Household Income, Food Insecurity, and Nutrition in Bangladeshi Youth

OBJECTIVES: The role of nutrition in health inequities, particularly among children, is poorly understood. The goal of this study was to look at the impact of income, as well as the combined effects of low income and food insecurity, on a variety of dietary parameters in a sample of Bangladeshi youth. METHODS: The diets of 8,938 youth aged 9–18 years were studied using a nationally representative population-based sample. Dietary data were collected using a single 24-hour recall. Anthropometric measures were available for 71% of the population, and interviews were conducted in person. The variance estimates were calculated. The connections between anthropometric measurements, food and nutrient intakes, and low-income and low-income food insecurity were investigated using generalized linear models. RESULTS: The height percentiles of children from low-income families were lower than those of children from higher-income families. Low-income girls were more likely than their higher-income peers to have a BMI in the 85th percentile. Boys in low-income food-insecure homes had a greater prevalence of BMI 85th percentile than low-income boys in food-secure households. Boys and girls from low-income families had lower calcium and vitamin D intakes. Milk intake was also lower among low-income boys. Low-income, food-insecure girls consumed less milk and consumed more sweetened beverages. CONCLUSIONS: We discovered some evidence of nutritional deprivation among Canadian children from low-income families. These findings were supported by longer-term markers of nutritional health, such as decreased height and weight in impoverished households. FUNDING SOURCES: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.