Children’s Experiences of Food Insecurity in Lebanon: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Recent studies show that child-specific instruments to assess food insecurity describe childhood food insecurity more accurately than parent reports. Whether this is true in the Middle Eastern cultural context is unknown. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 37 children (aged 8–12 years) and their mothers living in food insecure families in Lebanon to explore their experiences and perceptions of food insecurity. Children were able to express their experiences of food insecurity and perceived lack of money as the primary reason for food insecurity. When money and food were insufficient, children expressed emotions such as worry and empathy related to food insecurity, particularly for their siblings and parents. Most mother–child dyad reports were in agreement regarding children’s awareness of food insecurity. These data can be used to develop a well-grounded tool to measure food insecurity in children, and child-specific insight can inform interventions to alleviate food insecurity in the Middle Eastern context. © 2017 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.