IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v16y2019i23p4778-d292074.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Household Food Insecurity, Dietary Diversity, Stunting, and Anaemia among Left-Behind Children in Poor Rural Areas of China

Author

Listed:
  • Qiping Yang

    (Department of Nutrition Science and Food Hygiene, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
    The first two authors contributed equally to this paper.)

  • Tong Yuan

    (Department of Nutrition Science and Food Hygiene, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
    The first two authors contributed equally to this paper.)

  • Lina Yang

    (Department of Nutrition Science and Food Hygiene, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China)

  • Jiaojiao Zou

    (Department of Nutrition Science and Food Hygiene, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China)

  • Meimei Ji

    (Department of Nutrition Science and Food Hygiene, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China)

  • Yefu Zhang

    (Department of Nutrition Science and Food Hygiene, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China)

  • Jing Deng

    (Department of Epidemiology and Statistical Science, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China)

  • Qian Lin

    (Department of Nutrition Science and Food Hygiene, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China)

Abstract

Left-behind children (LBC) are a newly emerged social group in China. Poor nutritional status is particularly prominent in this population. However, their food insecurity tends to attract very little attention. This study aims to investigate the relationship between food insecurity and undernutrition (stunting and anaemia) in 3 to 5-year-old LBC in rural China. Face-to-face interviews were administered to 553 LBC caregivers in 40 rural villages of Hunan Province, China. The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) was used to assess household food insecurity (HFI). Dietary diversity score (DDS) and food group consumption frequency were measured by 24 h-recall and food frequency questionnaires (FFQ). Hemoglobin tests and anthropometric measurements including height and weight were measured by trained health professionals. Logistic regression was constructed to assess the association between household food insecurity and dietary diversity, stunting, and anaemia. A high prevalence of household food insecurity was determined (67.6%). The weighted prevalence of stunting and anaemia were 16.6% and 26.5%, respectively. Food insecurity was positively associate with LBC stunting (severe HFI: OR = 6.50, 95% CI: 2.81, 15.00; moderate HFI: OR = 3.47, 95% CI: 1.60, 7.54), and anaemia (severe HFI: OR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.02, 3.57). LBC with food insecurity had significantly lower dietary diversity than those who were food-secure ( p < 0.001). The prevalence of household food insecurity among LBC in poor rural China is high and is associated with low DDS, stunting, and anaemia. Nutritional intervention programs and policies are urgently needed to reduce household food insecurity and undernutrition for this vulnerable population.

