Household food insecurity and childhood overweight in Jamaica and Québec: a gender-based analysis
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Childhood overweight is not restricted to developed countries: a number of lower- and middle-income countries are struggling with the double burden of underweight and overweight. Another public health problem that concerns both devel...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2011-03-01
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| Series: | BMC Public Health |
| Online Access: | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/11/199 |
| _version_ | 1818526078650548224 |
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| author | Gordon-Strachan Georgiana Girard Manon Tatone-Tokuda Fabiola Burnier Daniel Francis Damion Dubois Lise Fox Kristin Wilks Rainford |
| author_facet | Gordon-Strachan Georgiana Girard Manon Tatone-Tokuda Fabiola Burnier Daniel Francis Damion Dubois Lise Fox Kristin Wilks Rainford |
| author_sort | Gordon-Strachan Georgiana |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Childhood overweight is not restricted to developed countries: a number of lower- and middle-income countries are struggling with the double burden of underweight and overweight. Another public health problem that concerns both developing and, to a lesser extent, developed countries is food insecurity. This study presents a comparative gender-based analysis of the association between household food insecurity and overweight among 10-to-11-year-old children living in the Canadian province of Québec and in the country of Jamaica.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Analyses were performed using data from the 2008 round of the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development and the Jamaica Youth Risk and Resiliency Behaviour Survey of 2007. Cross-sectional data were obtained from 1190 10-year old children in Québec and 1674 10-11-year-old children in Jamaica. Body mass index was derived using anthropometric measurements and overweight was defined using Cole's age- and sex-specific criteria. Questionnaires were used to collect data on food insecurity. The associations were examined using chi-square tests and multivariate regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The prevalence of overweight was 26% and 11% (p < 0.001) in the Québec and Jamaican samples, respectively. In Québec, the adjusted odds ratio for being overweight was 3.03 (95% CI: 1.8-5.0) among children living in food-insecure households, in comparison to children living in food-secure households. Furthermore, girls who lived in food-insecure households had odds of 4.99 (95% CI: 2.4-10.5) for being overweight in comparison to girls who lived in food-secure households; no such differences were observed among boys. In Jamaica, children who lived in food-insecure households had significantly lower odds (OR 0.65, 95% CI: 0.4-0.9) for being overweight in comparison to children living in food-secure households. No gender differences were observed in the relationship between food-insecurity and overweight/obesity among Jamaican children.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Public health interventions which aim to stem the epidemic of overweight/obesity should consider gender differences and other family factors associated with overweight/obesity in both developed and developing countries.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T06:18:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f6d10c8227b8405a9e664f9d3631997f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T06:18:01Z |
| publishDate | 2011-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-f6d10c8227b8405a9e664f9d3631997f2022-12-22T01:17:56ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582011-03-0111119910.1186/1471-2458-11-199Household food insecurity and childhood overweight in Jamaica and Québec: a gender-based analysisGordon-Strachan GeorgianaGirard ManonTatone-Tokuda FabiolaBurnier DanielFrancis DamionDubois LiseFox KristinWilks Rainford<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Childhood overweight is not restricted to developed countries: a number of lower- and middle-income countries are struggling with the double burden of underweight and overweight. Another public health problem that concerns both developing and, to a lesser extent, developed countries is food insecurity. This study presents a comparative gender-based analysis of the association between household food insecurity and overweight among 10-to-11-year-old children living in the Canadian province of Québec and in the country of Jamaica.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Analyses were performed using data from the 2008 round of the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development and the Jamaica Youth Risk and Resiliency Behaviour Survey of 2007. Cross-sectional data were obtained from 1190 10-year old children in Québec and 1674 10-11-year-old children in Jamaica. Body mass index was derived using anthropometric measurements and overweight was defined using Cole's age- and sex-specific criteria. Questionnaires were used to collect data on food insecurity. The associations were examined using chi-square tests and multivariate regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The prevalence of overweight was 26% and 11% (p < 0.001) in the Québec and Jamaican samples, respectively. In Québec, the adjusted odds ratio for being overweight was 3.03 (95% CI: 1.8-5.0) among children living in food-insecure households, in comparison to children living in food-secure households. Furthermore, girls who lived in food-insecure households had odds of 4.99 (95% CI: 2.4-10.5) for being overweight in comparison to girls who lived in food-secure households; no such differences were observed among boys. In Jamaica, children who lived in food-insecure households had significantly lower odds (OR 0.65, 95% CI: 0.4-0.9) for being overweight in comparison to children living in food-secure households. No gender differences were observed in the relationship between food-insecurity and overweight/obesity among Jamaican children.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Public health interventions which aim to stem the epidemic of overweight/obesity should consider gender differences and other family factors associated with overweight/obesity in both developed and developing countries.</p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/11/199 |
| spellingShingle | Gordon-Strachan Georgiana Girard Manon Tatone-Tokuda Fabiola Burnier Daniel Francis Damion Dubois Lise Fox Kristin Wilks Rainford Household food insecurity and childhood overweight in Jamaica and Québec: a gender-based analysis BMC Public Health |
| title | Household food insecurity and childhood overweight in Jamaica and Québec: a gender-based analysis |
| title_full | Household food insecurity and childhood overweight in Jamaica and Québec: a gender-based analysis |
| title_fullStr | Household food insecurity and childhood overweight in Jamaica and Québec: a gender-based analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Household food insecurity and childhood overweight in Jamaica and Québec: a gender-based analysis |
| title_short | Household food insecurity and childhood overweight in Jamaica and Québec: a gender-based analysis |
| title_sort | household food insecurity and childhood overweight in jamaica and quebec a gender based analysis |
| url | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/11/199 |
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