Social inequity and the double burden of under and over nutrition in Egypt

Azza Gohar, National Nutrition Institute, Cairo
Dina I Shehab, National Nutrition Institute, Cairo
Wafaa Abu El-makarem, National Nutrition Institute, Cairo
Safaa El-Hoseny, National Nutrition Institute, Cairo

Abstract: Objectives: the relationship between unequal distribution of the social and economic determinants of health and the double burden of under- and overnutrition in Egypt. Design: A multilevel study of 817 households from six governorates, derived from the 2000 Egyptian National Food Consumption Survey data. The WHO categories of body mass index and Z-scores for weight and height were used. Households' economic inequality was based on wealth index. Results: The average daily energy consumption per person was 2493.7 kilocalories. Stunting proportion in the 1st quintile is 2.5 that of the 5th. Maternal height and mother age at child birth influenced child height significantly (odds were 1.09 and 1.04 respectively). Diarrhoea in last 2 weeks and presence of goitre were more associated with stunting (1.76 and 4.9 odds ratio).Zinc intake was not influential. Conclusion: Redistribution policies may have a substantial impact in reducing inequalities in obesity-related diseases and in childhood stunting in Egypt.