Assessment of Food Insecurity and Nutritional Outcomes in Bachok, Kelantan

Ihab An Rohana Aj

doi:10.4172/2155-9600.1000373

Abstract

Aim: This study is to examine the association between food insecurity and nutritional outcomes among children and adults and its impact on the quality of life of the mother in rural sample in Bachok-Kelantan. Method: A cross-sectional survey of low income households was conducted and 223 households of mothers aged 18-55 years old, non-lactating, non-pregnant mother and having at least one child in 2-12 years range were purposively selected. A questionnaire was administered including the Radimer/Cornell scale; items on sociodemographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements and quality of life tool (SF36). Results: The study reported that 16.1% of the households were food secure, while 83.9% experienced some kind of food insecurity, (29.6% households were food insecure, 19.3% individuals were food insecure and 35.0% fell into the child hunger category). The prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting among the food insecure children were 61.0%, 61.4% and 30.6% respectively, and the prevalence of weight-for-height (overweight) was 1.3%. Based on multinomial logistic regression, larger household size (OR=1.776; 95%C.I, 1.35, 2.32; p<0.001), number of children in the household ( OR=1.20; 95%CI,1.025, 1.42; p=0.024), total monthly income (OR=0.977; 95% CI, 0.995, 0.998; p<0.001), income per capita (OR=0.98; 95% CI, 0.97, 0.98; p<0.001) and food expenditure (OR=0.977; 95% CI, 0.99, 1.00; p=0.049) were found to be significant risk factors for household food insecurity. This study showed there was an association between food insecurity and Diet Dietary score and dietary pattern. Furthermore, food insecure households had lower intake of animal protein, fruits and vegetables compared to their counterparts in the food secure group. The findings of the study reveal that the children in the food insecure were 2.15 times more likely to be underweight and 3 times more likely to be stunted than the children in the food secure households, while no association with wasting was reported. Although, the study reported higher prevalence of overweight and obese mothers (52%) and (47.1%) at-risk WC (≥80 cm), no significant association has been found between food insecurity, BMI and waist circumferences. The score for all the eight domains of quality of life were negatively associated with food insecurity. Conclusion: Our study showed that food insecurity in low income households from Bachok´ is highly prevalent and associated with poor living conditions and it highlighted the pervasive vulnerability of individuals living in food insecure households. In addition to nutritional problems, food insecure households in Bachok- Kelantan struggle with a broad spectrum of health- related problems.

Highlights

Food security is a situation that exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life [1].The definition of food security not withstand reference to food supply at global, regional, national, community, household or individual levels, has been extended to include accessibility, adequacy, stability and sustainability of food supply [2]
The average household size was 6.71(2.29) ranging from 2 to15, the average was higher than the average household size of 4.6 reported for households in rural areas of Malaysia More than half (61.4%) of our respondents having a range of 6-10 household size while families with more than 10 members were 8.1%
The present study reported no statistical differences between the proportion of single-headed in households food-secure and those in households food-insecure and no association between the marital status of mother and food insecurity, this association was not existing because the majority of single headed households are headed by females and in households headed by double parents, it is usually the spouse who is looking for money to solve family problems as it is the case in single-parents headed households

Summary

Introduction

Food security is a situation that exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life [1]. The definition of food security not withstand reference to food supply at global, regional, national, community, household or individual levels, has been extended to include accessibility, adequacy, stability and sustainability of food supply [2]. Campbell [11] asserted that possible consequences of food insecurity may include heightened vulnerability to poor health outcomes in long term, suboptimal quality of life and health (physical, social, and mental well-being). Existence of food insecurity suggests a high degree of vulnerability to a broad spectrum of consequences including poor health status [12]

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