Nutritional status and poverty assessment of vulnerable population groups in Armenia

Type Journal Article - Social and Preventive Medicine
Title Nutritional status and poverty assessment of vulnerable population groups in Armenia
Author(s)
Volume 50
Issue 3
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2005
Page numbers 166-176
URL http://www.ceecis.org/iodine/03_country/arm/arm_2005.pdf
Abstract
To produce estimates of main nutrition deficiencies to identify public health intervention priorities; to investigate the importance of urban-rural and resident-refugee differ- ences; to validate the vulnerability indicators used for target- ing humanitarian aid. Design: Cross-sectional study with cluster design on a nation- ally representative sample of 2627 households (3390 children under five and 2649 mothers). Results: Underweight was observed in 4% of the mothers, while more than one third of them showed different levels of overweight. Prevalence of anaemia in mothers was 15% with significant highest prevalence in rural areas. Stunting was de- tected in 12% of children with highest prevalence in rural zones. The overall prevalence of wasting was 4%. The preva- lence of anaemia in children under five was 16% with highest prevalence in rural areas (22%). A vulnerability questionnaire was tested: it was only partially able to identify best potential beneficiaries of humanitarian aid. Conclusions: Armenian children and women were not affected by major energy problems, but followed inadequate diets that led them to a low micronutrient status. Drought in 2000s com- promised the possibility of improving the general nutritional status

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