Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional status and associated risk factors of Syrian children living in Saudi Arabia. In this study, 55 boys and 55 girls ranging in age from 6 to 12 years were selected. Socioeconomic data of families were collected using a structured questionnaire. The participants’ anthropometric measurements were calculated. The 24-h recall method was applied to calculate the daily food intake. Dietary nutrients’ average daily intake of both boys and girls was significantly (p ≤ 0.01) lower than that of the dietary reference intake (DRI) with few exceptions. The sedentary lifestyles of both boys and girls had a negative impact on their food choices, and as a result, a large number of them were underweight and suffered from malnutrition and stunting. Spearman correlation coefficients revealed that most of the children’s dependent variables were risk factors and strongly and negatively associated with their nutritional status proxies. The study concluded that both boys and girls had unbalanced nutritional status with high percentages of malnutrition and stunting because most dependent factors were adversely related to the independent ones.
Highlights
Syrian families living in Saudi Arabia are lawfully residing as displaced families, allowing them to work and live or legally residing
A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the nutritional status and associated risk factors among Syrian children residing in Saudi Arabia
Khayri et al [21] studied the association between some socioeconomic characteristics, food habits, and food intake of Sudanese primary school pupils in Riyadh City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and reported similar findings
Summary
Syrian families living in Saudi Arabia are lawfully residing as displaced families, allowing them to work and live or legally residing. Displaced families are expected to encounter numerous obstacles affecting their health, livelihoods, and survival, including food and nutrition inadequacy. Dietary inadequacy may negatively impact their height, physical ability, and psychosomatic development at this stage in their lives. It may increase the risk of certain diseases (including cardiovascular disease) and even death in adult life [1,2]. These issues can impact children’s educational success and their future economic output [3]. School-aged children are more likely to miss breakfast, eat less fruit and vegetables, and engage in unhealthy snacking habits that might negatively impact their nutritional status and raise their risk of obesity and co-morbidities [4]
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