Food security and its impact on growth among Sri Lankan children under five during the economic crisis in 2022
Abstract The recent economic recession has reportedly worsened food insecurity in Sri Lanka. We assessed food insecurity and its impact on the growth of children aged 6–59 months through a community-based, descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted in 2022. Food insecurity was measured using the H...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-01-01
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| Series: | BMC Nutrition |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-024-00979-y |
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| author | Dilini Vipulaguna Harendra de Silva Jagath Ranasinghe Gitanjali Sathiadas Gayan Udara Sampath Amali Dalpatadu Prasad Chathurangana Maheeka Seneviwickrama Guwani Liyanage |
| author_facet | Dilini Vipulaguna Harendra de Silva Jagath Ranasinghe Gitanjali Sathiadas Gayan Udara Sampath Amali Dalpatadu Prasad Chathurangana Maheeka Seneviwickrama Guwani Liyanage |
| author_sort | Dilini Vipulaguna |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The recent economic recession has reportedly worsened food insecurity in Sri Lanka. We assessed food insecurity and its impact on the growth of children aged 6–59 months through a community-based, descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted in 2022. Food insecurity was measured using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, and anthropometric measurements (weight, length/height) were taken using standard techniques. Weight faltering was defined as inadequate or no weight gain (flattening) or a drop in weight gain, based on the trajectory of the weight curve over two points six months apart. Additionally, food insecurity, stunting, and wasting during crisis were compared with pre-crisis data. The study included 832 children, with half of the households experiencing moderate to severe food insecurity. One-fifth of the children showed growth faltering during the crisis, and 8.9% of those with growth faltering crossed one centile line (0.67 SD). Among children facing food insecurity, the rate of growth faltering had doubled, with the residential sector (i.e., estate) tripling the risk of weight faltering. The rates of food insecurity and growth issues were notably higher during the crisis compared to pre-crisis data. This study highlights the worsening food insecurity and its significant impact on growth faltering in children under five during the 2022 economic recession. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1d53fe63d2bd4760a52b3e16b50f95fd |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2055-0928 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj-art-1d53fe63d2bd4760a52b3e16b50f95fd2025-01-12T12:11:24ZengBMCBMC Nutrition2055-09282025-01-011111910.1186/s40795-024-00979-yFood security and its impact on growth among Sri Lankan children under five during the economic crisis in 2022Dilini Vipulaguna0Harendra de Silva1Jagath Ranasinghe2Gitanjali Sathiadas3Gayan Udara Sampath4Amali Dalpatadu5Prasad Chathurangana6Maheeka Seneviwickrama7Guwani Liyanage8Sri Lanka College of PaediatriciansSri Lanka College of PaediatriciansSri Lanka College of PaediatriciansSri Lanka College of PaediatriciansSri Lanka College of PaediatriciansSri Lanka College of PaediatriciansSri Lanka College of PaediatriciansUniversity of Sri JayewardenepuraSri Lanka College of PaediatriciansAbstract The recent economic recession has reportedly worsened food insecurity in Sri Lanka. We assessed food insecurity and its impact on the growth of children aged 6–59 months through a community-based, descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted in 2022. Food insecurity was measured using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, and anthropometric measurements (weight, length/height) were taken using standard techniques. Weight faltering was defined as inadequate or no weight gain (flattening) or a drop in weight gain, based on the trajectory of the weight curve over two points six months apart. Additionally, food insecurity, stunting, and wasting during crisis were compared with pre-crisis data. The study included 832 children, with half of the households experiencing moderate to severe food insecurity. One-fifth of the children showed growth faltering during the crisis, and 8.9% of those with growth faltering crossed one centile line (0.67 SD). Among children facing food insecurity, the rate of growth faltering had doubled, with the residential sector (i.e., estate) tripling the risk of weight faltering. The rates of food insecurity and growth issues were notably higher during the crisis compared to pre-crisis data. This study highlights the worsening food insecurity and its significant impact on growth faltering in children under five during the 2022 economic recession.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-024-00979-yChildEconomic recessionFood insecurityGrowthSri Lanka |
| spellingShingle | Dilini Vipulaguna Harendra de Silva Jagath Ranasinghe Gitanjali Sathiadas Gayan Udara Sampath Amali Dalpatadu Prasad Chathurangana Maheeka Seneviwickrama Guwani Liyanage Food security and its impact on growth among Sri Lankan children under five during the economic crisis in 2022 BMC Nutrition Child Economic recession Food insecurity Growth Sri Lanka |
| title | Food security and its impact on growth among Sri Lankan children under five during the economic crisis in 2022 |
| title_full | Food security and its impact on growth among Sri Lankan children under five during the economic crisis in 2022 |
| title_fullStr | Food security and its impact on growth among Sri Lankan children under five during the economic crisis in 2022 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Food security and its impact on growth among Sri Lankan children under five during the economic crisis in 2022 |
| title_short | Food security and its impact on growth among Sri Lankan children under five during the economic crisis in 2022 |
| title_sort | food security and its impact on growth among sri lankan children under five during the economic crisis in 2022 |
| topic | Child Economic recession Food insecurity Growth Sri Lanka |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-024-00979-y |
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