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  • Title: Nutritional status of Bedouin children aged 6-10 years in Lebanon and Syria under different nomadic pastoral systems.
    Author: Baba N, Shaar K, Hamadeh S, Adra N.
    Journal: Ecol Food Nutr; 1994; 32(3-4):247-59. PubMed ID: 12290748.
    Abstract:
    During April-July 1993, anthropometric measurements of 296 children aged 6-10 years from four different Bedouin groups of Lebanon and Syria and interviews with their caretakers were conducted to determine child nutritional status and to examine the association between their diet and nutritional status. The children were from the semi-settled Bedouins of the Beqa'a valley in Lebanon, who practice livestock production and seasonal labor; the transhumant Bedouins of the Akkar area of Lebanon, who follow traditional migration routes between winter quarters in valleys to summer mountain grazing areas; true nomadic groups in Syria with limited access to markets and agricultural produce; and settled Bedouins herding governmental livestock in exchange for food and pay in Syria's Aleppo dessert. The Bedouin children in the Beqa'a valley were less likely to be malnourished than those in the other groups. 6.8% of Beqa'a valley children were severely stunted (2 Z-scores below the reference population) compared to 14.8% of those from the Akkar, 24% from the Palmyra, and 41.1% from the Aleppo. 41.8% of Beqa'a valley children were mildly stunted (1 Z-score below the reference population) compared to their counterparts (43.2%, 69%, and 70.5%, respectively). 3.9% of the Beqa'a valley children were severely underweight compared to 5.7% of the Akkar, 7% of the Palmyra, and 14.7% of the Aleppo. Proportion of mildly underweight children was 26.3% for Beqa'a valley children, 48.9% for Akkar children, 67.5% for Palmyra children, and 64.7% for Aleppo children. The children in the Beqa'a valley had higher intakes of important macronutrients and micronutrients than those from the other groups, confirming that diet and food availability contribute to stunting and underweight in Bedouin children. The arid region with frequent droughts, difficult living conditions, scarcity of fruits and vegetables, and lack of extra income sources likely contributed to the poor nutritional status of the true nomads of Palmyra. Very low intake of nutrients among the Aleppo and Palmyra groups explained their very low nutritional status.
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