scholarly journals Food Insecurity Prevalence, Severity and Determinants in Australian Households during the COVID-19 Pandemic from the Perspective of Women

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 4262
Author(s):  
Sue Kleve ◽  
Christie J. Bennett ◽  
Zoe E. Davidson ◽  
Nicole J. Kellow ◽  
Tracy A. McCaffrey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Household Food Insecurity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Distress Scale

This study aimed to describe the prevalence, severity and socio-demographic predictors of food insecurity in Australian households during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, from the perspective of women. A cross-sectional online survey of Australian (18–50 years) women was conducted. The survey collected demographic information and utilised the 18-item US Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Survey Module and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). A multivariable regression was used to identify predictors of food security status. In this cohort (n = 1005), 19.6% were living in households experiencing food insecurity; with 11.8% experiencing low food-security and 7.8% very low food-security. A further 13.7% of households reported marginal food-security. Poor mental health status (K10 score ≥ 20) predicted household food insecurity at all levels. The presence of more than three children in the household was associated with low food-security (OR 6.24, 95% CI: 2.59–15.03). Those who were renting were 2.10 (95% CI: 1.09–4.05) times likely to experience very low food-security than those owning their own home. The COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to an increased prevalence of household food insecurity. This study supports the need for a range of responses that address mental health, financial, employment and housing support to food security in Australia.

scholarly journals Household Food Insecurity Narrows the Sex Gap in Five Adverse Mental Health Outcomes among Canadian Adults

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geneviève Jessiman-Perreault ◽  
Lynn McIntyre
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Household Food Insecurity ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Significant Difference

The sex gap (i.e., the significant difference in an outcome between men and women) in the occurrence of a variety of mental health conditions has been well documented. Household food insecurity has also repeatedly been found to be associated with a variety of poor mental health outcomes. Although both sex and household food insecurity have received attention individually, rarely have they been examined together to explore whether or how these indicators of two social locations interact to impact common mental health outcomes. Using a pooled sample (N = 302,683) of the Canadian Community Health Survey (2005–2012), we test whether sex modifies the relationship between household food insecurity assessed by the Household Food Security Survey Module and five adverse mental health outcomes, controlling for confounding covariates. Although the sex gap was observed among food secure men versus women, males and females reporting any level of food insecurity were equally likely to report adverse mental health outcomes, compared with those reporting food security. Therefore, household food insecurity seems to narrow the sex gap on five adverse mental health outcomes.

scholarly journals Household Food Insecurity in Southeastern Iran: Severity and Related Factors

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zinat Mortazavi ◽  
Ahmad Reza Dorosty ◽  
Mohammad Reza Eshraghian ◽  
Mohtasham Ghaffari ◽  
Alireza Ansari-Moghaddam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Household Food Insecurity ◽  
Healthy Foods ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Food Security Status

Background.Today, more than one billion people globally suffer from poverty and food insecurity. This study aimed to determine the severity of and factors related to household food insecurity in Zahedan, Southeastern Iran.Methods.This cross-sectional study was conducted on a total of 2,160 households between November 2014 and December 2015. Demographic and socioeconomic data were collected through interviewing the household mothers. Household food security status was assessed through the USDA 18-item questionnaire. The data were analyzed using chi-square test, one-way ANOVA, and logistic regression model.Results.Total food insecurity in the households investigated was 58.8%. There were significant associations (P<0.001) between household food insecurity status and the socioeconomic status of the households, ethnicity, education, age, and employment status of the head of the household and the mother of the household.Discussion.The results showed that more than half of the households examined suffer from food insecurity. Interventions to improve the food security status of people should be designed and implemented to improve people’s knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to healthy eating and food preparation. People’s access to healthy foods and knowledge of how to select healthy foods (especially on a limited budget) should also be improved.

scholarly journals The association of covid-19 infection with household food insecurity among Iranian population

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naser Kalantari ◽  
Neda Ezzeddin ◽  
Hassan Eini-Zinab
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
Healthcare Personnel ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Household Food Insecurity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Infected People ◽  
Household Food

