Changes in the Prevalence of Malnutrition and Obesity of Children from North Korean Refugee Families in South Korea: Three Repeated Surveys from 2017 to 2023

Abstract

Objectives: This study evaluated changes in the prevalence of malnutrition and obesity of children from North Korean refugee (NKR) families who settled in South Korea (SK).Methods: A baseline survey was conducted on 517 children under the age of 13 whose parents were NKR from 2017 to 2021 through NGOs. The second survey was conducted on 262 at least one year after the baseline survey, and the third survey was conducted on 112 children. Changes in the prevalence of stunting, underweight, wasting, and obesity were evaluated using the 2017 Korean National Growth Chart for Children and Adolescents. For comparison between surveys, the McNemar test was used.Results: The prevalence of stunting was 6.8% in baseline survey, 5.4% in the second survey, and 7.1% in the third survey. The prevalence of underweight was 6.0%, 7.8%, and 7.1%, and the prevalence of wasting was 7.2%, 8.9%, and 8.0%, respectively. These changes were not statistically significant. However, the prevalence of obesity significantly increased to 13.4%, 14.1%, and 17.9%, respectively (p= 0.042).Conclusions: Although children from NKR families have settled in SK for a long time, the prevalence of stunting, underweight, and wasting does not change, but the prevalence of obesity continues to increase.