Changes in nutritional status among displaced North Korean children living in South Korea.

BACKGROUND

As many nations experience the nutrition transition, changes in the nutritional status of children moving from food insecure to food affluent societies has become an important, but infrequently studied, public health issue.

AIM

To determine changes in the nutritional status of North Korean children after relocating to food-affluent South Korea (SK) from food-deficient North Korea (NK) and relationships of current nutritional status with food environment at birth and exposure to food affluent environments.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Socioeconomic status, relocation history and anthropometric information were obtained from 70 NK children (6-15 years) living in SK, through questionnaires, interviews and direct measurements.

RESULTS

Following the first 2 years in SK, the height and weight of NK children significantly (p = 0.000) improved, yet they were still shorter (p = 0.000) than SK peers, while the prevalence of obesity was similar to those of SK children. The likelihood of remaining stunted was significantly associated with older age and shorter residency in SK (p < 0.05), but there was no significant association with food security situation at birth.

CONCLUSION

Even a short exposure to food affluent environments improved the nutritional status among children, but linear growth deficits are slow to recover as overall nutritional status remains poor compared to peers without exposures to food insecurity.