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the association of food insecurity score with the status of Covid-19 infection. Design: An online cross-sectional study. Demographic and socio-economic information were collected by questionnaire. Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) was used in assessing household food security status. The analysis data was done by IBM SPSS 22.0, using Chi-square test, ANOVA test and Multinomial logistic regression model. Setting: Iran Participants: 2871 Iranian adults (over 18 years old) Results: findings indicated that men [OR=0.60, CI= (0.41, 0.87), P<0.05], and healthcare personnel [OR=3.66, CI= (1.90, 7.05), P<0.001] were at higher risk for Covid-19. It was also shown that the food insecurity score is significantly higher among infected people compared to not-infected [OR=1.03, CI= (1.00, 1.05), P<0.05]. The comparison between suspected and not-infected individuals only indicated the significant differences in perceived COVID-19 prevention score, which was higher among not-infected people [OR=0.88, CI=(0.84,0.93), P<0.001]. Conclusion: Based on the results, in addition to long-term policies to improve food security, policymakers and planners need to plan and implement short-term policies (financial or food assistance) to reduce society vulnerability to the Covid-19.

scholarly journals Impact of household food insecurity on maternal mental health in Egypt

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 344-352
Author(s):  
Eman Mahfouz ◽  
Eman Mohammed ◽  
Shaza Alkilany ◽  
Tarek Abdel Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Maternal Mental Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Household Food Insecurity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Household Food ◽  
The Impact

Background: Food insecurity leads to disturbed eating patterns, hunger or poor nutrition and is strongly correlated with poor mental health. Aims: To determine the impact of household food insecurity on maternal mental health in a rural population in Egypt. Methods: This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Qulubba Village in Minia Governorate. We interviewed 497 mothers with at least one child, using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale and Hopkins Symptom Check List-25. Results: Nearly 70% of women resided in food-insecure households. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were significantly more common among food-insecure mothers. By logistic regression analysis, household food insecurity, socioeconomic status, husband working abroad and number of children were significant predictors of maternal distress. Mothers with severe food insecurity were approximately 13 times more likely to experience mental distress than were food secure-mothers. Conclusions: Household food insecurity was associated with an increased likelihood of poor maternal mental health. The study highlights the need for policies to decrease poverty and programmes for screening and addressing food insecurity. Integrating mental health into programmes addressing food insecurity and providing counselling are recommended.

scholarly journals Household Food Security and Nutritional Status of Under-Five-Year Children: A Case Study of Nepal

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajaya Paudel ◽  
Tulsi Ram Bhandari ◽  
Nim Bahadur Dangi
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Nutritional Status ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Household Food Insecurity ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Under Five ◽  
Household Food

Background: Food security refers to accessing to desirable, nutritious, and healthy foods to live a healthy and productive life. Household food insecurity is an underlying cause of malnutrition in children. In this study, the household food security and its influence on the nutritional status of under-five year children were investigated. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted from August to November 2019 in Syangja district of Nepal. Of six rural municipalities of the district, Phedikhola Rural Municipality was selected using the lottery method. We found 905 eligible households that have an under-five year child. A total of 289 children entered the study after considering the 40% overall prevalence rate of malnutrition among children under five years of age.  Data were collected proportionately from each ward considering the health status and anthropometric measurements of children and household food security using a structured interview schedule and the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were applied to assess the situation and determine the association. Results: Food insecurity was observed in more than half (52.3%) of the households. Food insecurity was associated (P < 0.001) with the socioeconomic status of the family. Prevalence of stunting (height-for-age), underweight, and wasting (weight-for-height) in children were 28.7%, 20.0%, and 13.9%, respectively. Food security, exclusive breastfeeding, and initiation time of complementary feeding were significantly associated with wasting and underweight (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Food insecurity and under-five year malnutrition were highly frequent in the study areas. The improvement of educational, occupational, and economic conditions of the households may be a solution to this problem.

