Impact of COVID-19 on child malnutrition, obesity in women and household food insecurity in underserved urban settlements in Sri Lanka: a prospective follow-up study.

Impact of COVID-19 on child malnutrition, obesity in women and household food insecurity in underserved urban settlements in Sri Lanka: a prospective follow-up study.

Renuka Jayatissa, Himali P Herath, Amila G Perera, Thulasika T Dayaratne, Nawmali D De Alwis, Hiyare Palliyage Laksiri K Nanayakkara

To determine changes and factors associated with child malnutrition, obesity in women and household food insecurity before and after the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic. A prospective follow-up study. In 2019, the baseline Urban Health and Nutrition Study 2019 (UHNS-2019) was conducted in 603 households, which were selected randomly from 30 clusters to represent underserved urban settlements in Colombo. In the present study, 35 % of households from the UHNS-2019 cohort were randomly selected for repeat interviews, 1 year after the baseline study and 6 months after COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka. Height/length and weight of children and women were re-measured, household food insecurity was reassessed, and associated factors were gathered through interviewer-administered questionnaires. Differences in measurements at baseline and follow-up studies were compared. A total of 207 households, comprising 127 women and 109 children were included. The current prevalence of children with wasting and overweight was higher in the follow-up study than at baseline UHNS-2019 (18·3 % v. 13·7 %; P = 0·26 and 8·3 % v. 3·7 %; P = 0·12, respectively). There was a decrease in prevalence of child stunting (14·7 % v. 11·9 %; P = 0·37). A change was not observed in overall obesity in women, which was about 30·7 %. Repeated lockdown was associated with a significant reduction in food security from 57 % in UHNS-2019 to 30 % in the current study (P < 0·001). There was an increase in wasting and overweight among children while women had a persistent high prevalence of obesity. This population needs suitable interventions to improve nutrition status of children and women to minimise susceptibility to COVID-19.

2021

covid-19, obesity, food security, Overweight, Stunting, Wasting

10.1017/S1368980021001841

Public health nutrition