Household Food Insufficiency and Child Nutritional Status in Urban Slum, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Introduction: Malnourished children are about 20% in the developing world. Food insecurity is a key risk factor for child malnutrition. Food insuffi ciency, an extreme form of household food insecurity, can aff ect physiological mechanisms that are linked to an individual’s nutritional status. Food-insuffi cient children are also more likely to have poorer health status and to experience a range of negative academic and psychosocial outcomes. Methods: We administered a cross-sectional socioeconomic survey to 354 households in research site, including a validated food insuffi ciency measurement questionnaire, and obtained anthropometric measurements from children aged 12 to 24 months. We used chi-square tests to assess the relationship between household food insuffi ciency and nutritional status of children. Results: Average age of study children was 18 months and standard deviation was (± 3.2 months). Th e status of household food insuffi ciency was 56%. Th e prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting was 24%, 36% and 8% respectively. Th e household food insuffi ciency was signifi cantly (p<0.05) associated with underweight and stunting but not with wasting (p>0.05). Discussion: Th e study results indicate that food insuffi ciency is associated with stunting and underweight but not with wasting in urban slum of Bangladesh. We also found that child malnutrition is associated with mother’s education, father’s education, monthly family income and people per room.

Nutritional Status and Food Insufficiency of Korean Population through the Life-Course by Education Level Based on 2005 National Health and Nutrition Survey

relationship between socioeconomic position and nutritional status through life-course. A cross-sectional nationwide survey of 2005 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) was used. A total of 8,930 participants aged > or = 1 year were included. The socioeconomic position indicator was education level. Nutritional status was assessed by the percentage attainment of a dietary reference intake (DRI) and dietary quality based on nutrient intakes estimated by a 24 hour-recall data. Food insufficiency was examined by one-item food insufficiency questionnaire. The difference in nutritional status and food insufficiency according to educational level was tested by General Linear Model and Chi-square test, respectively. The nutritional status and food insufficiency was the worst during adolescence and older age than other period. Both quantity and quality of nutrient intakes was poorer in low education group than high education group. The prevalence of food insufficiency also was higher in low education group. The results were consistent across the life-course and sex. Based on these findings, we suggest that the development of various policy and strategies targeted to nutritionally vulnerable group is necessary to reduce nutritional inequality by socioeconomic position.

En escolares de la Ciudad de México la inseguridad alimentaria se asoció positivamente con el sobrepeso / Food insecurity and obesity are positively associated in Mexico City schoolchildren

Objective. Here we analyzed the relationship of the food insecurity with overweight and food consumption in schoolchildren of Mexico City. Materials and methods. Sample (n = 768) students of six primary schools of Mexico City. Socioeconomic status and food insecurity were evaluated by means of a questionnaire. According to food security-insecurity, the students were categorized in three groups (food secure, moderate food insecure and severe food insecure). Food consumption frequency was evaluated with a questionnaire. It was considered that students were overweight when their Z score values of body mass index (BMI) to age was greater than + 2 standard deviations, according to CDC reference. Results. The highest rate of overweight was observed in children with severe food insecurity (15.8%), followed by children with moderate food insecurity (10.4%), and by food secure children (6.9%). The same pattern was observed after adjusting by age, sex and socioeconomic status. The students with food insecurity had greater consumption of fatty cereals, salty foods and high energy density sweets. Conclusion. In schoolchildren, food insecurity is related to greater risk of overweight, possibly because the more food insecure households acquire more low cost and high energy density foods.

Objetivo. Analizar la relación de la inseguridad alimentaria con el sobrepeso y el consumo de alimentos en escolares de la Ciudad de México. Métodos. Muestra (n=768 escolares) por conveniencia de seis primarias de la ciudad de México. Por medio de un cuestionario se evaluó el estrato socioeconómico y la inseguridad alimentaria, de acuerdo con la última se clasificaron a los escolares en tres grupos (seguridad alimentaria, inseguridad moderada e inseguridad severa). Para evaluar el consumo de alimentos se aplicó un cuestionario de frecuencia de consumo de alimentos. Se consideró que los escolares presentaban sobrepeso cuando el valor de la puntuación Z del índice de masa corporal (IMC) para edad fue mayor a +2 desviaciones estándar de acuerdo con las tablas de los CDC. Resultados. La tasa más alta de sobrepeso se observó en los niños de hogares donde existía inseguridad alimentaria severa (15.8%), seguida por la de los niños que experimentaban moderada (10.4%), finalmente la tasa más reducida se observó en los que experimentaban seguridad alimentaria (6.9%), este patrón no se modificó después de ajustar por edad, sexo y estrato socioeconómico. Los escolares con inseguridad alimentaria tuvieron mayor consumo de cereales con grasa y de alimentos salados y dulces de alta densidad energética. Conclusiones. La inseguridad alimentaria se relaciona con mayor riesgo de sobrepeso en escolares, lo cual se puede deber a que en los hogares en los que se experimenta se adquieren más alimentos de bajo costo y alta densidad energética.