Household food insecurity is associated with childhood malaria in rural Haiti

J Nutr. 2009 Nov;139(11):2132-8. doi: 10.3945/jn.109.108852. Epub 2009 Sep 9.

Abstract

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and is heavily affected by food insecurity and malaria. To find out if these 2 conditions are associated with each other, we studied a convenience sample of 153 women with children 1-5 y old in Camp Perrin, South Haiti. Household food insecurity was assessed with the 16-item Escala Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Seguridad Alimentaria (ELCSA) scale previously validated in the target communities. ELCSA's reference time period was the 3 mo preceding the survey and it was answered by the mother. Households were categorized as either food secure (2%; ELCSA score = 0), food insecure/very food insecure (42.7%; ELCSA score range: 1-10), or severely food insecure (57.3%; ELCSA score range: 11-16). A total of 34.0% of women reported that their children had malaria during the 2 mo preceding the survey. Multivariate analyses showed that severe food insecure was a risk factor for perceived clinical malaria (odds ratio: 5.97; 95% CI: 2.06-17.28). Additional risk factors for perceived clinical malaria were as follows: not receiving colostrum, poor child health (via maternal self-report), a child BMI <17 kg/m(2), and child vitamin A supplementation more than once since birth. Findings suggest that policies and programs that address food insecurity are also likely to reduce the risk of malaria in Haiti.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Agriculture / statistics & numerical data
  • Child, Preschool
  • Conservation of Natural Resources / statistics & numerical data
  • Dioscorea
  • Female
  • Food Supply*
  • Haiti / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Malaria / epidemiology*
  • Middle Aged
  • Mother-Child Relations
  • Mothers / statistics & numerical data
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Nutritional Status
  • Poverty*
  • Risk Factors
  • Rural Population / statistics & numerical data*
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Young Adult