Household food insecurity associated with stunting and underweight among preschool children in Antioquia, Colombia Inseguridad alimentaria en los hogares asociada con el retraso del crecimiento y el bajo peso en niños preescolares de Antioquia, Colombia

• Main Authors: Michelle Hackett, Hugo Melgar-Quiñonez, Martha Cecilia Álvarez
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Spanish; Portuguese
• Published: Pan American Health Organization 2009
• Subjects: Seguridad alimentaria; preescolar; trastornos de nutrición del niño; validez de las pruebas; Colombia; Food security; child preschool; child malnutrition; validity of tests; Medicine; R; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Arctic; Bajos
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/5c2a19d0aa944bb692d1a026eeaad91e

OBJECTIVE: To assess criterion validity of a household food security scale through its associations with child health status in participants of the Colombian Plan for Improving Food and Nutrition in Antioquia (Mejoramiento Alimentario y Nutricional de Antioquia (MANA)). METHODS: A 12-item household food security survey (Colombian Household Food Security Scale, CHFSS) was applied to a cross-sectional stratified random sample of 2 784 low-income households with preschool children receiving MANA food supplements in Antioquia, Colombia. Anthropometrics and health status of the children were also assessed. Chi-square tests were used to initially compare child health status and household food security status. Logistic regression models were further developed to assess this relationship in bivariate and multiple regression models. RESULTS: Statistically significant associations were found between household food insecurity and diagnoses of children's diarrhea, respiratory infections, and parasitosis (P < 0.0001). The risk for child stunting and underweight increased in a dose-response way as food insecurity became more severe. CONCLUSIONS: Our research establishes an important link between household food insecurity and child nutritional status in participants of a food assistance program. The results affirm the criterion validity of the CHFSS, establishing the proposed instrument as a valid measure for food insecurity with high-risk populations. OBJETIVO: Evaluar la validez de una escala de seguridad alimentaria en hogares mediante su asociación con el estado de salud de niños participantes en el plan colombiano Mejoramiento Alimentario y Nutricional de Antioquia (MANA). MÉTODOS: Se aplicó una encuesta de seguridad alimentaria en hogares (CHFSS), compuesta por 12 preguntas, a una muestra transversal estratificada y aleatoria de 2 784 hogares de bajos ingresos con niños preescolares que recibían suplementos alimenticios del programa MANA en Antioquia, Colombia. Se evaluó el estado de salud y antropométrico de los ...