Ensuring food availability in the household: evidences from rural area of North-East Malaysia
Household food insecurity is increasingly being recognised as a serious public health concern in Malaysia. While starvation seldom occurs in this country, children and adultsdo go hungry andchronic mildundernutrition occurs when financialresources are low. The problem of food insecurity can be br...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Conference or Workshop Item |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2006
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/13233/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/13233/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/13233/1/Ensuring_food_availability_in_the_household.pdf |
| Summary: | Household food insecurity is increasingly being recognised as a serious public
health concern in Malaysia. While starvation seldom occurs in this country, children and
adultsdo go hungry andchronic mildundernutrition occurs when financialresources are
low. The problem of food insecurity can be broadly defined as limited, inadequate or
insecure access by individuals and households to sufficient, safe, nutritious and personally acceptable foods to meet their dietary requirements for a healthy life. The aim of this
study was to investigate the relationship between food insecurity and nutritional
outcome among preschool children in a rural district and examine how low-income
families meet their food and nutrition needs. In this cross-sectional study, weight and
height / length were measured in a sample of mothers and children from 296 selected
households. Questionnaires were used to collect socio-economic and other related information. The validated Radimer / Cornell Food Insecurity instrument was utilised to
assess food security. Hunger and food insecurity was reported by 54% (n=159) of the
mothers surveyed, which include 21% (n=62) individual (mother) food insecure and 21%
(n=62) child hunger. Among food insecure households with children; 70.4% reported that
at times they could not afford to feed their children with balanced meals, 35.2% of the
children were not eating enough and 34.6% of the children reported ever getting hungry
as the family could not afford to provide enough food. This study also revealed that the
mothersplayprime roles in ensuring foodsecurity andnutrition status oftheir household
members by practising some coping strategies. Although foods were spared for the
children, the quality of the food is insufficient to meet the recommended needs. This
study suggests that food insecurity is one possible reason that may contribute to poor
growth and development of young children in the study area. |
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