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Bojórquez I, Infante C, Villanueva-Borbolla MA, Orjuela-Grimm M. Solidarity through food: Coping with food insecurity among adolescent migrants in transit through Mexico and Central America. Appetite 2024; 200:107549. [PMID: 38862079 PMCID: PMC11227384 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The food choices of migrants are frequently limited by lack of access to sufficient and adequate food. Food insecurity (FI) during adolescence has potential negative health consequences, however the experiences of FI of adolescent in-transit migrants have seldom been reported. OBJECTIVE To explore the experiences of FI of adolescent in-transit migrants and their ways of coping with it. METHODS Qualitative study, with 19 semi-structured interviews with adolescents (ages 13-19 years), in shelters for migrants in Mexico in 2022-2023. We followed a reflexive thematic analysis strategy. RESULTS Most participants had experienced FI during the journey, and responded by limiting intake, choosing food according to price, seeking temporary work or asking for food or money in the streets. We defined "solidarity through food" as a central theme that summarized participants' experiences of sharing food with other migrants, as givers or recipients. Solidarity through food was a response to FI, benefitting the more disadvantaged (e.g. young children, those who had been robbed). Despite their young age, interviewees took part in this, giving their food to others and restricting their intake to prioritize younger siblings. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS Solidarity through food was a form of generalized reciprocity, enacted not only among family members or friends, but extended to other migrants sharing the route. In further studies, it will be important to explore the role and nuances of food sharing as a practice of social exchange of responsibility and care, on adolescent migrants' health, and in their psychological and relational development into adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ietza Bojórquez
- Departamento de Estudios de Población, El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Cesar Infante
- Centro de Investigación en Sistemas de Salud, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.
| | | | - Manuela Orjuela-Grimm
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, and Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University, USA
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Choedon T, Brennan E, Joe W, Lelijveld N, Huse O, Zorbas C, Backholer K, Murira Z, Wrottesley SV, Sethi V. Nutritional status of school-age children (5-19 years) in South Asia: A scoping review. MATERNAL & CHILD NUTRITION 2024; 20:e13607. [PMID: 38095279 PMCID: PMC10981491 DOI: 10.1111/mcn.13607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
Information on malnutrition for school-age children and adolescents (5-19 years) in South Asia is fragmented and inconsistent, which limits the prioritization of nutrition policies, programmes and research for this age group. This scoping review aimed to synthesize existing evidence on the burden of malnutrition for children and adolescents aged 5-19 years in South Asia, and on interventions to improve their nutritional status. Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Medline and Google Scholar were systematically searched for articles published between January 2016 and November 2022. Eligible studies reported the prevalence of undernutrition, overweight/obesity, micronutrient deficiencies and unhealthy dietary intakes, and interventions that aimed to address these in South Asia. In total, 296 articles met our inclusion criteria. Evidence revealed widespread, yet heterogeneous, prevalence of undernutrition among South Asian children and adolescents: thinness (1.9%-88.8%), wasting (3%-48%), underweight (9.5%-84.4%) and stunting (3.7%-71.7%). A triple burden of malnutrition was evident: the prevalence of overweight and obesity ranged from 0.2% to 73% and 0% to 38% (with rapidly rising trends), respectively, alongside persistent micronutrient deficiencies. Diets often failed to meet nutritional requirements and high levels of fast-food consumption were reported. Education, fortification, supplementation and school feeding programmes demonstrated beneficial effects on nutritional status. Comprehensive and regular monitoring of all forms of malnutrition among children and adolescents, across all countries in South Asia is required. Further, more large-scale intervention research is needed to ensure policy and programmes effectively target and address malnutrition among children and adolescents in South Asia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - William Joe
- Institute of Economic Growth (IEG)DelhiIndia
| | | | - Oliver Huse
- Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition (GLOBE), Institute for Health Transformation, Faculty of HealthDeakin UniversityGeelongVictoriaAustralia
| | - Christina Zorbas
- Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition (GLOBE), Institute for Health Transformation, Faculty of HealthDeakin UniversityGeelongVictoriaAustralia
| | - Kathryn Backholer
- Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition (GLOBE), Institute for Health Transformation, Faculty of HealthDeakin UniversityGeelongVictoriaAustralia
| | | | | | - Vani Sethi
- UNICEF South Asia Regional OfficeKathmanduNepal
