Study on malnutrition in Pakistan emphasizes good and bad food awareness

22 Dec 2022 --- The new study published in Nutrients explores the relationship between malnutrition and teenagers living in the slums of Pakistan. Malnutrition was accounted for as both under and overnutrition, and the researchers also analyzed awareness and meanings of malnutrition. 

The authors say that malnutrition is a global problem, as every country in the world faces populations with body weights above or below the healthy weight. South-East Asia has high levels of undernutrition, although overnutrition is increasing.

With increased urbanization, deprived urban areas – slums – have become the home for one billion people, and are defined by the authors as “an informal urban settlement that lacks access to clean water, access to improved sanitation, sufficient living area, durable housing or security of tenure.”

The authors say extensive research confirms the relationship between malnutrition and children living in slums. However, research on adolescents seems to be lacking, they argue.

Good doing good
The researchers interviewed 14 adolescents aged between 13 to 16 in Karachi, Pakistan. For two weeks before the interviews, the participants were expected to take pictures of food they perceived as nutritious.

Vegetables and fruits were perceived as healthy overall, and a balanced diet was also perceived as beneficial.The results of the analysis showed three themes. Firstly, the role of “good and bad” food in nutritious diets. Vegetables and fruits were perceived as healthy overall, and a balanced diet was also perceived as beneficial. 

The findings showed that the participants shared the vision that good food will do good and bad food will do bad, demonstrating a limitation in overall knowledge of malnutrition. The study also argues that understanding malnutrition also has an emotional impact.

Another theme focused on social contexts such as education, parents, friends, community and media influences on dietary intake and food choices. 

The severity of the issue
The participants’ preconceptions of what it means to be healthy were further explored. Even though the adolescents could identify malnutrition, there appeared to be a lack of identification of malnutrition being a complex health issue involving political, geographical and socioeconomic factors. 

UNICEF called for action on malnutrition earlier this year as almost eight million children under the age of five are at risk of death from severe wasting in 15 countries. 

Another study published in August showed that higher levels of nutritional inequality related to low-income women and children account for 15% of India’s disease burden, with malnutrition being the leading cause of death for young children.

Earlier this year, extreme monsoons in Pakistan caused record floodings which took the lives of 1300 people and destroyed agricultural possibilities, driving food insecurity. 

Edited by Beatrice Wihlander