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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Assessing the silent epidemic of malnutrition in Palestinian preschool children
Maria Tsigga1, Maria G Grammatikopoulou
1Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Alexander Technological Educational Institute, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Insights
Malnutrition remains a significant issue for Palestinian preschool children, despite some improvements. Interventions show a positive, albeit acute, impact on child health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition and Public Health
- Conflict-Affected Populations
- Epidemiology of Child Malnutrition
Background:
- Childhood malnutrition is a critical concern in conflict zones.
- This study addresses the nutritional status of preschool children in Palestine.
- Objective data on the malnutrition epidemic in this population is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review available data on malnutrition prevalence in Palestinian preschool children.
- To provide objective findings on the extent of the malnutrition epidemic.
- To analyze trends in specific malnutrition indicators over a decade.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review of studies from 1998-2007.
- Meta-analysis using the DerSimonian-Laird Random effects model.
- Cumulative analyses to assess time-trends for iron deficiency anemia (IDA), wasting, underweight, and stunting.
Main Results:
- Prevalence rates: 39.5% for IDA, 2.9% for wasting, 4.7% for underweight, and 10.9% for stunting.
- IDA peaked in 1999, followed by a gradual decrease.
- Wasting and underweight peaked in 2002 and 2004 respectively, with subsequent declines; chronic malnutrition showed minor fluctuations.
Conclusions:
- Malnutrition prevalence in Palestinian preschool children, while improved, remains high.
- External interventions and aid demonstrate acute positive effects on children's health.
- Sustained efforts are necessary to address the persistent high rates of malnutrition.
Background:
The nutritional status of children living under conflict is an important issue. The aim of the present study is to review all available data on malnutrition in preschool Palestinian children and provide objective results concerning the epidemic of malnutrition.
Methods:
The literature for all research on the prevalence of malnutrition on Palestinian children with data collected during the period 1998-2007 was reviewed. Der Simonian-Laird Random effects model for meta-analysis was applied and cumulative analyses were performed to determine time-trends for each outcome measure (iron deficiency anemia [IDA], wasting, underweight and stunting).
Findings:
The results showed that 39.5% of the children suffered from IDA, 2.9% from wasting, 4.7% were underweight and 10.9% stunted. The cumulative analyses showed a peak in the prevalence of IDA during 1999, followed by an irregular decrease afterward. The proportion of wasted and underweight children peaked during 2002 and 2004, respectively, both showing a gradual decline afterward. Chronic malnutrition appears to be almost similar during the decade 1998-2007, by demonstrating small, irregular oscillations.
Conclusions:
Although the prevalence of malnutrition among Palestinian preschool children has been improved during the studied period, it still remains high. Additionally, the results show that interventions/aid have acute effects on the health of children.
Funding:
None.
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