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. 2024 Jan 9;20(2):e13609. doi: 10.1111/mcn.13609

Table 1.

Summary of included studies characteristics.

Author, year country Year of data collection Study design Subjects (n) Age (months) Prevalence of HFI Prevalence of outcome Main results
(Belayneh et al., 2020) Ethiopia March to December 2017 Prospective cohort 935 6−47 months

Food secure: 3.2%;

Food insecurity mild: 3.8%;

Food insecurity moderate: 5.0%;

Food insecurity severe: 6.6%

 Stunting: 43%

Food insecurity severe: Ref

Food security associated with stunting: (aOR: 1.28; 95% CI: 0.72−2.26)

Food security mild associated with stunting: (aOR: 1.35; 95% CI: 0.78−2.35)

Food insecurity moderate associated with stunting: (aOR: 1.01; 95% CI: 0.71−1.45)
(Cook et al. 2006) United States (US) 1998 to 2004 Prospective cohort 17,130 ≤36 months

Food Secure: 78%;

HFI: 10%;

H& CFI:12%.

 Children with risk for growth problems: 44%

HFI: (aOR, TANF controlled: 1.09; 95% CI: 0.93−1.28)

(aOR, FSP controlled: 1.10; 95% CI: 0.94−1.30)

H&CFI: (aOR, TANF controlled: 1.02; 95% CI: 0.88−1.19)

(aOR, FSP controlled: 1.02; 95% CI: 0.87−1.19)
(Harper et al. 2023) South Africaa 2008 to 2012 Prospective cohort 1391 Birth to 55 months Food poverty line (R274) (equivalent to 42.16 USD): 81.2%

Stunted: 17.8%;

Severely stunted: 14.4%

Food poverty line (R274) and stunting: (aRR: 2.31; 95% CI: 1.27−4.22; p = 0.006)

Food poverty line (R274) and severe stunting: (aRR: 1.21; 95% CI: 0.69−2.12; p = 0.498)
(Kabalo & Lindtjørn, 2022) Ethiopia June 2017 to June 2018 Prospective cohort 907 Mean: 33.4 (SD: 11.7) months HFI: 74.2% Stunting: 32.1% Household food insecurity associated with stunting: (β = 0.063; 95% CI: −0.066 to 0.192)
(Koyratty et al., 2022) Zimbabwean November 2012 to March 2015 Retrospective cohort 1166 1 at 18 months HFI: 100% Stunting: 35.6% From M1 to M18 (β = −0.09; 95% CI: −0.17 to 0.01)
(Mutisya et al., 2015) Kenya 2006 to 2012 Prospective cohort 6858 Between 6 and 23 months

Food secure: 28%;

Moderate food insecure: 50%;

Severely food insecure: 22%.

 Stunting: 49%

Food secure: 1 (reference)

Moderate food insecure: (HR: 1.12; 95% CI: 1.02−1.22)

Severely food insecure: (HR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.02−1.22)
(Na et al., 2020) Bangladesh Not reported Prospective cohort 12,693 Birth at 6 months

Food‐secure: 48.7%;

Mild food insecurity: 20.4%;

Moderate food insecurity: 15.7%;

Severe food insecurity: 15.2%.

 Stunting: not reported

Food‐secure households: (reference group) Adjusted for infant and maternal factors

Mild food insecurity (aOR: 1.05; 95% CI: 0.94−1.16)

Moderate food insecurity (aOR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.11−1.39)

Severe food insecurity (aOR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.24−1.56)
(Namirembe et al., 2022) Uganda Between 2014 and 2016 Prospective cohort 4528 0 at 12 months

Food secure: 38.2%;

Mildly food insecure: 24.8%;

Moderately food insecure: 23.2%;

Severely food insecure: 13.8%.

 Stunting: 79%

Food insecurity associated with chronically stunted: (β = 0.183; 95% CI: −0.129 to 0.495)

Food insecurity associated with recovery group: (β = −0.107; 95% CI: −0.426 to 0.212)

Food insecurity associated with borderline stunted: (β = −0.354; 95% CI: −0.623 to −0.085)
(Oduro et al., 2022) Kenya Between 2010 and 2014 Prospective cohort 692 0 and 36 months

Food secure: 25%;

Moderately food insecure: 17%;

Severely food insecure: 58%.

Normal: 23%;

Marginally stunted: 26%;

Moderately stunted: 21%;

Severely stunted: 30%.

Transition (state normal‐marginally stunted): Hunger scale (ref = Food secure)

Moderately food insecure: (HR: 0.8622; 95% CI: 0.3189−2.331)

Severely food insecure: (HR: 0.3934; 95% CI: 0.1445, 1.0708)

Transition (state marginally stunted‐normal): Hunger scale (ref = Food secure)

Moderately food insecure: (HR: 0.8376; 95% CI: 0.3262−2.151)

Severely food insecure: (HR: 0.3487; 95% CI: 0.1351−0.8997)

Transition (state marginally stunted‐moderately stunted): Hunger scale (ref = Food secure)

Moderately food insecure: (HR: 2.4362; 95% CI: 1.3037−4.552)

Severely food insecure:(HR: 1.2696; 95% CI: 0.7795−2.0679)

Transition (state moderately stunted‐ marginally stunted): Hunger scale (ref = Food secure)

Moderately food insecure: (HR: 2.8500; 95% CI: 1.5761−5.154)

Severely food insecure: (HR: 1.6450; 95% CI: 1.0643−2.5427)

Transition (state moderately stunted‐severely stunted): Hunger scale (ref = Food secure)

Moderately food insecure: (HR: 0.4177; 95% CI: 0.1172−1.489)

Severely food insecure: (HR: 0.4033; 95% CI: 0.1313−1.2387)

Transition (state severely stunted‐ moderately stunted):

Hunger scale (ref = Food secure)

Moderately food insecure: (HR: 0.9433; 95% CI: 0.2503−3.555)

Severely food insecure: (HR: 0.4642; 95% CI: 0.1423−1.5142)

Abbreviations: aRR, adjusted relative risk; aOR, odds ratio adjusted; CI, confidence interval; FSP, food stamp program (FSP); HFI, household food insecurity; H&CFI, household and child food insecurity; HR, hazard ratio; OR, odds ratio; SE, standard error; TANF, temporary assistance to needy families; β, Beta.

a

Not included in the meta‐analysis because it was not possible to calculate the OR with the data available.