Linking household food insecurity with food safety knowledge and practices of Syrian refugee mothers : findings from a pilot study in the Bekaa region, Lebanon -

Abstract

Background: Lebanon has been witnessing a large influx of Syrian refugees following the start of the Syrian crisis. Around 1 million registered refugees are living in Lebanon of whom 91percent of suffer from food insecurity. The food insecurity status and poor living conditions of Syrian refugees can have serious detrimental effects on their food safety practices and on their health and nutritional status. Women play a pivotal role in food handling and preparation particularly in low-income communities; yet limited studies explore the relationship between food security and food safety at the household level. Objectives: This study aimed to explore the interplay between food security with the food safety and personal hygiene knowledge and practices of Syrian refugee women in Lebanon. In addition, the study aimed to explore potential associations between household food insecurity and the nutritional status and dietary intake of women. Methods: Data from this study was derived from a pilot nutrition intervention conducted within informal schools in the West Bekaa region serving elementary school-aged Syrian refugee children. The original study was conducted over two academic years (2015-2016 and 2016-2017) and mothers participated in the baseline survey. The survey was conducted at the beginning of each of the academic years and included questions related to the mother’s household food security status and socio-demographic characteristics, access to resources such as drinking water, kitchen utensils, and coping mechanisms adopted by the families. In addition, the survey included questions related to the food safety and personal hygiene knowledge and practices of mothers. The dietary intake of mothers and anthropometric measurements, including weight, height and waist circumference, were collected by trained dietitians. Results: A total of 277 Syrian refugee mothers of school-aged children, whose consent were secured, were included in the analysis. The majority of mothers reported experiencing severe household f