TY - JOUR
T1 - Global update and trends of hidden hunger, 1995-2011
T2 - The hidden hunger Index
AU - Ruel-Bergeron, Julie C.
AU - Stevens, Gretchen A.
AU - Sugimoto, Jonathan D.
AU - Roos, Franz F.
AU - Ezzati, Majid
AU - Black, Robert E.
AU - Kraemer, Klaus
N1 - Funding Information:
The preparation of this manuscript was funded by Sight and Life. The estimation of micronutrient deficiencies (iron-amenable anemia, vitamin A, and stunting) was developed and commissioned by the WHO; these estimates are published elsewhere.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Ruel-Bergeron et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
PY - 2015/12/1
Y1 - 2015/12/1
N2 - Background: Deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals-also termed hidden hunger-are pervasive and hold negative consequences for the cognitive and physical development of children. Methods: This analysis evaluates the change in hidden hunger over time in the form of one composite indicator-the Hidden Hunger Index (HHI)-using an unweighted average of prevalence estimates from the Nutrition Impact Model Study for anemia due to iron deficiency, vitamin A deficiency, and stunting (used as a proxy indicator for zinc deficiency). Net changes from 1995-2011 and population weighted regional means for various time periods are measured. Findings: Globally, hidden hunger improved (-6.7 net change in HHI) from 1995-2011. Africa was the only region to see a deterioration in hidden hunger (+1.9) over the studied time period; East Asia and the Pacific performed exceptionally well (-13.0), while other regions improved only slightly. Improvements in HHI were mostly due to reductions in zinc and vitamin A deficiencies, while anemia due to iron deficiency persisted and even increased. Interpretation: This analysis is critical for informing and tracking the impact of policy and programmatic efforts to reduce micronutrient deficiencies, to advance the global nutrition agenda, and to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). However, there remains an unmet need to invest in gathering frequent, nationally representative, high-quality micronutrient data as we renew our efforts to scale up nutrition, and as we enter the post-2015 development agenda. Funding: Preparation of this manuscript was funded by Sight and Life. There was no funding involved in the study design, data collection, analysis, or decision to publish.
AB - Background: Deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals-also termed hidden hunger-are pervasive and hold negative consequences for the cognitive and physical development of children. Methods: This analysis evaluates the change in hidden hunger over time in the form of one composite indicator-the Hidden Hunger Index (HHI)-using an unweighted average of prevalence estimates from the Nutrition Impact Model Study for anemia due to iron deficiency, vitamin A deficiency, and stunting (used as a proxy indicator for zinc deficiency). Net changes from 1995-2011 and population weighted regional means for various time periods are measured. Findings: Globally, hidden hunger improved (-6.7 net change in HHI) from 1995-2011. Africa was the only region to see a deterioration in hidden hunger (+1.9) over the studied time period; East Asia and the Pacific performed exceptionally well (-13.0), while other regions improved only slightly. Improvements in HHI were mostly due to reductions in zinc and vitamin A deficiencies, while anemia due to iron deficiency persisted and even increased. Interpretation: This analysis is critical for informing and tracking the impact of policy and programmatic efforts to reduce micronutrient deficiencies, to advance the global nutrition agenda, and to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). However, there remains an unmet need to invest in gathering frequent, nationally representative, high-quality micronutrient data as we renew our efforts to scale up nutrition, and as we enter the post-2015 development agenda. Funding: Preparation of this manuscript was funded by Sight and Life. There was no funding involved in the study design, data collection, analysis, or decision to publish.
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U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0143497
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0143497
M3 - Article
C2 - 26673631
AN - SCOPUS:84956922350
VL - 10
JO - PLoS One
JF - PLoS One
SN - 1932-6203
IS - 12
M1 - e0143497
ER -