Food insecurity among adults residing in disadvantaged urban areas: potential health and dietary consequences

AbstractObjectiveFood insecurity is the limited or uncertain availability or access to nutritionally adequate, culturally appropriate and safe foods. Food insecurity may result in inadequate dietary intakes, overweight or obesity and the development of chronic disease. Internationally, few studies have focused on the range of potential health outcomes related to food insecurity among adults residing in disadvantaged locations and no such Australian studies exist. The objective of the present study was to investigate associations between food insecurity, sociodemographic and health factors and dietary intakes among adults residing in disadvantaged urban areas.DesignData were collected by mail survey (n505, 53 % response rate), which ascertained information about food security status, demographic characteristics (such as age, gender, household income, education) fruit and vegetable intakes, takeaway and meat consumption, general health, depression and chronic disease.SettingDisadvantaged suburbs of Brisbane city, Australia, 2009.SubjectsIndividuals aged ≥ 20 years.ResultsApproximately one in four households (25 %) was food insecure. Food insecurity was associated with lower household income, poorer general health, increased health-care utilisation and depression. These associations remained after adjustment for age, gender and household income.ConclusionsFood insecurity is prevalent in urbanised disadvantaged areas in developed countries such as Australia. Low-income households are at high risk of experiencing food insecurity. Food insecurity may result in significant health burdens among the population, and this may be concentrated in socio-economically disadvantaged suburbs.

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Rural SNAP Participants and Food Insecurity: How Can Communities Leverage Resources to Meet the Growing Food Insecurity Status of Rural and Low-Income Residents?

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17176037 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (17) ◽

pp. 6037

Author(s):

Emily DeWitt ◽

Rachel Gillespie ◽

Heather Norman-Burgdolf ◽

Kathryn M. Cardarelli ◽

Stacey Slone ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Low Income ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Household Income ◽

Vegetable Consumption ◽

The United States ◽

Dietary Intakes ◽

Annual Household Income ◽

Health Promoting

The burden of obesity disproportionately influences poor health outcomes in rural communities in the United States. Various social and environmental factors contribute to inadequate food access and availability in rural areas, influencing dietary intakes and food insecurity rates. This study aims to identify patterns related to food insecurity and fruit and vegetable consumption within a SNAP-eligible and low-income, highly obese rural Appalachian community. A prospective cohort was implemented to identify gaps in resources addressing obesity and food insecurity challenges. SAS 9.4 software was used to examine differences in dietary intakes and shopping practices among SNAP participants. Among participants (n = 152), most reported an annual household income less than USD 20,000 (n = 90, 60.4%), 29.1% reported food insecurity, and 39.5% reported receiving SNAP benefits within the last month. The overall mean FV intake was 3.46 daily servings (95% CI: 3.06–3.91) among all participants. SNAP participation was associated with food insecurity (p = 0.007) and those participating in SNAP were two times more likely to report being food insecure (OR = 2.707, 95% CI: 1.317, 5.563), relative to non-participants. These findings further depict the need for intervention, as the burden of food insecurity persists. Tailoring health-promoting initiatives to consider rurality and SNAP participation is vital for sustainable success among these populations.

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The Association Between Household Income, Food Security, and Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease in Elderly Patients

10.21203/rs.3.rs-913699/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Hyuk Huh ◽

Je Hun Song ◽

Hong Yeop Kim ◽

Hoseok Koo ◽

Kyung Don Yoo

Keyword(s):

Chronic Kidney Disease ◽

Food Security ◽

Chronic Disease ◽

Kidney Disease ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Low Income ◽

Household Income ◽

The Elderly ◽

Income Level ◽

Elderly Group

Abstract This study aimed to clarify the association between food security and the prevalence of chronic disease. We analyzed the variables of The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey V (2010–2012), and VI (2013–2015) while merging data of the food security questionnaire of four years. We included 15,945 participants, performed propensity score matched analysis by quartile of household income (i.e., low, low-mid, high-mid, high) and sex, and presented the results by age group. Systolic blood pressure and proportion of current smokers were significantly higher in the elderly group, compared with the middle-aged group. The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), metabolic syndrome, and chronic kidney disease (CKD) did not differ significantly by income level in the elderly group. The food security questionnaire revealed that food security insurance was significantly lower in the low-income level (1st quartile), compared with that in the high-income level (4th quartile). The logistic regression analysis for the association between the prevalence of chronic disease and food insecurity confirmed no significant association with hypertension and DM. Food insecurity might be associated with CKD prevalence, especially in the elderly population.

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

Land ◽

10.3390/land10030318 ◽

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.

