Nutritional status of displaced children including unaccompanied minors on Lesvos, Greece

The number of displaced people worldwide has reached an unprecedented 120 million, of whom 40% are children. There is limited knowledge about the health of children in refugee camps, particularly regarding their nutritional status. This study examines the nutritional status of 304 displaced children (0-18 years) in Closed Controlled Access Centre (CCAC) Mavrovouni, Lesvos, Greece. An observational study was conducted between February and August 2023 at CCAC Mavrovouni. Data collection included demographics, dietary details, health and nutritional status. The primary outcome was the prevalence of wasting, stunting and overweight using World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. We also conducted subgroup analyses for unaccompanied minors (UAMs) separately. Secondary outcomes of our study included the role of breastfeeding and other factors that potentially affect nutritional status. The overall prevalence of stunting among minors in CCAC at baseline was 11%. 10% of children under five were wasted. Of all children, 5% underweight and 13% were overweight. Nutritional status does not change during their stay in the camp: wasting (improvement in Z-score by 0.2, 95% CI -0.5-0.1), stunting (decrease in Z-score by 0.07, 95% CI -0.2-0.3). There was a significantly higher prevalence of stunting in the UAM sub-group (31%, p<0.01). No association was found between breastfeeding and weight-for-height Z-scores under two years old (Z-score difference of 1.3, p=1.18), but there was in the larger age group up to five (Z-score difference of 0.82, p<0.01). Our results show that poor nutritional status is prevalent amongst displaced children on Lesvos, highlighting their vulnerability. Our results underline the compromised health and vulnerability of UAMs, with nearly one third of this group being stunted.. The unexpected prevalence of overweight highlights complex nutritional challenges.