NUTRITIONAL STATUS IN PALESTINE

OBJECTIVES NS in Palestine in general . NS from 1967-present. Anemia prevalance among pregnant women. NS among palestinian children. Associations of overweight & weight dissatisfaction among Palestinian adolescents.

Nutritional status in general It is one of the indicators of both: 1-level of development. 2-development potential of a given country . In many developing countries it is linked to the availability of food. It is also an indicator of type of food available , the traditions or habits that developed over time , level of poverty in a given society.

Palestinian nutritional status In past ,It was generally quite good. Since 1969, kilo-calories and fats consumed by residents of the West Bank , Gaza has risen continuously, as have total proteins. Prior to Intifada, ( 1987), calories consumed per capita were more than 2900 (kcals) well above the 2450 Kcals considered by (WHO) to be necessary for a healthy, active , normally sized person, and total proteins consumed were more than 82.4 grams .

The situation of people in the occupied Palestinian territory is deteriorating as a result of the escalation of the conflict compounded by further border closure and curfews throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip since March 2002There have been explicit restrictions on population movements, which hinder the delivery of health care services .

However, 2 areas of concern have developed regarding nutrition. First, 1969-1980, about quality of food consumed by Palestinians, especially in cities, and level of education about nutrition in society. Second, area of concern is more recent and more urgent, though related. Since the Palestinian Intifada (uprising) in 1987, it was shown that nutritional situation in both West Bank and Gaza has deteriorated. The situation has became worse since the Gulf War cases of marasmas, third degree malnutrition.

. It should be noted however, that the ratio of proteins to fats is reversed from what is recommended by WHO, an indication that people tend to eat more energy foods than protein rich foods, a trend commonly associated with lower-income societies .

Assessment of the nutritional status of preschool-age children during the second Intifada in Palestine. Palestinian economy has dramatically deteriorated at all levels since Al-Aqsa Intifada (uprising) began in 2000. . It was also marked by lack of access to food and health care, ( placed children at increased risk of malnutrition and poor health). RESULTS: A total of 3,089 children were assessed, of whom 3.1% in the West Bank and 3.9% in the Gaza Strip were suffering from acute malnutrition. The prevalence of chronic malnutrition was 9.2% in the West Bank and 12.7% in the Gaza Strip .

Anaemia among pregnant Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. RESULTS: Overall anaemia prevalence was 38.6 %. A substantial difference in anaemia prevalence was observed between Gaza Strip & West Bank (44.9 % v. 31.1 %, respectively). Anaemia prevalence was found to increase with age, parity and trimester of gestation. CONCLUSIONS: Anaemia still appears to be a public health problem among pregnant women in spite of UNRWA interventions. West Bank rates = those in neighbouring countries. while Gaza Strip has higher rates. Prevalence rates of anaemia among pregnant Palestinian women are more than two times higher than those observed in Europe.

Associations of overweight and of weight dissatisfaction among Palestinian adolescents: findings from the national study of Palestinian schoolchildren (HBSC-WBG2004( Overweight , obesity & weight dissatisfaction have been increasing in prevalence worldwide. BodY weight dissatisfaction & fear of fatness , main contributors to disordered eating. RESULTS: Although 16.5% of the adolescents were overweight, almost twice that number (32.1%) were dissatisfied with their weight (i.e. dieting or perceiving a need to diet). CONCLUSIONS: Weight dissatisfaction( independent of weight status) is associated with body image, health complaints, risk behaviours and television viewing, and represents a potential health risk factor for adolescents. Preventive interventions should focus not only on weight status, but also on body weight dissatisfaction.

Nutritional status of Palestinian children attending primary health care centers in Gaza. OBJECTIVE: To assess the nutritional status of Palestinian children less than two years old and the associated risk factors. RESULTS: The study showed that the prevalence of anemia was 72.8% among children. Anthropometrical indices showed that the prevalence of wasting, stunting, underweight were 34.3%, 31.4%, 31.45% respectively. CONCLUSION: Palestinian children are at high risk of health problems related to malnutrition. Informing Gazean families about the importance of healthy dietary habits especially breastfeeding could improve child's nutritional status .