title: Nutritional status of Palestinian preschoolers in the Gaza Strip: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The authors examined factors associated with nutritional resilience/vulnerability among preschoolers in the Gaza Strip in 2007, where political violence and deprivation are widespread.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was carried out in 2007 using random sampling of kindergartens in order to select 350 preschoolers. Binary logistic regression was used to compare resilient (adequate nutrition) and vulnerable (stunted) groups with those with moderate nutrition.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately 37% of the subjects demonstrated nutritional resilience and 15% were vulnerable. Factors associated with nutritional resilience were child younger age, normal birth weight, actively hand- or spoon-feeding when the child was below two years, and residential stability in the past two years. The only factor associated with nutritional vulnerability was lower total score on the mother's General Health Questionnaire, which we interpret as a marker of maternal mental health.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children with low-birth weight and older children had worse nutritional resiliency outcomes. Further, poorer outcomes for children were associated with lower maternal mental health status, as well as increased family residential instability. Our results add to the large literature on the pervasive effects of violence and instability on children and underscore the need for resources for early intervention and for the urgent resolution of the Palestinian and other armed conflicts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics, BirZeit University, BirZeit, Palestinian Territory. salwamassad@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Salwa G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Massad
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Nieto
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Palta
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Roseanne
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Abdel-Aziz
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Thabet
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D018912:Arabs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001724:Birth Weight; D002648:Child; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008877:Middle East / Q000453:epidemiology; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011057:Politics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014754:Violence; D035862:Vulnerable Populations