scholarly journals Achieving Household Food Security:How Much Land is Required?

Author(s):  
P. Ralevic ◽  
S.G. Patil ◽  
G.W. vanLoo
Keyword(s):  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Renuka Jayatissa ◽  
Himali Herath ◽  
Amila Gayan Perera ◽  
Thulasika Thejani Dayaratne ◽  
Nawmali Dhanuska De Alwis ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives: To determine changes and factors associated with child malnutrition, obesity in women and household food insecurity before and after the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic. Design: A prospective follow up study. Setting: In 2019, the baseline Urban Health and Nutrition Study (UHNS-2019) was conducted in 603 households, which were selected randomly from 30 clusters to represent underserved urban settlements in Colombo. In the present study, 35% of households from the UHNS-2019 cohort were randomly selected for repeat interviews, one year after the baseline study and 6 months after COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka. Height/length and weight of children and women were re-measured, household food insecurity was reassessed, and associated factors were gathered through interviewer administered questionnaires. Differences in measurements at baseline and follow-up studies were compared. Participants: A total of 207 households, comprising 127 women and 109 children were included. Results: The current prevalence of children with wasting and overweight was higher in the follow-up study than at baseline UHNS-2019 (18.3%vs13.7%;p=0.26 and 8.3%vs3.7%;p=0.12 respectively). There was a decrease in prevalence of child stunting (14.7%vs11.9%;p=0.37). A change was not observed in overall obesity in women, which was around 30.7%. Repeated lockdown was associated with a significant reduction in food security from 57% in UHNS-2019 to 30% in the current study (p<0.001). Conclusions: There was an increase in wasting and overweight among children while women had a persistent high prevalence of obesity. This population needs suitable interventions to improve nutrition status of children and women to minimise susceptibility to COVID-19.


Author(s):  
Kelly Cosgrove ◽  
Maricarmen Vizcaino ◽  
Christopher Wharton

Food waste contributes to adverse environmental and economic outcomes, and substantial food waste occurs at the household level in the US. This study explored perceived household food waste changes during the COVID-19 pandemic and related factors. A total of 946 survey responses from primary household food purchasers were analyzed. Demographic, COVID-19-related household change, and household food waste data were collected in October 2020. Wilcoxon signed-rank was used to assess differences in perceived food waste. A hierarchical binomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine whether COVID-19-related lifestyle disruptions and food-related behavior changes increased the likelihood of household food waste. A binomial logistic regression was conducted to explore the contribution of different food groups to the likelihood of increased food waste. Perceived food waste, assessed as the estimated percent of food wasted, decreased significantly during the pandemic (z = −7.47, p < 0.001). Food stockpiling was identified as a predictor of increased overall food waste during the pandemic, and wasting fresh vegetables and frozen foods increased the odds of increased food waste. The results indicate the need to provide education and resources related to food stockpiling and the management of specific food groups during periods of disruption to reduce food waste.


2021 ◽  
pp. 100885
Author(s):  
Sanjeev Kumar ◽  
Nicholas A. Christakis ◽  
Rafael Pérez-Escamilla

Author(s):  
Nicola Luigi Bragazzi ◽  
Dan Beamish ◽  
Jude Dzevela Kong ◽  
Jianhong Wu

Background and Aims: Illicit drug use is an ongoing health and social issue in Canada. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of illicit drug use and its implications for suicidal behaviors, and household food insecurity in Canada. Design: Cross-sectional population survey. Setting: Canada, using the 2015–2016 Canadian Community Health Survey, a nationally representative sample selected by stratified multi-stage probability sampling. Participants: A total of 106,850 respondents aged ≥ 12 years who had completed information on illicit drug use. Measurements: Illicit drug use was assessed through a series of questions about illicit drug use methods. Respondents who reported lifetime illicit drug use but no past-year use were considered to have prior illicit drug use. In this survey, illicit drug use included cannabis use. Findings: Overall, the prevalence of lifetime, past-year, and prior illicit drug use was 33.2% (9.8 million), 10.4% (3.1 million), and 22.7% (6.7 million), respectively. In models adjusting for sociodemographic covariates, prior illicit drug use was significantly associated with increased odds of past-year suicidal ideation (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.21, 95% CI 1.04–1.40), and plans (1.48, 1.15–1.91), and past-year household food insecurity (1.27, 1.14–1.41), and the odds were much higher among prior injecting drug users than prior non-injecting drug users. No significant correlation was found between prior illicit drug use and past-year suicidal attempts, but there was a strong association between past-year illicit drug use and past-year suicidal attempts. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that even after people have stopped taking illicit drugs, prior illicit drug use, especially for prior injecting drug use, continues to be associated with increased risks of subsequent suicidal ideation, and plans, and household food insecurity.


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