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Fatima M, Nosheen F, Afzaal M, Islam F, Noreen R, Imran A, Amer Ali Y. Nutritional and health status of Afghan refugee women living in Punjab: A cross-sectional study. Food Sci Nutr 2023; 11:2872-2882. [PMID: 37324867 PMCID: PMC10261817 DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.3267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Afghan refugees are the world's densely populated community, with 2.6 million registered Afghan refugees living globally, of whom about 2.2 million are in Iran and Pakistan. Pakistan is a densely populated country, and due to its low socioeconomic status, food insecurity, unhygienic conditions, and inadequate access to health care, the Afghan refugees have high chances of being malnourished; the chances of death for these Afghans are 25 times more every year from undernourishment and poverty than those from violence. This study aimed to assess anthropometric and biochemical analyses, their health complications, and the socioeconomic status of Afghan refugee women living in Islamabad Punjab as women are the most vulnerable and highly malnourished group in any community. This cross-sectional study involved 150 Afghan women aged 15-30 years; they were assessed for their nutritional status using Anthropometric, Biochemical, Clinical and Diet (ABCD). The results indicate the prevalence of underweight, normal weight, and overweight at 74.7%, 16.7%, and 8.7%, respectively. Majority of the women have extremely low hemoglobin (Hb) level, which indicates iron deficiency as well as low body mass index for their age. As the results indicate that there are high chances of severe malnutrition among this most vulnerable segment of the population, this situation must be addressed immediately; the main aim of this study is to highlight the current situation of these Afghan refugees in Pakistan. More research is needed to determine how normal body weight women with low hemoglobin levels are compared to women with ideal body mass index ratios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maleeha Fatima
- Department of Home EconomicsGovernment College UniversityFaisalabadPakistan
| | - Farhana Nosheen
- Department of Home EconomicsGovernment College UniversityFaisalabadPakistan
| | - Muhammad Afzaal
- Department of Food SciencesGovernment College UniversityFaisalabadPakistan
| | - Fakhar Islam
- Department of Food SciencesGovernment College UniversityFaisalabadPakistan
| | - Rabia Noreen
- Department of Home EconomicsGovernment College UniversityFaisalabadPakistan
| | - Ali Imran
- Department of Food SciencesGovernment College UniversityFaisalabadPakistan
| | - Yuosra Amer Ali
- Department of Food Sciences, College of Agriculture and ForestryUniversity of MosulMosulIraq
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Das S, Fahim SM, Rasul MG, Afrin S, Alam MA, Uz Zaman M, Chowdhury M, Arifeen SE, Ahmed T. Nutritional and dietary diversity status of under-5 children and adolescent girls among forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals living in Bhasan Char relocation camp, Bangladesh: a cross-sectional survey. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e068875. [PMID: 36990487 PMCID: PMC10069579 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-068875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To generate baseline evidence regarding the nutritional and dietary diversity status of under-5 children and adolescent girls among forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals (FDMN) relocated to Bhasan Char relocation camp of Bangladesh. DESIGN Cross-sectional survey. SETTING Bhasan Char relocation camp, Bangladesh, 7 November 2021-12 November 2021. PARTICIPANTS 299 under-5 children (both male and female) and 248 adolescent girls (11-17 years) were surveyed. OUTCOME MEASURES Anthropometric indices and nutritional status of the study participants. RESULTS Nearly 17% of the adolescent girls were suffering from severe thinness/thinness, while 5% were overweight/obese. Severe thinness was more prevalent (2% vs 3.9%) in older adolescents (15-17 years) than their younger counterparts (11-14 years). The prevalence of severe stunting and stunting in adolescents were 14% (95% CI 11.21 to 16.87%) and 29% (95% CI 25.93 to 31.59%), respectively. One-third of the surveyed under-5 children were severely (8.50% (95% CI 5.60 to 11.33%)) or moderately (23.08% (95% CI 20.24 to 25.90%)) stunted, 27% were either severely (4.43% (95% CI 1.60 to 7.27%)) or moderately (22.98% (95% CI 20.15 to 25.81%)) underweight and 12% were severely (1.21% (95% CI 0.00 to 4.04%)) or moderately (10.88% (95% CI 8.05 to 13.72%)) wasted. The prevalence of moderate and severe acute malnutrition in children was low. Surveyed adolescents took a mean of 3.10 (SD 1.03) of nine food groups and 25% (95% CI 22.97 to 28.64%) of under-5 children took minimum diversified diet. The survey respondents mostly consumed carbohydrate-based poorly diversified diets. Nutritional status of the participants did not show any statistically significant association to the dietary diversity status. CONCLUSION A significant number of surveyed under-5 children and adolescent girls of relocated FDMN living in Bhasan Char of Bangladesh were suffering from thinness, stunting, underweight and wasting. Dietary diversity was poor among the surveyed population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhasish Das
