Are low-to-middle-income households experiencing food insecurity in Victoria, Australia? An examination of the Victorian Population Health Survey, 2006–2009

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Kleve ◽  
Zoe E. Davidson ◽  
Emma Gearon ◽  
Sue Booth ◽  
Claire Palermo
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Population Health ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Home Ownership ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Income Levels ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Using Data

Food insecurity affects health and wellbeing. Little is known about the relationship between food insecurity across income levels. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and frequency of food insecurity in low-to-middle-income Victorian households over time and identify factors associated with food insecurity in these households. Prevalence and frequency of food insecurity was analysed across household income levels using data from the cross-sectional 2006–09 Victorian Population Health Surveys (VPHS). Respondents were categorised as food insecure, if in the last 12 months they had run out of food and were unable to afford to buy more. Multivariable logistic regression was used to describe factors associated with food insecurity in low-to-middle-income households (A$40000–$80000 in 2008). Between 4.9 and 5.5% for total survey populations and 3.9–4.8% in low-to-middle-income respondents were food insecure. Food insecurity was associated with limited help from friends, home ownership status, inability to raise money in an emergency and cost of some foods. Food insecurity exists in households beyond those on a very low income. Understanding the extent and implications of household food insecurity across all income groups in Australia will inform effective and appropriate public health responses.

scholarly journals Hand-Washing Practices among Adolescents Aged 12–15 Years from 80 Countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 138
Author(s):  
Lee Smith ◽  
Laurie Butler ◽  
Mark A Tully ◽  
Louis Jacob ◽  
Yvonne Barnett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Hand Washing ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
High Prevalence

The objectives were to (1) assess the prevalence of hand-washing practices across 80 countries and (2) assess frequency of hand-washing practice by economic status (country income and severe food insecurity), in a global representative sample of adolescents. Cross-sectional data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey 2003–2017 were analyzed. Data on age, sex, hand-washing practices in the past 30 days, and severe food insecurity (i.e., proxy of socioeconomic status) were self-reported. Multivariable logistic regression and meta-analysis with random effects based on country-wise estimates were conducted to assess associations. Adolescents (n = 209,584) aged 12–15 years [mean (SD) age 13.8 (1.0) years; 50.9% boys] were included in the analysis. Overall, the prevalence of hand-washing practices were as follows: never/rarely washing hands before eating (6.4%), after using toilet (5.6%), or with soap (8.8%). The prevalence of never/rarely washing hands after using the toilet (10.8%) or with soap (14.3%) was particularly high in low-income countries. Severe food insecurity was associated with 1.34 (95%CI = 1.25–1.43), 1.61 (95%CI = 1.50–1.73), and 1.44 (95%CI = 1.35–1.53) times higher odds for never/rarely washing hands before eating, after using the toilet, and with soap, respectively. A high prevalence of inadequate hand washing practices was reported, particularly in low-income countries and those with severe food insecurity. In light of the present COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid expansion being observed in low- and middle-income locations, interventions that disseminate good hand-washing practices are urgently required. Such interventions may also have cross-over benefits in relation to other poor sanitation-related diseases.

scholarly journals High prevalence of food insecurity, the adverse impact of COVID-19 in Brazilian favela

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Catarina Vezetiv Manfrinato ◽  
Aluízio Marino ◽  
Vitória Ferreira Condé ◽  
Maria do Carmo Pinho Franco ◽  
Elke Stedefeldt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cash Transfer ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Bolsa Familia ◽  
Households With Children ◽  
Families With Children

Abstract Objective: Investigate food insecurity (FI) prevalence in two favelas in Brazil in the early weeks of the social distancing policy, from 27 March 2020 to 1 June 2020. Design: A cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire to elicit information on socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, the types of stores visited to buy food, and FI screening. The FI experience was evaluated according to the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale. Factors associated with moderate or severe FI were investigated using the logistic regression model. Setting: São Paulo city, Brazil Participants: 909 householders Results: Eighty-eight percent of the households included young women working as cleaners or kitchen assistants and in sales services. One-fifth of the participants were involved in the federal cash transfer programme, called Bolsa Família. There were 92% households with children. The most frequent experience reported was uncertainty about food acquisition or receiving more (89%), eating less than one should (64%), not being able to eat healthy and nutritious food (46%), and skipping a meal (39%). Forty-seven percent of the participants experienced moderate or severe FI. Factors associated with moderate and severe FI were low income, being a Bolsa Família recipient, having a low level of education, and living in a household without children. Conclusions: Half of the participants experienced moderate or severe FI, and almost 10% experienced hunger. Our data suggest that families with children were at a lower risk of moderate to severe FI. It is possible that nationally established social programs such as Bolsa Família were protecting those families.

scholarly journals Is the lack of smartphone data skewing wealth indices in low-income settings?

