The Double Burden of Malnutrition in Egyptian Children

Naa Dodua Dodoo, Regional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra

With changes in economic and social structures in developing countries in recent years, the diets and lifestyles of populations have evolved, resulting in a greater incidence of obesity. Children have not been left out of this transition. However, problems with undernutrition still exist, and in some countries a significant proportion of these children have had to grapple with being chronically undernourished in the past, and overnourished in the short term. They are therefore both stunted and obese. This paper explores the incidence of concurrent stunting and obesity among children under five years of age in Egypt, using data from the 2005 Egypt Demographic and Health Survey. Results indicate that the relationship between simultaneous stunting and obesity, and socioeconomic and demographic factors is a complex one. Further study needs to be done to tease out the factors that influence stunting and obesity and the pathways via which they operate.