Undernutrition among children living in refugee camps: a systematic review of prevalence

Abstract

ObjectivesThis review aimed to provide an overview of the prevalence of undernutrition in children under 5 years old in refugee camps according to the different indicators. In addition, we aimed to evaluate the quality and quantity of relevant epidemiological data available.DesignWe used a systematic review of prevalence study design to achieve the above aims. We sought eligible observational studies through database searching of OVID Medline, CAB Global Health, Scopus and PubMed; citation chasing; and grey literature searching.SettingThe setting of interest was refugee camps across the globe.ParticipantsParticipants in the studies included in the review were children under 5 years old.Primary and secondary outcome measuresOutcome measures of interest were the prevalence of wasting, global acute malnutrition, stunting and underweight.ResultsThe review included 33 cross-sectional studies in 86 sites and a total of 36 750 participants. Overall, the quality of the studies was moderate to high, but some reports lacked clarity around data collection or outcome definitions. The results showed a wide variation in prevalence estimates across the different indicators and between different refugee camps. The median prevalence estimates of global acute malnutrition based on weight-for-height z-score, stunting and underweight were 7.1%, 23.8% and 16.7%, respectively. Using weight-for-height z-score identified a higher prevalence of acute malnutrition than using mid-upper arm circumference in the majority of studies.ConclusionsAcute malnutrition remains a public health problem in many refugee camps, but chronic malnutrition has a high prevalence in more locations. Research and policy must, therefore, focus not only on nutrition but also on the wider determinants of both acute and chronic undernutrition. The difference in prevalence of global acute malnutrition depending on the measure used has implications for screening and diagnosis.

Factors influencing food preferences and eating behaviour among the Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMN) adolescents in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh: a cross-sectional survey

“…This aligns with the broader literature on refugee nutrition, which has often reported high rates of undernutrition among displaced populations. 45 Food security is not just about getting enough calories; it also means getting healthy food that fits the culture. 46 Analysis of dietary patterns revealed several concerning trends among FDMN adolescents.…”

A Comparative Study of National Family Health Survey-4 and National Family Health Survey-5 of Nutritional Indicators in Chhattisgarh

“…It includes under-or overnutrition and inflammatory activity within it [2]. Undernutrition, a form of malnutrition, occurs when a person consumes insufficient energy from their diet to meet their physiological demands [3]. The phrase double burden of malnutrition (DBM) refers to undernutrition paired with overweight or obesity in a culture [4].…”

Prevalence of stunting among under-five children in refugee and internally displaced communities: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Pooled estimates of stunting prevalence in refugee and internally displaced communities can assist in quantifying the problem and global resource mobilization toward that problem. Previous systematic reviews on the undernutrition among the under-five children of refugees and migrant populations reported a prevalence ranging up to 23.8% ( 17 , 18 ). A similar review on chronic undernutrition status among the under-five children of IDP could not be found although the circumstances leading to refugee and IDP conditions overlap.…”