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathieu J. P. Poirier ◽  
Till Bärnighausen ◽  
Guy Harling ◽  
Ali Sié ◽  
Karen A. Grépin
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Wealth Index ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Household Surveys ◽  
Full Model ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Wald Tests ◽  
Using Data

Abstract Background Smartphones have rapidly become an important marker of wealth in low- and middle-income countries, but international household surveys do not regularly gather data on smartphone ownership and these data are rarely used to calculate wealth indices. Methods We developed a cross-sectional survey module delivered to 3028 households in rural northwest Burkina Faso to measure the effects of this absence. Wealth indices were calculated using both principal components analysis (PCA) and polychoric PCA for a base model using only ownership of any cell phone, and a full model using data on smartphone ownership, the number of cell phones, and the purchase of mobile data. Four outcomes (household expenditure, education level, and prevalence of frailty and diabetes) were used to evaluate changes in the composition of wealth index quintiles using ordinary least squares and logistic regressions and Wald tests. Results Households that own smartphones have higher monthly expenditures and own a greater quantity and quality of household assets. Expenditure and education levels are significantly higher at the fifth (richest) socioeconomic status (SES) quintile of full model wealth indices as compared to base models. Similarly, diabetes prevalence is significantly higher at the fifth SES quintile using PCA wealth index full models, but this is not observed for frailty prevalence, which is more prevalent among lower SES households. These effects are not present when using polychoric PCA, suggesting that this method provides additional robustness to missing asset data to measure underlying latent SES by proxy. Conclusions The lack of smartphone data can skew PCA-based wealth index performance in a low-income context for the top of the socioeconomic spectrum. While some PCA variants may be robust to the omission of smartphone ownership, eliciting smartphone ownership data in household surveys is likely to substantially improve the validity and utility of wealth estimates.

scholarly journals High prevalence of food insecurity, the adverse impact of COVID-19 in Brazilian favela

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catarina Vezetiv Manfrinato ◽  
Aluizio Marino ◽  
Vitoria Ferreira Conde ◽  
Maria do Carmo Pinho Franco ◽  
Elke Stedefeldt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cash Transfer ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Bolsa Familia ◽  
Households With Children ◽  
Families With Children

Objective: To investigate food insecurity prevalence in two favelas in Brazil in the early weeks from physical distancing policy, between March 27, 2020 to June 1, 2020. Design: A cross-sectional study using online questionnaire to elicit information on socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, the types of stores visited to buy food and food insecurity screening. Experience of food insecurity was collected according to the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale. Factors associated with moderate or severe food insecurity were investigated using the logistic regression model. Setting: Sao Paulo city, Brazil. Participants: 909 householders. Results: 88% of the households included young women working as cleaners or kitchen assistants and in sales services. One-fifth of the participants were recieving federal cash transfer programme, called Bolsa Familia. There were 92% households with children. The most frequent experience reported was uncertainty about food acquisition or receiving more (89%), to eat less than one should (64%), not being able to eat healthy and nutritious food (46%), and skipping a meal (39%). 47% of the participants experienced moderate or severe food insecurity. Factors associated with moderate and severe food insecurity were low income, being Bolsa Familia recipient, a low level of education, and households without children. Conclusions: Half of the participants experienced moderate or severe food insecurity, and close to ten per cent was hungry. Our data suggest that families with children were at lower risk of moderate to severe food insecurity. It is possible that nationally established social programs like Bolsa Familia were protecting those families.

scholarly journals Hierarchical disentanglement of contextual from compositional risk factors of diarrhoea among under-five children in low- and middle-income countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adeniyi Francis Fagbamigbe ◽  
A. Olalekan Uthman ◽  
Latifat Ibisomi
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
National Level ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Contextual Risk ◽  
Under Five ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Under Five Children ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Low And Middle Income

