Determinants and consequences of food insecurity in families having children under the age of 2 years

Abstract

Background: Today, food insecurity is recognized as an important public health problem that can have detrimental effects on families. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the determinants and consequences of food insecurity in families having children under the age of 2 years. Method: In this cross-sectional study, 307 mothers and their children under the age of 2 years were selected by stratified random sampling. Demographic and socioeconomic data were collected by completing questionnaires through face-to-face interview. Household food insecurity (HFI) status was determined using the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) household food security questionnaire. Results: Based on the results, 67.4% of families were high food secure. Low and very low food security was 25.7% and 6.9%, respectively. House size (Beta = −0.019, 95% CI: −0.029, −0.009), father's job (Beta = −4.758, 95% CI:−6.777, −2.738), father education (Beta = −0.370, 95% CI: −0.717, −0.023), and economic status (Beta = −0.628, 95% CI: −0.809, −0.448) were significantly related to the USDA total food insecurity score ( p < 0.05). Regression analysis showed that children birth weight, father’s body mass index (BMI), and mother's waist circumference had a significant positive correlation with weight for age (Z-score) of children. Children’s birth weight, father’s BMI, and HFI status had significant and positive correlation with weight for length (Z-score). Moreover, the significant association between children’s birth height, mother’s BMI, and mother's waist circumference with length for age (Z-score) were observed ( p < 0.05). Conclusion: We found the father's job was the most effective factor in food insecurity and economic status of the family was in the second place. Also, HFI had a relationship with weight status of children under the age of 2 years.

Effect of climate variability, crop production, and household food insecurity on malnutrition among women: A mediation analysis from a drought-prone area in Southern Ethiopia

“…Our study confirms earlier results from Ethiopia and Africa that rainfall was associated with NDVI, a proxy for crop production, and that crop production, household food security, and wealth were correlated to an increase in women's BMI [26][27][28][29][30]. Unlike previous studies in southern Ethiopia, we did not find an association between using the safety net program (SNP) and women's BMI [31].…”

Food insecurity, body mass index, socio-economic status, and food intake in lactating and non-lactating mothers with children under two years

“…The mean age of mothers was 31.4 and the mean BMI of them was 26.5. Stratified random sampling was used to select the participants from April to June 2021 (Some detailed of the present study have been published previously [15]). In this study, the inclusion criteria was being the mother of a healthy child under two years' old who visited Shahrekord health centers and the exclusion criteria was reporting daily energy intake was more than 4200 and less than 800 kcal.…”