Nutritional profile and length of residence in a slum suburb of Beirut

Abstract

This study was carried out to find out the effect on mothers’ nutritional knowledge and nutritional practices and on the growth of their children when Lebanese families move from a rural to a suburban area. Eighty families resident in a Beirut slum suburb were divided into four groups, matched for most socio‐economic factors except duration of residence. Evaluation of families’ nutritional knowledge and nutritional practices showed a trend for better results the longer their urban residence. A similar trend was discerned for child growth. High correlation was found between nutritional practices, nutritional knowledge and child growth. These results tend to suggest, contrary to general belief, that the rapid social change they undergo may improve rather than worsen the nutrition of migrant families to city slums.