AbstractSeveral studies have documented the burden and risk factors associated with diarrhoea in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). To the best of our knowledge, the contextual and compositional factors associated with diarrhoea across LMIC were poorly operationalized, explored and understood in these studies. We investigated multilevel risk factors associated with diarrhoea among under-five children in LMIC. We analysed diarrhoea-related information of 796,150 under-five children (Level 1) nested within 63,378 neighbourhoods (Level 2) from 57 LMIC (Level 3) using the latest data from cross-sectional and nationally representative Demographic Health Survey conducted between 2010 and 2018. We used multivariable hierarchical Bayesian logistic regression models for data analysis. The overall prevalence of diarrhoea was 14.4% (95% confidence interval 14.2–14.7) ranging from 3.8% in Armenia to 31.4% in Yemen. The odds of diarrhoea was highest among male children, infants, having small birth weights, households in poorer wealth quintiles, children whose mothers had only primary education, and children who had no access to media. Children from neighbourhoods with high illiteracy [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.07, 95% credible interval (CrI) 1.04–1.10] rates were more likely to have diarrhoea. At the country-level, the odds of diarrhoea nearly doubled (aOR = 1.88, 95% CrI 1.23–2.83) and tripled (aOR = 2.66, 95% CrI 1.65–3.89) among children from countries with middle and lowest human development index respectively. Diarrhoea remains a major health challenge among under-five children in most LMIC. We identified diverse individual-level, community-level and national-level factors associated with the development of diarrhoea among under-five children in these countries and disentangled the associated contextual risk factors from the compositional risk factors. Our findings underscore the need to revitalize existing policies on child and maternal health and implement interventions to prevent diarrhoea at the individual-, community- and societal-levels. The current study showed how the drive to the attainment of SDGs 1, 2, 4, 6 and 10 will enhance the attainment of SDG 3.

scholarly journals Health and Housing Energy Expenditures: A Two-Part Model Approach

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 943
Author(s):  
Fátima Lima ◽  
Paula Ferreira ◽  
Vítor Leal
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Health Expenditures ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Energy Expenditures ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Health Gains ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Part Model ◽  
Model Approach

Interest in the interaction between energy and health within the built environment has been increasing in recent years, in the context of sustainable development. However, in order to promote health and wellbeing across all ages it is necessary to have a better understanding of the association between health and energy at household level. This study contributes to this debate by addressing the case of Portugal using data from the Household Budget Survey (HBS) microdata database. A two-part model is applied to estimate health expenditures based on energy-related expenditures, as well as socioeconomic variables. Additional statistical methods are used to enhance the perception of relevant predictors for health expenditures. Our findings suggest that given the high significance and coefficient value, energy expenditure is a relevant explanatory variable for health expenditures. This result is further validated by a dominance analysis ranking. Moreover, the results show that health gains and medical cost reductions can be a key factor to consider on the assessment of the economic viability of energy efficiency projects in buildings. This is particularly relevant for the older and low-income segments of the population.

scholarly journals Factors associated with serious psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: a nationwide cross-sectional internet-based study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. e051115
Author(s):  
Takashi Yoshioka ◽  
Ryo Okubo ◽  
Takahiro Tabuchi ◽  
Satomi Odani ◽  
Tomohiro Shinozaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Income Level ◽  
Economic Situation ◽  
Serious Psychological Distress ◽  
Sampling Weights ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Caregiving Burden ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Factors Associated

ObjectiveTo investigate the factors associated with serious psychological distress (SPD) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.DesignNationwide cross-sectional study using survey data.SettingInternet survey using sampling weights for national estimates conducted between 25 August and 30 September 2020 in Japan.ExposuresDemographics (age, gender), socioeconomic status (income level, employment type, educational attainment, marital status, family composition and caregiving burden); the experience of domestic violence (DV), the state of emergency and fear of and stigma related to COVID-19.Main outcome measuresPrevalence of SPD, defined as Kessler 6 Scale score ≥13.ResultsAmong 25 482 respondents, 10.0% met the criteria of SPD. Overall, women (adjusted OR (aOR) 1.59; 95% CI 1.17 to 2.16; p=0.003), ages 15–29 (aOR 2.35 compared with ages 45–59 years; 95% CI 1.64 to 3.38; p<0.001), low-income level (aOR 1.70 compared with intermediate income; 95% CI 1.16 to 2.49; p=0.007), providing caregiving to family members (aOR 5.48; 95% CI 3.51 to 8.56; p<0.001), experiencing DV (aOR 5.72; 95% CI 3.81 to 8.59; p<0.001) and fear of COVID-19 (aOR 1.96; 95% CI 1.55 to 2.48; p<0.001) were associated with SPD. Among women aged 15–29 years, who have a higher risk of suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, caregiving, DV, fear of COVID-19 and COVID-19-related stigma were associated with SPD.ConclusionsEconomic situation, caregiving burden, DV and fear of COVID-19 were independently associated with SPD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among young women, similar factors, except economic situation, were associated with SPD. Targeted interventions based on age and gender may be more effective in mitigating the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the population’s mental health.

