ArticleMaternal and child health journal2023
Household Food Insecurity and Demographic Factors, Low Birth Weight and Stunting in Early Childhood: Findings from a Longitudinal Study in South Africa.
Article in Maternal and child health journal, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 26 citations in OpenAlex.
- Preconception health risks among women of reproductive age in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review of implications for preconception care.Journal of health, population, and nutrition · 2025Pooled it
- Impact of extreme weather events on food security among older people: a systematic review.Aging clinical and experimental research · 2025Pooled it
- Current trends in household food insecurity, dietary diversity, and stunting among children under five in Asia: a systematic review.Journal of global health · 2025Pooled it
- Association between household food insecurity and stunting in children aged 0-59 months: Systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies.Maternal & child nutrition · 2024Pooled it
- Effects of an agricultural intervention on psychosocial health among pregnant and nonpregnant women with HIV in Kenya.AIDS (London, England) · 2026Trial
- Linking Food Insecurity and Coping Strategies to Children's Dietary Intake in Urban Areas in Surabaya, Indonesia.Nutrients · 2026Article
- Article
- Water-Energy-Food Security and Health in South Africa: A Scoping Review.JAMA network open · 2026Article
- Nurturing Care Systems Underlying Early Childhood Food Insecurity in Brazil: A Causal Loop Diagram Approach.Maternal & child nutrition · 2026Article
- Nature vs. nurture: parental care cushions agricultural drought impacts on child health in South Africa.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Why Do Stunting Interventions Remain Unequal in Urban Areas? A Multivariate Analysis of Subdistrict Risk Profiles in Cirebon City, Indonesia.Risk management and healthcare policy · 2026Article
- Article
- Determinants, Impact and Optimal Resource Allocation of Zambia's Scaling Up Nutrition Program.Maternal and child health journal · 2025Article
- Evaluation and dynamic evolution of maternal and child health services in township health centers in ethnic minority areas of Guangxi, China.Primary health care research & development · 2025Article
- Social Protection Programs and Their Support for Promoting Access to Nutrient-Dense Foods for Vulnerable Communities in South Africa.Current developments in nutrition · 2025Review
- A Bayesian quantile regression approach for determining risk factors of low birth weight of under five children in Cambodia.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Exploring Infant Size and Body Composition at 18 Months: An Ambidirectional Peri-Urban South African Cohort Study.Maternal & child nutrition · 2025Article
- Enhancing birth weight outcomes through improved antenatal care in West African countries: Evidence from propensity score matching analysis.PLOS global public health · 2025Article
- Article
- Socio-economic burden of TB and its impact on child contacts in The Gambia.Public health action · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundLow birthweight (LBW) as well as early childhood stunting are risk factors for increased childhood morbidity in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC). The Covid 19 pandemic has exacerbated food insecurity and unemployment globally, prompting concerns for maternal and child health.
objectivesWe used data from the great recession of 2008 to examine the relationship between household food security and other risk factors with LBW and stunting using a longitudinal sample of South African women and their offspring.
methodsFood security indicators, alcohol use, blood pressure and other characteristics were examined in relation to LBW (≤ 2500 g), stunting (height for age ≤ 2SD) and severe stunting (height for age ≤ 3SD). Regression modelling with clustering at maternal ID level were employed to adjust for maternal characteristics and women who gave birth more than once during the reference period.
resultsBirthweight data were available for 1173 children and height for age 1216 children. The prevalence of LBW was 14.7% while stunting and severe stunting was 17.8% and 14.5%. Child hunger in the household, maternal hypertension and alcohol use were associated with low birthweight. Food expenditure below the Stats SA poverty line and low dietary diversity was associated with stunting and severe stunting respectively. Maternal height and low birthweight were associated with both stunting and severe stunting. CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE: Interventions that can improve household food security and nutritional status during the periconceptional and antenatal period may reduce the prevalence of low birthweight and subsequent stunting in low- and middle-income countries.
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