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Diet and food insecurity among mothers, infants and young children in Peru before and during COVID-19: a panel survey

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posted on 2022-05-26, 13:12 authored by Rebecca PradeillesRebecca Pradeilles, Rossina Pareja, Hilary M. Creed-Kanashiro, Paula GriffithsPaula Griffiths, Michelle Holdsworth, Nervo Verdezoto, Sabrina Eymard-Duvernay, Edwige Landais, Megan Stanley, Emily RoushamEmily Rousham
The COVID-19 pandemic may impact diet and nutrition through increased household food insecurity, lack of access to health services, and poorer quality diets. The primary aim of this study is to assess the impact of the pandemic on dietary outcomes of mothers and their infants and young children (IYC) in low-income urban areas of Peru. We conducted a panel study, with one survey prepandemic (n = 244) and one survey 9 months after the onset of COVID-19 (n = 254). We assessed breastfeeding and complementary feeding indicators and maternal dietary diversity in both surveys. During COVID-19, we assessed household food insecurity experience and economic impacts of the pandemic on livelihoods; receipt of financial or food assistance, and uptake of health services. Almost all respondents (98.0%) reported adverse economic impacts due to the pandemic and 46.9% of households were at risk of moderate or severe household food insecurity. The proportion of households receiving government food assistance nearly doubled between the two surveys (36.5%–59.5%). Dietary indicators, however, did not worsen in mothers or IYC. Positive changes included an increase in exclusive breastfeeding <6 months (24.2%–39.0%, p < 0.008) and a decrease in sweet food consumption by IYC (33.1%–18.1%, p = 0.001) and mothers (34.0%–14.6%, p < 0.001). The prevalence of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption remained high in both mothers (97%) and IYC (78%). In sum, we found dietary indicators had not significantly worsened 9 months into the COVID-19 pandemic. However, several indicators remain suboptimal and should be targeted in future interventions.

Funding

STAMINA: Strategies to Mitigate Nutritional Risks among mothers and infants under 2 years in low income urban households in Peru during COVID-19

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

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Consejo Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología eInnovación Tecnológica (Concytec) Peru, viaFondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico,Tecnológico y de Innovación Tecnológica(Fondecyt), Grant/Award Number: 032‐2019

New strategies to reduce anaemia and risk of overweight and obesity through complementary feeding of infants and young children in Peru

Medical Research Council

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History

School

  • Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences

Published in

Maternal and Child Nutrition

Pages

12

Publisher

John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Version

  • VoR (Version of Record)

Rights holder

© The Authors

Acceptance date

2022-02-16

Publication date

2022-03-11

Copyright date

2022

ISSN

1740-8695

eISSN

1740-8709

Language

  • en

Depositor

Prof Emily Rousham. Deposit date: 26 May 2022

Article number

ARTN e13343

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