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Breakfast Habits among Schoolchildren in the City of Uruguaiana, Brazil
Published on: July 29, 2020
Household food insecurity, nutritional status and morbidity in Brazilian children
Muriel Bauermann Gubert1, Ana Maria Spaniol2, Gisele Ane Bortolini2
11Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde,Departamento de Nutrição,Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro,Asa Norte,CEP 70910-900,Brasília,DF,Brazil.
Insights
Household food insecurity (HFI) in Brazil is linked to increased cough and diarrhea hospitalizations in young children. Severe food insecurity significantly raises the risk of these common childhood illnesses.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Nutritional Epidemiology
- Child Health
Background:
- Household food insecurity (HFI) is a growing global concern affecting child development and health.
- Understanding the specific health impacts of HFI is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between household food insecurity (HFI) and various health outcomes in Brazilian children under 5.
- Examined links with anthropometric status, nutritional deficiencies (Vitamin A, anemia), common morbidities (cough, fever), and severe outcomes like diarrhea and pneumonia hospitalizations.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the 2006 Brazilian Demographic and Health Survey, a nationally representative cross-sectional study.
- Assessed HFI using the Brazilian Food Insecurity Measurement Scale (EBIA).
- Analyzed child health outcomes including anthropometry, blood markers for deficiencies, and maternal reports of morbidities and hospitalizations.
Main Results:
- No significant association was found between HFI and vitamin A deficiency, pneumonia, wasting, or overweight.
- Prevalence of cough, fever, stunting, and hospitalization for diarrhea showed a positive association with the degree of HFI severity.
- Severe HFI was strongly linked to increased likelihood of experiencing cough (adjusted OR=1.79) and hospitalization for diarrhea (adjusted OR=2.55) after controlling for confounders.
Conclusions:
- Severe household food insecurity is a significant risk factor for common childhood illnesses like cough and severe diarrhea in Brazilian children.
- Findings highlight the critical impact of food insecurity on child morbidity and the need for public health strategies addressing nutritional and health disparities.
Objective:
To identify the association of household food insecurity (HFI) with anthropometric status, the risk of vitamin A deficiency and anaemia, morbidities such as cough and fever, and hospitalizations for diarrhoea and pneumonia in children under 5 years old.
Design:
Cross-sectional study using data from the 2006 Brazilian Demographic and Health Survey. HFI was measured with the Brazilian Food Insecurity Measurement Scale (EBIA). Vitamin A deficiency and anaemia were assessed in blood samples. Child morbidities were reported by the child's mother and included cough, fever, and hospitalizations for diarrhoea and pneumonia. Regression results were expressed as unadjusted and adjusted OR and corresponding 95 % CI for severe food insecurity, with statistical significance set at P<0·05.
Setting:
Nationally representative survey.
Subjects:
Children (n 4064) under 5 years old.
Results:
There was no association between HFI and vitamin A deficiency, pneumonia, wasting or overweight. The prevalence of cough, fever, hospitalization for diarrhoea and stunting were associated with degree of HFI severity. There was a significant association of morbidities and stunting with severe food insecurity (v. food secure). After controlling for confounders, the association between severe food insecurity (v. food secure/rest of food insecurity categories) and the prevalence of common morbidities remained strong, showing that severely food-insecure children had a greater likelihood of experiencing cough (adjusted OR=1·79) and of being hospitalized for diarrhoea (adjusted OR=2·55).
Conclusions:
Severe HFI was associated with cough and severe diarrhoea among Brazilian children.
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