ArticleJournal of health, population, and nutrition2024
Food insecurity and weight loss during wartime: a mixed-design study from the Gaza Strip.
Article in Journal of health, population, and nutrition, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed.
- Stress biology and metabolic ageing in older adults during prolonged crises: Ukraine as an example.Biogerontology · 2026Review
- Psychological distress, PTSD, and complex PTSD in a war-torn population: a two-wave longitudinal study among medical students in Gaza.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2026Article
- Against Single-day Histories : Complexity and Care for Palestine Through a South African Lens.Journal of bioethical inquiry · 2026Article
- Content and statistical validation of the FNPA survey in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) for use with Palestinian populations in the West Bank.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Trauma and mental health burden of Gaza's displaced children during war: a cross-sectional study.Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health · 2026Article
- Wartime food availability in the Gaza Strip, October 2023 to August 2024: a retrospective analysis.BMJ global health · 2025Article
- Quality of life among healthcare workers in Gaza during the October 7 war: a cross-sectional analysis.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- BLS competency of doctors and nurses serving during the war in Gaza: insights from a cross-sectional study.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Exploring maternal and neonatal health in a conflict-affected setting: cross-sectional findings from Gaza.Conflict and health · 2025Article
- Quality of life and access to healthcare among hemodialysis patients during wartime: cross-sectional insights from Gaza.BMC nephrology · 2025Article
- War and chronic illness: a health center-based study of Palestinians with non-communicable diseases in Gaza.Conflict and health · 2025Article
- Evaluating the MPM III and SAPS III prognostic models in a war-affected, resource-limited setting: a prospective study from the Gaza Strip.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- The Psychological Toll of War and Forced Displacement in Gaza: A Study on Anxiety, PTSD, and Depression.Chronic stress (Thousand Oaks, Calif.)Article
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4 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundFood insecurity is an important aspect of human suffering during wartime. Besides its ferocity, the Gaza conflict of 2023-2024 has been marked by severe food and medication shortages that exacerbated the human toll and worsened the suffering of the population.
methodsA cross-sectional, mixed methods study that in April 2024 collected quantitative and qualitative data to assess food insecurity and malnutrition among residents of the Northern part of the Gaza Strip during the first seven months of the war. Quantitative data assessed weight loss among participants as a marker of starvation. Qualitative interviews evaluated food availability, food variability, and changing eating habits. Demographics were represented as counts and percentages. Weight was reported as mean ± SD. The Spearman Correlation Coefficient evaluated potential correlations of weight loss with sex, place of residence, and age. Statistical significance was set at a p-value less than 0.05.
results497 participants were recruited, including 330 males (66.4%) and 167 females (33.6%). The age range was (13-83 years). The mean baseline weight was 84.94 kg ± 20.06, with a weight range (35-180 kg). In April 2024, the mean weight had dropped to 66.22 kg ± 14.34, representing an average decline of 18.72 kg (new weight range 28-142 kg). Age was associated with a weak positive correlation with weight loss (r = .204, p = .000). Qualitative interviews with 95 breadwinners or homemakers revealed a high prevalence of hunger and severe shortages in food quantity, quality, and variability. Physical and financial barriers significantly impacted food sourcing. Also, due to food shortages, most participants reported high consumption of edible wild plants and unconventional types of flour such as corn flour or grounded animal feed.
conclusionsThe study demonstrated high levels of weight loss and marked food insecurity in the Northern Gaza Strip during the conflict. The quantitative and qualitative food shortages outlined in this study present a risk for a host of potentially serious and irreversible future complications.
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