Suggested Citation

  • Qiping Yang & Tong Yuan & Lina Yang & Jiaojiao Zou & Meimei Ji & Yefu Zhang & Jing Deng & Qian Lin, 2019. "Household Food Insecurity, Dietary Diversity, Stunting, and Anaemia among Left-Behind Children in Poor Rural Areas of China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-13, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:23:p:4778-:d:292074
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/23/4778/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/23/4778/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chang, Hongqin & Dong, Xiao-yuan & MacPhail, Fiona, 2011. "Labor Migration and Time Use Patterns of the Left-behind Children and Elderly in Rural China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(12), pages 2199-2210.
    2. Coleman-Jensen, Alisha & Rabbitt, Matthew P. & Gregory, Christian A. & Singh, Anita, 2017. "Household Food Security in the United States in 2016," Economic Research Report 291968, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    3. Yefu Zhang & Meimei Ji & Jiaojiao Zou & Tong Yuan & Jing Deng & Lina Yang & Mingzhi Li & Hong Qin & Jihua Chen & Qian Lin, 2018. "Effect of a Conditional Cash Transfer Program on Nutritional Knowledge and Food Practices among Caregivers of 3–5-Year-Old Left-Behind Children in the Rural Hunan Province," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-12, March.
    4. Heflin, Colleen & Kukla-Acevedo, Sharon & Darolia, Rajeev, 2019. "Adolescent food insecurity and risky behaviors and mental health during the transition to adulthood," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 1-1.
    5. Xu Tian & Caicui Ding & Chong Shen & Hui Wang, 2017. "Does Parental Migration Have Negative Impact on the Growth of Left-Behind Children?—New Evidence from Longitudinal Data in Rural China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-10, October.
    6. Rachel Loopstra & Valerie Tarasuk, 2012. "The Relationship between Food Banks and Household Food Insecurity among Low-Income Toronto Families," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 38(4), pages 497-514, December.
    7. Coleman-Jensen, Alisha & Rabbitt, Matthew P. & Gregory, Christian A. & Singh, Anita, 2019. "Household Food Security in the United States in 2018," Economic Research Report 301167, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Bruno F. Sunguya & Si Zhu & Linda Simon Paulo & Bupe Ntoga & Fatma Abdallah & Vincent Assey & Rose Mpembeni & Jiayan Huang, 2020. "Regional Disparities in the Decline of Anemia and Remaining Challenges among Children in Tanzania: Analyses of the Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey 2004–2015," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-15, May.
    2. Anteneh Omer & Dejene Hailu & Susan Joyce Whiting, 2023. "Child-Owned Poultry Intervention Effects on Hemoglobin, Anemia, Concurrent Anemia and Stunting, and Morbidity Status of Young Children in Southern Ethiopia: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Community T," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(7), pages 1-16, April.
    3. Wanni Yang & Shaoping Li & Yuhe Guo & Yunli Bai & Chengfang Liu, 2022. "Association between Diet Quality and Health Outcomes among Children in Rural Areas of Northwest China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-11, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Coleman-Jensen, Alisha & Rabbitt, Matthew P & Gregory, Christian A & Singh, Anita, 2020. "Household Food Security in the United States in 2019," Economic Research Report 327207, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    2. Cäzilia Loibl & Wändi Bruine de Bruin & Barbara Summers & Simon McNair & Pieter Verhallen, 2022. "Which financial stressors are linked to food insecurity among older adults in the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands? An exploratory study," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(2), pages 533-556, April.
    3. Adam M. Lippert & Barrett A. Lee, 2021. "Adult and Child Food Insecurity Among Homeless and Precariously-Housed Families at the Close of the Twentieth Century," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 40(2), pages 231-253, April.
    4. Agnieszka Poczta-Wajda & Agnieszka Sapa & Sebastian Stępień & Michał Borychowski, 2020. "Food Insecurity among Small-Scale Farmers in Poland," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-24, July.
    5. Jing Luo & Jiaojiao Zou & Meimei Ji & Tong Yuan & Mei Sun & Qian Lin, 2019. "Emotional and Behavioral Problems Among 3- to 5-Year-Olds Left-Behind Children in Poor Rural Areas of Hunan Province: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-12, October.
    6. Musa, Anne O. & Carpio, Carlos E. & Williams, Ryan Blake, 2020. "Bounding the Effect of Joint Participation in SNAP and Private Food Charities on Food Security," 2020 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City, Missouri 304614, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    7. Suttles, Shellye & Babb, Angela & Knudsen, Daniel C., 2024. "Submitted and Denied: Understanding variation in case status across Supplemental Nutrition assistance program (SNAP) applications," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    8. Yingru Li & Dapeng Li & Christian King, 2022. "Food Insufficiency among Job-Loss Households during the Pandemic: The Role of Food Assistance Programs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-14, November.
    9. Nicholas Moellman, 2020. "Healthcare and Hunger: Effects of the ACA Medicaid Expansions on Food Insecurity in America," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(2), pages 168-186, June.
    10. Chenxi Liu & Fan Wang & Xihong Gao & Harry Smith, 2021. "Exploring Solutions to Improve the Evaluation of Development of Rural Villages: A Case Study of the Application of the Evaluation for the Construction of Beautiful Villages (ECBV) in a Village in Sout," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-23, January.
    11. Jong Eun Park & So Young Kim & Se Hee Kim & Eun Ju Jeoung & Jong Hyock Park, 2020. "Household Food Insecurity: Comparison between Families with and without Members with Disabilities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-16, August.
    12. Sunjin Ahn & Travis A. Smith & F. Bailey Norwood, 2020. "Can Internet Surveys Mimic Food Insecurity Rates Published by the US Government?," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(2), pages 187-204, June.
    13. Craig Gundersen, 2019. "The Right to Food in the United States: The Role of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 101(5), pages 1328-1336, October.
    14. Zheng Mu & Wei-Jun Jean Yeung, 2018. "For Money or for a Life: A Mixed-Method Study on Migration and Time Use in China," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 139(1), pages 347-379, August.
    15. Denney, Justin T. & Brewer, Mackenzie & Kimbro, Rachel Tolbert, 2020. "Food insecurity in households with young children: A test of contextual congruence," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 263(C).
    16. Li, Yuanzhe & Xi, Tianyang & Zhou, Li-An, 2024. "Drinking water facilities and inclusive development: Evidence from Rural China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    17. Higgins, Christopher D. & Páez, Antonio & Kim, Gyoorie & Wang, Jue, 2021. "Changes in accessibility to emergency and community food services during COVID-19 and implications for low income populations in Hamilton, Ontario," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 291(C).
    18. Di Fang & Michael R. Thomsen & Rodolfo M. Nayga & Wei Yang, 2022. "Food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from a survey of low-income Americans," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(1), pages 165-183, February.
    19. Mark Christopher Navin & J. M. Dieterle, 2018. "Cooptation or solidarity: food sovereignty in the developed world," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 35(2), pages 319-329, June.
    20. Sylvie Démurger & Shi Li, 2013. "Migration, Remittances, and Rural Employment Patterns: Evidence from China," Research in Labor Economics, in: Labor Market Issues in China, pages 31-63, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:23:p:4778-:d:292074. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.