scholarly journals Preparing for COVID-19: Household food insecurity and vulnerability to shocks in Nairobi, Kenya

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. e0259139
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Opiyo Onyango ◽  
Jonathan Crush ◽  
Samuel Owuor
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Multilevel Modelling ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Household Food Insecurity ◽  
Preparedness Plan ◽  
Household Food ◽  
New Policies ◽  
Social Safety Nets

An understanding of the types of shocks that disrupt and negatively impact urban household food security is of critical importance to develop relevant and targeted food security emergency preparedness policies and responses, a fact magnified by the current COVID-19 pandemic. This gap is addressed by the current study which draws from the Hungry Cities Partnership (HCP) city-wide household food insecurity survey of Nairobi city in Kenya. It uses both descriptive statistics and multilevel modelling using General Linear Mixed Models (GLMM) to examine the relationship between household food security and 16 different shocks experienced in the six months prior to the administration of the survey. The findings showed that only 29% of surveyed households were completely food secure. Of those experiencing some level of food insecurity, more experienced economic (55%) than sociopolitical (16%) and biophysical (10%) shocks. Economic shocks such as food price increases, loss of employment, and reduced income were all associated with increased food insecurity. Coupled with the lack of functioning social safety nets in Nairobi, households experiencing shocks and emergencies experience serious food insecurity and related health effects. In this context, the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have a major negative economic impact on many vulnerable urban households. As such, there is need for new policies on urban food emergencies with a clear emergency preparedness plan for responding to major economic and other shocks that target the most vulnerable.

scholarly journals Association between Household Food Insecurity and Asthma in Korean Adults

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. 2115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seo-Hee Park ◽  
Byung-Jin Park ◽  
Dong-Hyuk Jung ◽  
Yu-Jin Kwon
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Confidence Intervals ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Asthma Prevalence ◽  
Household Food Insecurity ◽  
Confounding Factors ◽  
Odds Ratios ◽  
Korean Adults ◽  
Household Food

Household food insecurity has been associated with noncommunicable diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between household food insecurity and asthma in Korean adults. Household food security statuses were classified into three groups: Food-secure household, food-insecure household without hunger, and food-insecure household with hunger. The odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the presence of asthma according to household food security status were calculated using multiple logistic regression analyses after adjusting for confounding factors. A total of 14,770 participants were included in the analysis. The prevalence of asthma was 2.6% in those with a secure food status, 3.2% in those with an insecure food status without hunger, and 7.6% in those with an insecure food status with hunger (p < 0.001). Compared with that in participants with a household food secure status, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for asthma were 1.12 (0.73–1.73) in those with a food-insecure household without hunger status and 2.44 (1.33–4.46) in those with a food-insecure household with hunger status after additionally adjusting for confounding factors. We found that household food insecurity with hunger was significantly associated with asthma prevalence in Korean adults. Implementation of household food security screening and public health intervention could be helpful to prevent and reduce asthma in adults.

scholarly journals Household Food Insecurity and the Association with Cumulative Biological Risk among Lower-Income Adults: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 2007–2010

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cindy W. Leung ◽  
Megan S. Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Risk Score ◽  
Risk Scores ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Household Food Insecurity ◽  
Biological Risk ◽  
Health And Nutrition ◽  
Household Food

