Households' Food Insecurity and Their Association With Dietary Intakes, Nutrition-Related Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Among Under-five Children in Gaza Strip, Palestine

Abstract

The present study aimed to determine the households' food insecurity and their association with dietary intakes, nutrition-related knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) among under-five children in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021 among a representative sample of under-five children. A total of 350 children and their proxy were selected from all Gaza strip governorates, using a cluster random sampling method. The Radimer/Cornell food-security scale was used. A 24-h dietary recall was employed for dietary intakes assessment. Nutrition-related KAP for feeding under-five children, anthropometric measurements, and demographic-socioeconomic characteristics were obtained with an interview-based questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25. The children from food-insecure households had a high prevalence of moderate underweight (30.4%), stunting (32.8%), wasting (9.6%), and acute undernutrition (30.4%). Between food-insecure and food-secure groups there were significant differences in weight, height/length, mid-upper arm circumference, weight-for-age and mid-upper arm circumference z-scores, underweight, acute undernutrition, intakes of protein, fat, vitamin D, zinc, continued breastfeeding, having nutrition-related adequate knowledge, having nutrition-related positive attitudes, and achieved minimum dietary diversity score (P < 0.05 for all). Additionally, about (56.0%) food-insecure households have inadequate nutrition-related knowledge, (77.6%) have nutrition-related negative attitudes, and (95.2%) did not achieve a minimum dietary diversity score. In conclusion, the children from food-insecure households had a high prevalence of moderate underweight, stunting, wasting, and acute undernutrition. Moreover, low economic status, poor dietary intakes, low levels of nutrition-related KAP, and lack of dietary diversity could contribute to the high levels of food insecurity among under-five children.

Maternal and household factors affecting the dietary diversity of preschool children in eastern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

“…Better dietary diversity of preschool children and greater household food security were significantly associated with food insecurity. This was in alignment with studies conducted in the Gaza strip, Palestine 56 and Somalia. 57 Food-insecure households may reduce the quality and quantity of foods to satisfy the current demand rather than the future benefits of cognitive development.…”

Association of Household Food Insecurity With Dietary Intakes and Nutrition-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Among School-Aged Children in Gaza Strip, Palestine

“…An individual face-to-face interview was conducted with the school-aged children and their parents (mothers and fathers) to collect information about demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of school-aged children, including age (years), gender, governorate, the nature of the living area, educational level of the head of households (mothers or fathers), and monthly household income (NIS). The used categories of educational level and monthly household income (NIS) variables in the current study were similar to which mentioned in earlier studies in Gaza strip (28,29).…”

“…The 10-items Radimer/Cornell food security scale was used for determining the households' food security status. The scale is a valid and reliable tool for measuring household food insecurity in a culturally diverse setting ( 30 ), including Palestine ( 28 , 29 ). An interview was conducted with the head of households (mothers or fathers) to collect data about the households' food security status.…”

The Prevalence and Determinants of Child Hunger and Its Associations with Early Childhood Nutritional Status among Urban Poverty Households during COVID-19 Pandemic in Petaling District, Malaysia: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Survey

“…Surprisingly, the prevalence rates of B40 households experiencing food insecurity and child hunger are also higher than those who might experience more severe economic hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the Palestinians in the conflict region of Gaza (food insecurity: 71.5%; child hunger: 21.5%) [ 66 ] and the two urban slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh (food insecurity: 21.5% child hunger: 1.4%) [ 67 ]. This unexpected discrepancy could be attributed to the more severe pre-pandemic prevalence of food insecurity among the urban poor and more prolonged and stricter MCO in our local setting resulting in a high level of joblessness and significant reductions in monthly earnings.…”