- Nutrition and Clinical Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Shah Mohammad Fahim
- Nutrition and Clinical Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md Golam Rasul
- Nutrition and Clinical Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Sazia Afrin
- Nutrition and Clinical Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md Ashraful Alam
- Nutrition and Clinical Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mahabub Uz Zaman
- Nutrition and Clinical Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Shams El Arifeen
- Maternal and Child Health Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Tahmeed Ahmed
- Nutrition and Clinical Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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Atayoglu AT, Firat Y, Kaya N, Basmisirli E, Capar AG, Aykemat Y, Atayolu R, Khan H, Guner Atayoglu A, Inanc N. Evaluation of Nutritional Status with Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2010) of Syrian Refugees Living Outside the Refugee Camps. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:849. [PMID: 36613171 PMCID: PMC9819415 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20010849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Nutrition is a public health issue. Amongst populations of refugees, unmet nutritional needs have been identified. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional status of Syrian refugees living outside the refugee camps in Kayseri, Turkey. Socio-demographic data and anthropometric measurements of the refugees were collected. The relationship between diet quality, which was assessed through the Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2010), and factors (including the duration of time spent outside the refugee camp, income, obesity, and waist circumference) were measured. Four hundred refugees participated in this study. The majority of refugees (77.8%) reported a 'poor' diet, with the remaining filling into the 'needs improvement' based on HEI-2010 scores. The average consumption of fruits in the study group was 101.9 g per day (g/day), while the average consumption of vegetables was 142.2 g/day. When the relationships were examined between BMI, HEI-2010 score, the time spent as a refugee, and waist circumference, statistically significant relationships were found (p < 0.001). In the linear regression analysis based on these relationships, when the results were adjusted for age and gender factors, it was observed that for every year spent as a refugee, BMI score increased by 0.17 units, and waist circumference increased by 1.14 units (p < 0.05). As a result, this study showed that refugees have low-income-related nutritional risks. In conclusion, ensuring that refugees have access to adequate nutrient-rich food is essential; therefore, analyzing and improving nutritional standards for refugees are suggested to be part of the strategies of the public and primary health care systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Timucin Atayoglu
- Department of Family Medicine, International School of Medicine, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul 34815, Turkey
| | - Yagmur Firat
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Erciyes University, Kayseri 38280, Turkey
| | - Nese Kaya
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Nuh Naci Yazgan University, Kayseri 38170, Turkey
| | - Eda Basmisirli
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Nuh Naci Yazgan University, Kayseri 38170, Turkey
| | - Asli Gizem Capar
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Nuh Naci Yazgan University, Kayseri 38170, Turkey
| | - Yusuf Aykemat
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Nuh Naci Yazgan University, Kayseri 38170, Turkey
| | - Rumeysa Atayolu
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Sciences, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul 34810, Turkey
| | - Hammad Khan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Ayten Guner Atayoglu
- Department of Family Medicine, Beylikduzu State Hospital, Istanbul 34500, Turkey
| | - Neriman Inanc
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Nuh Naci Yazgan University, Kayseri 38170, Turkey
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Li H, Ren H, Guo X, Chen Z. Nutritional deficiencies in low-sociodemographic-index countries: a population-based study. Front Nutr 2023; 10:985221. [PMID: 37139449 PMCID: PMC10149740 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.985221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background We aimed to estimate the burden of nutritional deficiency according to sex and age in countries with a low sociodemographic index (SDI). Methods Following the methods of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019, estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) were calculated to determine trends in the age-standardized rates of incidence and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) of nutritional deficiency and its main subcategories from 1990 to 2019 in low-SDI countries. Findings From 1990 to 2019, the age-standardized incidence and DALY rates of nutritional deficiency showed decreasing trends, with EAPCs of -0.90 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.06 to -0.75] and -3.20 (95% CI, -3.29 to -3.10), respectively, in low-SDI countries. In 2019, of the subcategories analyzed, vitamin A deficiency had the highest age-standardized incidence rate and protein-energy malnutrition