutrients among adolescents and young adults can be attributed to the diets consumed by this demographic group.