Abstract
Jordan is witnessing an escalating pace of nutrition transition, which may be associated with an increased burden of malnutrition and related non-communicable diseases. This review analyzes the nutrition situation in Jordan by exploring specific nutrition indicators, namely infant and young child feeding, low birthweight, micronutrient deficiencies, anthropometric indicators, and food consumption patterns. Results showed that although most children were ever breastfed and early initiation of breastfeeding had a two-fold increasing trend, rates of exclusive breastfeeding below 6 months of age and continued breastfeeding until two years of age were low. Complementary feeding indicators, particularly minimum diet diversity and minimum acceptable diet standards, were suboptimal. An overall low burden of stunting, wasting, and underweight among children under 5 years and remarkable progress in optimizing iodine status among school-aged children were reported. Conversely, the burden of low birthweight and overweight/obesity exacerbated, coexisting with anemia, vitamin A deficiency, and vitamin D deficiency. Overall, fruit and vegetable consumption were inadequate. The consumption of soft drinks and salt on the other hand was higher than recommended. This review acknowledges the double burden of malnutrition in Jordan and recommends the prioritization and evaluation of interventions towards improving the population’s nutritional status and achieving nutrition targets.
Highlights
The prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding under 6 months of age was 25.4% in
The rate of exclusive breastfeeding under 6 months of age and that of early initiation of breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth fluctuated with an overall increase [15,37]
This rate of exclusive breastfeeding is much lower than the global average (44%), lower than the estimate reported for the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) (34%) [15], while being below the WHA target of 50%
Summary
The Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) is no exception with many countries experiencing a double burden of malnutrition, involving undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies coupled with elevated rates of overweight, obesity, and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) [3,4,5]. Throughout the different stages of the life-cycle, malnutrition has been shown to hinder individuals’ physiological, sensory, or mental health and wellbeing [6]. Undernutrition in children, especially in the early stages of life, is a risk factor for impaired physical and cognitive growth and a weakened immunity [6,7,8,9]. Childhood obesity is associated with short-term adverse health effects including psychological, physiological, and metabolic complications, as well as long-term consequences including an increased risk of premature death, disability, and NCDs later in life [10,11]
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