Abstract
Aims Floods badly impact the food and nutrition security in developing countries. The role of the government and the impact of floods on the underweight status of children in the affected areas is not clear. We aimed to find the determinants of underweight in flood-affected areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Methods We used a multistage sampling technique and selected 656 households during in the flood-affected areas of Pakistan. Data were collected in the three most affected districts. A validated questionnaire was used to find socioeconomic and demographic information, hygiene, and sanitation information. We used logistic regression to find the determinants of underweight, controlling for confounders. Results The prevalence of global malnutrition based on underweight was 25.2%. The prevalence of underweight was higher in young age mothers (40.6%), younger age children (71.4%), large family size (28.4%), joint family (27%), and no toilet facility (28.9%). District Nowshera was at high risk of underweight based undernutrition, followed by district Charsadda compared to children belonging to Dera Ismail Khan. The significant risk factor that causes underweight was child lower age (p < 0.01), young age of mothers (p < 0.01), children access to unimproved water sources (p < 0.01), and location (districts) due to environmental and constant flood consequences (p < 0.01). Conclusion In conclusion, risk factors of underweight should be appropriately targeted in the flood-hit areas of Pakistan. Governments should preallocate budgetary resources and enhance the emergency preparedness levels to facilitate the communities with flooding incidents and their aftermath in the shape of child underweight-based malnutrition.
Highlights
The nutritional status of children affected by flooding situations is studied in many parts of the world [1]
The analysis showed almost similar significant socioeconomic determinants as in the binary logistic model, and it is found that child age, maternal age, family type, mother education, water quality, and toilet facility significant (p value < 0.05) risk factors of undernutrition
Floods often create longterm consequences for developing societies and marginalized people living in hard areas
Summary
The nutritional status of children affected by flooding situations is studied in many parts of the world [1]. Stunting is more common in disasterprone areas across the world. Underweight and stunting are very common in flooded communities compared with nonflooded areas in the same country with similar lifestyles [4]. Directly and indirectly, impact on the underweight status. The direct impact of floods is a shortage of food required for proper nutrition and disruption of essential food items supply [5]. The flood results in loss of income, homelessness, food cooking, production, contamination, displacing the children, contamination of water, and food sources [6, 7]
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