Title : Child hunger and maternal nutritional status in central river region south, the Gambia: Is household food insecurity associated with sociodemographic characteristics, dietary diversity, and maternal nutritional status?
Abstract:
Introduction: Hunger and food insecurity are known contributors to poor maternal and child nutrition. However, evidence on the prevalence and associated factors of child hunger and maternal malnutrition in Central River Region South, The Gambia, remains scarce.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 207 randomly selected women aged 18–45 years who were non-pregnant, non-lactating, and had at least one child aged 2–5 years. Data were collected using structured interviews to assess sociodemographic characteristics, dietary diversity, and household food insecurity status via the 10-item Radimer/Cornell Hunger and Food Insecurity Scale. Maternal weight and height were measured to determine nutritional status. Food insecurity was categorized as household food insecurity, individual (maternal) food insecurity, and child hunger. Chi-square and logistic regression analyses were performed to identify associations and predictors.
Results: Among participating households, 61.8% experienced food insecurity: 36.7% were household food insecure, 10.6% had individual-level food insecurity, and 14.5% experienced child hunger. Only 38.2% of households were food secure. Household dietary diversity was significantly associated with food insecurity (p < 0.05). Larger household size emerged as a significant predictor of food insecurity in multivariate analysis.
Conclusion: A high prevalence of food insecurity exists among households in the study area, adversely affecting maternal and child nutritional outcomes. Interventions focusing on improving dietary diversity, enhancing food security, and promoting family planning services are urgently needed to mitigate child hunger and maternal malnutrition.
