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Prevalence and Correlates of Food Insecurity among Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon: Data from a Household Survey

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  • Hala Ghattas
  • AnnieBelle J Sassine
  • Karin Seyfert
  • Mark Nord
  • Nadine R Sahyoun

Abstract

Lebanon hosts the highest per capita refugee concentration worldwide. The Palestinian presence in Lebanon dates from 1948 and they remain a marginalized population. No information on their food security status has been reported previously. A survey of a representative sample of Palestinian refugee households in Lebanon (n = 2501) was conducted using a stratified two stage cluster sampling approach. We measured food insecurity using a modified USDA household food security module, locally validated. We collected data on household demographic, socioeconomic, health, housing, coping strategies and household intake of food groups and analysed these by food security status. About 41% (CI: 39-43) of households reported being food insecure and 20% (CI: 18-22) severely food insecure. Poor households were more likely to be severely food insecure (OR 1.41 (1.06-1.86)) while higher education of the head of household was significantly associated with protection against severe food insecurity (OR 0.66 (0.52-0.84)). Additionally, higher food expenditure and possession of food-related assets were significantly associated with food security (OR 0.93 (0.89-0.97) and OR 0.74 (0.59-0.92), respectively). After adjusting for confounders, households where at least one member suffered from an acute illness remained significantly more likely to be severely food insecure (OR 1.31(1.02-1.66)), as were households whose proxy respondent reported poor mental health (OR 2.64 (2.07-3.38)) and poor self-reported health (OR 1.62 (1.22-2.13). Severely food insecure households were more likely to eat cheaper foods when compared to non-severely food insecure households (p

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  • Hala Ghattas & AnnieBelle J Sassine & Karin Seyfert & Mark Nord & Nadine R Sahyoun, 2015. "Prevalence and Correlates of Food Insecurity among Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon: Data from a Household Survey," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(6), pages 1-10, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0130724
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130724
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Heba El Laithy & Khalid Abu-Ismail & Kamal Hamdan, 2008. "Poverty, Growth and Income Distribution in Lebanon," Research Report 13, International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth.
    2. Nord, Mark, 2004. "Measuring Food Insecurity and Hunger," Amber Waves:The Economics of Food, Farming, Natural Resources, and Rural America, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, pages 1-1, June.
    3. Nader Kabbani & Yassin Wehelie, 2004. "Measuring Hunger and Food Insecurity in Yemen," Working Papers 0419, Economic Research Forum, revised 09 Feb 2004.
    4. Nord, Mark & Andrews, Margaret S. & Carlson, Steven, 2009. "Household Food Security in the United States, 2008," Economic Research Report 55953, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
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    Cited by:

    1. Isabella Buber-Ennser & Judith Kohlenberger & Bernhard Rengs & Zakarya Al Zalak & Anne Goujon & Erich Striessnig & Michaela Potančoková & Richard Gisser & Maria Rita Testa & Wolfgang Lutz, 2016. "Human Capital, Values, and Attitudes of Persons Seeking Refuge in Austria in 2015," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(9), pages 1-29, September.
    2. Reima Mansour & Pranee Liamputtong & Amit Arora, 2020. "Prevalence, Determinants, and Effects of Food Insecurity among Middle Eastern and North African Migrants and Refugees in High-Income Countries: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-19, October.
    3. Kushilpal Kaur & Ahmad Hatim Sulaiman & Chee Kok Yoon & Aili Hanim Hashim & Manveen Kaur & Koh Ong Hui & Zuraida Ahmad Sabki & Benedict Francis & Sarbhan Singh & Jesjeet Singh Gill, 2020. "Elucidating Mental Health Disorders among Rohingya Refugees: A Malaysian Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-22, September.
    4. Nadiya Ibrahim & Gladys Honein-AbouHaidar & Lamis Jomaa, 2019. "Perceived impact of community kitchens on the food security of Syrian refugees and kitchen workers in Lebanon: Qualitative evidence in a displacement context," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(1), pages 1-19, January.
    5. Maha Hoteit & Youssef Al-Atat & Hussein Joumaa & Suheir El Ghali & Rania Mansour & Reem Mhanna & Fatima Sayyed-Ahmad & Pascale Salameh & Ayoub Al-Jawaldeh, 2021. "Exploring the Impact of Crises on Food Security in Lebanon: Results from a National Cross-Sectional Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-24, August.

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