had the highest age-standardized DALY rate. From 1990 to 2019, the greatest decrease in the age-standardized incidence rate was observed for vitamin A deficiency and the greatest decrease in the age-standardized DALY rate was observed for protein-energy malnutrition. At the national level, from 1990 to 2019, the greatest increase in the age-standardized incidence rate of overall nutritional deficiency was observed in males in Afghanistan (EAPC: 0.28; 95% CI, 0.07 to 0.49). Of the age groups analyzed, the highest incidence and DALY rates of overall nutritional deficiency and dietary iron deficiency were observed in children aged 1-4 years. Interpretation The age-standardized incidence and DALY rates of nutritional deficiency decreased significantly from 1990 to 2019, especially for vitamin A deficiency and protein-energy malnutrition. Overall nutritional deficiency and dietary iron deficiency occurred primarily in children aged 1-4 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huansong Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Ningbo No.2 Hospital, Ningbo, China
| | - Huiming Ren
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Ningbo No.2 Hospital, Ningbo, China
| | - Xu Guo
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Ningbo No.2 Hospital, Ningbo, China
| | - Zhu Chen
- Department of Laboratory, Ningbo No.2 Hospital, Ningbo, China
- *Correspondence: Zhu Chen,
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Adolescent Afghan Refugees Display a High Prevalence of Hyperhomocysteinemia and Associated Micronutrients Deficiencies Indicating an Enhanced Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Later Life. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14091751. [PMID: 35565715 PMCID: PMC9105069 DOI: 10.3390/nu14091751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
A growing body of research evidence suggests that elevated homocysteine level (hyperhomocysteinemia) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. The current study aimed to investigate the prevalence and associated risk factors for hyperhomocysteinemia among adolescent Afghan refugees aged 10−19 years. In total, 206 healthy adolescent boys and girls were randomly recruited from a refugee village in Peshawar, Pakistan, in 2020. Socio-demographic data, anthropometric assessment, and blood sample collection were performed following standard methods. Serum homocysteine was assessed using a chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay, with hyperhomocysteinemia defined as levels ≥ 15 µmol/L. The overall prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia was 25%, with mean homocysteine levels significantly (p = 0.004) higher among boys (14.1 µmol/L) than girls (11.8 µmol/L). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association between hyperhomocysteineimia and serum levels of vitamin B12 (OR 0.29; 95% CI of 0.14 to 0.62; p < 0.01) and folate (OR 0.1; 95% CI of 0.03 to 0.27; p < 0.001). Overall, our study findings indicate high prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia among adolescent Afghan refugees who are potentially at high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases in future. There is a dire need to develop and implement nutritional and public health strategies to control hyperhomocysteinemia, protect against related diseases and complications in future, and ensure healthy lives and well-being among these vulnerable populations.
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Sari M, Merita M, Wulansari A, Faridah F, Prabowo DH. The Nutritional Problems of Adolescents among the Traditional Community of Suku Anak Dalam in the Working Area of Pematang Kabau Health Center, Sarolangun. Open Access Maced J Med Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.3889/oamjms.2022.9485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Adolescents in traditional community of Suku Anak Dalam (SAD) are a group that susceptible to experiencing nutritional problems and their nutritional status needs to be considered, because it is a transitional period from childhood to adulthood who live as marginalized.
Objectives: This study aims to know the nutritional problems of adolescents among the traditional community of SAD in the working area of the Pematang Kabau Health Center, Sarolangun District.
Methods: This study used a cross sectional study design which was conducted in the working area of Pematang Kabau Health Center in July until August 2020. The sample in this study was 30 adolescents with a purposive sampling. Measuring instruments used include microtoice, scales and 2 times 24-hours food recall questionnaire. Data were collected by conducting guided interviews using a questionnaire and direct measurement of nutritional status. The data analysis used univariate analysis.
Results: The results showed that a large proportion SAD adolescents have normal nutritional status (83.3%), poor eating habits (56.7%), adequate levels of macronutrients are deficits (80%), no food taboo (76.7%), and parental education is low (100%).
Conclusions: Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that there are still nutritional problems in adolescents with SAD, especially in the aspects of consumption and eating habits. Therefore, it is hoped that nutrition and health workers will be active in providing regular education to SAD adolescents so as not to cause nutritional problems
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