scholarly journals Where Do I Allocate My Urban Allotment Gardens? Development of a Site Selection Tool for Three Cities in Benin

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 318
Author(s):  
B. G. J. S. Sonneveld ◽  
M. D. Houessou ◽  
G. J. M. van den Boom ◽  
A. Aoudji
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Poor ◽  
Site Suitability ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Allotment Gardens

In the context of rapid urbanization, poorer residents in cities across low- and middle-income countries increasingly experience food and nutrition deficiencies. The United Nations has highlighted urban agriculture (UA) as a viable solution to food insecurity, by empowering the urban poor to produce their own fresh foods and make some profit from surplus production. Despite its potential role in reducing poverty and food insecurity, there appears to be little political will to support urban agriculture. This is seen in unclear political mandates that are sustained by information gaps on selection criteria for UA sites. The research reported here addresses this issue in the form of a decision-making support tool that assesses the suitability of cadastral units and informal plots for allotment gardens in urban and peri-urban areas. The tool was developed and tested for three rapidly expanding cities in Benin, a low-income country in West Africa, based on an ordered logit model that relates a set of 300 expert assessments on site suitability to georeferenced information on biophysical and socio-economic characteristics. Soil, land use, groundwater depth, vicinity to market and women’s safety were significant factors in the assessment. Scaled up across all cadastral units and informal sites, the tool generated detailed baseline maps on site suitability and availability of areas. Its capacity to support policymakers in selecting appropriate sites comes to the fore by reporting changes in site suitability under scenarios of improved soil fertility and enhanced safety for women.

scholarly journals Understanding Food Waste, Food Insecurity, and the Gap between the Two: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study in Saudi Arabia

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 681
Author(s):  
Nora A. Althumiri ◽  
Mada H. Basyouni ◽  
Ali F. Duhaim ◽  
Norah AlMousa ◽  
Mohammed F. AlJuwaysim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Household Factors ◽  
Cooked Food ◽  
The Individual

Background: Food waste and food insecurity may co-exist in various balances in developing and developed countries. This study aimed to explore the levels of food waste and food insecurity, the factors associated with them, and their relationships at the household and individual levels in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This study was a nationwide cross-sectional survey conducted via computer-assisted phone interviews in January 2021. Quota sampling was utilized to generate balanced distributions of participants by gender across all the administrative regions of Saudi Arabia. Data collection included household demographics, food waste and disposal, the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), and the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). Results: Out of the 2807 potential participants contacted, 2454 (87.4%) completed the interview. The mean age was 31.4 (SD = 11.7; range = 18–99) and 50.1% were female. The weighted prevalence of uncooked food waste in the last four weeks was 63.6% and the cooked food waste was 74.4%. However, the food insecurity weighted prevalence at the individual level (FIES) was 6.8%. In terms of food insecurity at the household level (HFIAS), 13.3% were in the “severely food insecure” category. Moreover, this study found that “moderately food insecure” households were associated with an increased likelihood to waste uncooked food (relative risk (RR) = 1.25), and the “mildly food insecure” (RR = 1.21) and “moderately food insecure” (RR = 1.17) households were associated with an increased likelihood to waste cooked food. However, “food secure” households were associated with a decreased likelihood to waste cooked food (RR = 0.56). Finally, this study identified four household factors associated with food waste and three household factors that were associated with “severe food insecurity.” Conclusions: This first national coverage study to explore food waste and food insecurity at the individual level and household level, identified household factors associated with food waste and food insecurity and identified new associations between food waste and food insecurity in Saudi Arabia. The associations found between food waste and food insecurity are potential areas of intervention to reduce both food waste and food insecurity at the same time, toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets related to food waste and food security.

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