Household food insecurity has been associated with adverse health outcomes; however, the mechanisms underlying these associations are not well-defined. Using data from 5005 adults from the 2007–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), we examined associations between household food insecurity and cumulative biological risk, a measure of the body’s physiological response to chronic stress. Household food security was assessed using the 18-item Household Food Security Survey Module. Marginal food security refers to 1–2 positive responses, and food insecurity refers to ≥3 positive responses. The cumulative biological risk scores were calculated based on the distributions of ten biomarkers from the cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune systems. Elevated biological risk was defined as a risk score of ≥3. Multivariable regression models were used to examine associations between food security and cumulative biological risk scores, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. After multivariable adjustment, food insecurity was associated with a 0.14-unit higher cumulative biological risk score (95% CI 0.05–0.22, p-trend = 0.003) and higher odds of elevated biological risk (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.05–1.37, p-trend = 0.003). These associations differed by gender. Among women, food insecurity was associated with 0.30-unit higher cumulative biological risk score (95% CI 0.14–0.45, p-trend = 0.0004) and higher odds of elevated biological risk (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.29–2.00, p-trend < 0.0001). These associations were not observed in men. Women experiencing food insecurity demonstrated elevated levels of biological risk. These findings support the hypothesis that food insecurity may be associated with women’s chronic health outcomes through the pathway of chronic stress. Further research is needed to understand why these associations were not observed in men.

scholarly journals The assessment of food security in homeless individuals: a comparison of the Food Security Survey Module and the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale

2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 2254-2259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna C Holland ◽  
Matthew C Kennedy ◽  
Stephen W Hwang
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Homeless Population ◽  
Household Food Insecurity ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Household Food ◽  
The Us ◽  
Food Insecurity Access

AbstractObjectiveTo compare the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), the US Food Security Survey Module (US FSSM) and a modified version of the US FSSM in which references to buying food were changed to references to getting food, in terms of their classification of food security levels among homeless individuals, and to determine which of these instruments was most preferred by homeless individuals.DesignA cross-sectional survey.SettingRecruitment of participants took place at seven shelters and from three drop-in programmes that serve homeless individuals in Toronto, Canada.SubjectsFifty individuals who were ≥18 years of age, able to communicate in English and currently homeless.ResultsThe modified US FSSM assigned 20 % of participants to a lower ordinal food security category compared with the US FSSM, and only 8 % to a higher food security category. The HFIAS assigned 30 % of participants to a lower food security category compared with either the US FSSM or the modified US FSSM, and only 10–16 % of participants to a higher food security category. When asked to compare all three instruments, the majority of respondents (62 %) selected the HFIAS as the best instrument for people who are homeless.ConclusionsA majority of homeless individuals selected the HFIAS as the best food security instrument for people who are homeless. Our findings suggest that the HFIAS is a more appropriate instrument than the US FSSM for measuring food security in the homeless population.

scholarly journals Household food insecurity: a systematic review of the measuring instruments used in epidemiological studies

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 877-892 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emanuele S Marques ◽  
Michael E Reichenheim ◽  
Claudia L de Moraes ◽  
Marina ML Antunes ◽  
Rosana Salles-Costa
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Standard Form ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Measuring Instruments ◽  
Household Food Insecurity ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Psychometric Studies

AbstractObjectiveTo conduct a systematic review aimed at identifying and characterizing the experience-based household food security scales and to synthesize their psychometric properties.DesignSearch in the MEDLINE, LILACS and SciELO databases, using the descriptors (‘food insecurity’ OR ‘food security’) AND (‘questionnaires’ OR ‘scales’ OR ‘validity’ OR ‘reliability’). There was no limitation on the period of publication. All articles had their titles and abstracts analysed by two reviewers. The studies of interest were read in their entirety and the relevant information extracted using a standard form.ResultsThe initial bibliographic search identified 299 articles. Of these, the 159 that seemed to meet the criteria for inclusion were read fully. After consultation of the bibliographic references of these articles, twenty articles and five documents were added, as they satisfied the previously determined criteria for inclusion. Twenty-four different instruments were identified; all were brief and of easy application. The majority were devised in the USA. Forty-seven references reported results of psychometric studies. The instruments that presented the highest number of psychometric studies were the Core Food Security Measurement/Household Food Security Survey Module (CFSM/HFSSM) and the Self-Perceived Household Food Security Scale.ConclusionsThere are a number of structured scales available in the literature for characterization of household food insecurity. However, despite some psychometric studies already existing about the majority of the instruments, it is observed that, except for the studies of the CFSM/HFSSM, these are still restricted to appraisal of a few aspects of reliability and validity.

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