Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Nov 14;128(9):1832-1847.
doi: 10.1017/S0007114521004724. Epub 2021 Nov 29.

Food insecurity, low dietary diversity and poor mental health among Syrian refugee mothers living in vulnerable areas of Greater Beirut, Lebanon

Joana Abou-Rizk  1 , Theresa Jeremias  1 , Georgiana Cocuz  1 , Lara Nasreddine  2 , Lamis Jomaa  2 , Nahla Hwalla  2 , Jan Frank  1 , Veronika Scherbaum  1
Affiliations

Food insecurity, low dietary diversity and poor mental health among Syrian refugee mothers living in vulnerable areas of Greater Beirut, Lebanon

Joana Abou-Rizk et al. Br J Nutr. .

Abstract

Syrian refugees in Lebanon are facing vulnerabilities that are affecting their food insecurity (FI) levels. The objectives of this study were to measure dietary diversity, FI and mental health status of Syrian refugee mothers in Lebanon and to explore its associations with their anaemia and nutritional status. A cross-sectional study was conducted among mothers with children under 5 years (n 433) in Greater Beirut, Lebanon. Dietary diversity was measured using the Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W) of reproductive age and FI using the global Food Insecurity Experience Scale at the individual level. Depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were measured to assess the maternal mental health status. Data on socio-economic characteristics, anthropometric measurements and Hb concentrations were collected. Overall, 63·3 % of the mothers had a low dietary diversity (LDD) and 34·4 % were moderately to severely food insecure, with 12·5 % being severely food insecure. The prevalence of PTSD, moderate depression and severe depression was 13·2, 11·1 and 9·9 %, respectively. A significant correlation was found between LDD and FI (P < 0·001). Low income was significantly associated with LDD and FI. Poor mental health was significantly associated with FI. LDD and FI were not associated with anaemia and nutritional status of mothers. Low-income households had significantly higher intakes of grains and refined starchy staples, whereas high-income households consumed more nutritious foods and sweets. Evidence of inadequate diet quality, FI and poor mental health among Syrian refugee mothers in Lebanon is presented. Multifaceted actions are needed to reduce FI and improve dietary diversity.

Keywords: Dietary diversity; Food consumption; Food insecurity; Lebanon; Mental health; Syrian refugees.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. United Nations (2020) The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2020. New York, NY: UN.
    1. Food and Agriculture Organization (1996) Rome Declaration on World Food Security and World Food Summit Plan of Action: World Food Summit, 13–17 November 1996, Rome, Italy. Rome: FAO.
    1. Food and Agriculture Organization (2017) Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition – Building Resilience for in Times of Conflict and Crisis: Food Security and Nutrition a Perspective from the Near East and North Africa (NENA) Region. Cairo: FAO.
    1. von Grebmer K, Bernstein J, Hammond L, et al. (2018) 2018 Global Hunger Index: Forced Migration and Hunger. Bonn: Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide.
    1. Food and Agriculture Organization, International Fund for Agricultural Development, United Nations Children’s Fund, et al. (2020) The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020. Transforming Food Systems for Affordable Healthy Diets. Rome: FAO.

Publication types