Socioeconomic factors associated with severe acute malnutrition in Jamaica.
Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is an important risk factor for illness and death globally, contributing to more than half of deaths in children worldwide. We hypothesized that SAM is positively correlated to poverty, low educational attainment, major crime and higher mean soil concentrations of lea...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2017-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5349655?pdf=render |
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| author | Debbie S Thompson Novie Younger-Coleman Parris Lyew-Ayee Lisa-Gaye Greene Michael S Boyne Terrence E Forrester |
| author_facet | Debbie S Thompson Novie Younger-Coleman Parris Lyew-Ayee Lisa-Gaye Greene Michael S Boyne Terrence E Forrester |
| author_sort | Debbie S Thompson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is an important risk factor for illness and death globally, contributing to more than half of deaths in children worldwide. We hypothesized that SAM is positively correlated to poverty, low educational attainment, major crime and higher mean soil concentrations of lead, cadmium and arsenic.We reviewed admission records of infants admitted with a diagnosis of SAM over 14 years (2000-2013) in Jamaica. Poverty index, educational attainment, major crime and environmental heavy metal exposure were represented in a Geographic Information System (GIS). Cases of SAM were grouped by community and the number of cases per community/year correlated to socioeconomic variables and geochemistry data for the relevant year.375 cases of SAM were mapped across 204 urban and rural communities in Jamaica. The mean age at admission was 9 months (range 1-45 months) and 57% were male. SAM had a positive correlation with major crime (r = 0.53; P < 0.001), but not with educational attainment or the poverty index. For every one unit increase in the number of crimes reported, the rate of occurrence of SAM cases increased by 1.01% [Incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 1.01 (95% CI = 1.006-1.014); P P<0.001]. The geochemistry data yielded no correlation between levels of heavy metals and the prevalence of malnutrition.Major crime has an independent positive association with severe acute malnutrition in Jamaican infants. This could suggest that SAM and major crime might have similar sociological origins or that criminality at the community level may be indicative of reduced income opportunities with the attendant increase in poor nutrition in the home. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T02:54:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-04758be0d73a4982a95db28e346142ca |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T02:54:23Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-04758be0d73a4982a95db28e346142ca2022-12-22T01:23:12ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032017-01-01123e017310110.1371/journal.pone.0173101Socioeconomic factors associated with severe acute malnutrition in Jamaica.Debbie S ThompsonNovie Younger-ColemanParris Lyew-AyeeLisa-Gaye GreeneMichael S BoyneTerrence E ForresterSevere acute malnutrition (SAM) is an important risk factor for illness and death globally, contributing to more than half of deaths in children worldwide. We hypothesized that SAM is positively correlated to poverty, low educational attainment, major crime and higher mean soil concentrations of lead, cadmium and arsenic.We reviewed admission records of infants admitted with a diagnosis of SAM over 14 years (2000-2013) in Jamaica. Poverty index, educational attainment, major crime and environmental heavy metal exposure were represented in a Geographic Information System (GIS). Cases of SAM were grouped by community and the number of cases per community/year correlated to socioeconomic variables and geochemistry data for the relevant year.375 cases of SAM were mapped across 204 urban and rural communities in Jamaica. The mean age at admission was 9 months (range 1-45 months) and 57% were male. SAM had a positive correlation with major crime (r = 0.53; P < 0.001), but not with educational attainment or the poverty index. For every one unit increase in the number of crimes reported, the rate of occurrence of SAM cases increased by 1.01% [Incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 1.01 (95% CI = 1.006-1.014); P P<0.001]. The geochemistry data yielded no correlation between levels of heavy metals and the prevalence of malnutrition.Major crime has an independent positive association with severe acute malnutrition in Jamaican infants. This could suggest that SAM and major crime might have similar sociological origins or that criminality at the community level may be indicative of reduced income opportunities with the attendant increase in poor nutrition in the home.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5349655?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Debbie S Thompson Novie Younger-Coleman Parris Lyew-Ayee Lisa-Gaye Greene Michael S Boyne Terrence E Forrester Socioeconomic factors associated with severe acute malnutrition in Jamaica. PLoS ONE |
| title | Socioeconomic factors associated with severe acute malnutrition in Jamaica. |
| title_full | Socioeconomic factors associated with severe acute malnutrition in Jamaica. |
| title_fullStr | Socioeconomic factors associated with severe acute malnutrition in Jamaica. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Socioeconomic factors associated with severe acute malnutrition in Jamaica. |
| title_short | Socioeconomic factors associated with severe acute malnutrition in Jamaica. |
| title_sort | socioeconomic factors associated with severe acute malnutrition in jamaica |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5349655?pdf=render |
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