TY - JOUR
T1 - A systematic review of the relationship between household food insecurity and childhood undernutrition
AU - Lye, Chuan Way
AU - Sivasampu, Sheamini
AU - Mahmudiono, Trias
AU - Majid, Hazreen Abdul
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved.
PY - 2023/12/1
Y1 - 2023/12/1
N2 - Background: This systematic review aims to investigate the association between household food insecurity (HFIS) and undernutrition in children under 5 years old, thereby informing policymakers on the vital factors needed to be considered in tailoring an effective strategy to tackle childhood undernutrition and ultimately HFIS. Methods: We performed a systematic review that examined household food insecurity among the undernourished under-five children. PubMed, Cochrane, EBSCO Host, Web of Science and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature were searched from 1 January 2012 to 1 April 2022, for relevant articles. Outcome measures were stunting, underweight or wasting. Of the 2779 abstracts screened, 36 studies that fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included. A range of tools had been used to measure HFIS, the most common being Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. HFIS has been found to be significantly associated with undernutrition, particularly stunting and underweight. This is observed proportionately across all national income levels. Conclusions: Sustainable and inclusive economic growth, which aims to reduce income, education and gender inequality, should be a key policy goal in the minimizing food insecurity and childhood undernutrition. Multisectoral interventions are needed to address these issues.
AB - Background: This systematic review aims to investigate the association between household food insecurity (HFIS) and undernutrition in children under 5 years old, thereby informing policymakers on the vital factors needed to be considered in tailoring an effective strategy to tackle childhood undernutrition and ultimately HFIS. Methods: We performed a systematic review that examined household food insecurity among the undernourished under-five children. PubMed, Cochrane, EBSCO Host, Web of Science and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature were searched from 1 January 2012 to 1 April 2022, for relevant articles. Outcome measures were stunting, underweight or wasting. Of the 2779 abstracts screened, 36 studies that fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included. A range of tools had been used to measure HFIS, the most common being Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. HFIS has been found to be significantly associated with undernutrition, particularly stunting and underweight. This is observed proportionately across all national income levels. Conclusions: Sustainable and inclusive economic growth, which aims to reduce income, education and gender inequality, should be a key policy goal in the minimizing food insecurity and childhood undernutrition. Multisectoral interventions are needed to address these issues.
KW - household food insecurity
KW - stunting
KW - undernutrition
KW - underweight
KW - wasting
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85178649367&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/pubmed/fdad070
DO - 10.1093/pubmed/fdad070
M3 - Article
C2 - 37291061
AN - SCOPUS:85178649367
SN - 1741-3842
VL - 45
SP - e677-e691
JO - Journal of Public Health
JF - Journal of Public Health
IS - 4
ER -