Factors Associated with Growth in the First Year of Life in Egyptian Children: Implications for the Double Burden of Malnutrition, 2015.
Authors: Justine Kavle, Valerie Flax, Ali Abdelmegeid, Farouk Salah, Seham Hafez, Magda Ramzy, Doaa Hamed, Gulsen Saleh, and Rae Galloway
Energy and nutrient intakes were generally higher in Upper than Lower Egypt, whereas reported diarrhea prevalence was similar in both areas. This suggests that differences in diet quality, rather than variability in morbidity, may be a key factor in growth patterns in Upper versus Lower Egypt. Our recent operations research shows that Egyptian children < 2 years of age frequently consume energy-dense “junk” foods (i.e., high in fat, low in nutrients) in conjunction with a limited variety of small quantities of nutritious foods. Overall, children had inadequate intake of multiple nutrients, including energy, zinc, vitamin A, and iron, and junk foods comprised about 20% of energy intake from 6 to 11 months of age. Government subsidies of sugar and oil have permeated the Egyptian food base, which can also contribute to the problem of feeding low-nutrient, high-calorie foods.
These data reveal that overweight and stunting begin in the first year of life among Egyptian infants and have implications for nutrition programs in Egypt. Poor nutrition early in life can negatively affect learning capacity, cognitive development, and work productivity and capacity. Inadequate nutrient intake can alter a child’s physiology, resulting in low muscle mass and more efficient storage of fat, which lead to increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes later in life [3-5]. In Egypt, infant and young child nutrition programs should address the dual burden of malnutrition and should target prevention of both stunting and overweight by promoting dietary quality and addressing families’ reliance on energy-dense, snack or junk foods.
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