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Food Insecurity Is Associated with Chronic Disease among Low-Income NHANES Participants

Journal of Nutrition ◽

10.3945/jn.109.112573 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 140 (2) ◽

pp. 304-310 ◽

Cited By ~ 573

Author(s):

Hilary K. Seligman ◽

Barbara A. Laraia ◽

Margot B. Kushel

Keyword(s):

Chronic Disease ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Low Income

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Persistent and aggressive interactions with the police: potential mental health implications

Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences ◽

10.1017/s2045796019000015 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

J.L. Hirschtick ◽

S.M. Homan ◽

G. Rauscher ◽

L.H. Rubin ◽

T.P. Johnson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Low Income ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Future Research ◽

Ptsd Symptoms ◽

Potential Health ◽

Health Implications ◽

Aggressive Interactions ◽

Current Ptsd

Abstract Aims Little is known about the potential health impact of police encounters despite a ubiquitous police presence in many disadvantaged urban environments. In this paper, we assess whether persistent or aggressive interactions with the police are associated with poor mental health outcomes in a sample of primarily low-income communities of colour in Chicago. Methods Between March 2015 and September 2016, we surveyed 1543 adults in ten diverse Chicago communities using a multistage probability design. The survey had over 350 questions on health and social factors, including police exposure and mental health status. We use sex-stratified logistic regression to examine associations between persistent police exposure (defined as a high number of lifetime police stops) or aggressive police exposure (defined as threat or use of police force during the respondent's most recent police stop) and the presence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depressive symptoms. Results Men reporting a high number of lifetime police stops have three times greater odds of current PTSD symptoms compared with men who did not report high lifetime police stops (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.3–7.6), after adjusting for respondent age, race/ethnicity, education, history of homelessness, prior diagnosis of PTSD and neighbourhood violent crime rate. Women reporting a high number of lifetime police stops have two times greater odds of current PTSD symptoms, although the results are not statistically significant after adjustment (OR 2.0, 95% CI 0.9–4.2). Neither persistent nor aggressive police exposure is significantly associated with current depressive symptoms in our sample. Conclusions Our findings support existing preliminary evidence of an association between high lifetime police stops and PTSD symptoms. If future research can confirm as causal, these results have considerable public health implications given the frequent interaction between police and residents in disadvantaged communities in large urban areas.

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Accessibility of summer meals and the food insecurity of low-income households with children

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980016000033 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 19 (11) ◽

pp. 2079-2089 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Daniel P Miller

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Low Income ◽

Urban Areas ◽

California Health Interview Survey ◽

Lower Probability ◽

Geographic Accessibility ◽

Households With Children ◽

The Impact ◽

Low Income Households

AbstractObjectiveAlmost no previous research has examined the impact of the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Summer Food Service Program and related Seamless Summer Option, which provide meals and snacks to low-income children over the summer. The present study investigated whether geographic accessibility of summer meals programme sites (a proxy for programme participation) was associated with food insecurity for low-income households.DesignThe study used data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) and administrative data on summer meals sites in California. Geocoding was used to calculate driving time between CHIS households and nearby summer meals sites. Geographic accessibility was measured using a gravity model, which accounted for the spatially distributed supply of and demand for summer meals. Food insecurity and very low food security were measured using a standard six-item measure from the USDA.SubjectsLow-income families with children (n5394).SettingA representative surveillance study of non-institutionalized households in California.ResultsGeographic accessibility was not associated with food insecurity. However, geographic accessibility was associated with a significantly lower probability of very low food security in the full sample and among households with younger children and those living in less urban areas.ConclusionsThe USDA’s summer meals programme may be effective at reducing the most severe form of food insecurity for low-income households with children. Expanding the number of summer meals sites, the number of meals served at sites and sites’ hours of operation may be effective strategies to promote nutritional health over the summer months.

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Household Characteristics and Food Security in Low-Income Urban Areas of South Africa

MANAGEMENT AND ECONOMICS REVIEW ◽

10.24818/mer/2021.12-08 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 263-276

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Food Security ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Low Income ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Household Head ◽

Household Size ◽

Binary Logistic Regression Model ◽

Gauteng Province ◽

Food Markets

In South Africa, food security at the household level is an issue still needing empirical attention. This study conducts an empirical analysis on the effect of household size, income of household head, gender of household head, location of the household, and distance from food markets on food security in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. A binary logistic regression model is estimated to analyze determinants of food security from 900 households randomly selected from three townships of Gauteng Province, South Africa. Data was collected using a survey questionnaire, with food security measured by the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. This study shows that the income of the household head promotes food security while household size and location of the household contribute to food insecurity. Our results also show that the gender of the household head is essential in maintaining sustainable levels of food security. Furthermore, it was found that the distance from food markets neither makes households food secure nor insecure. This study validates that matriarchal households exhibited comparatively greater food security than male-headed households. The findings of this study are essential in formulating policy on food security in low-income areas.

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Household Income Diversification and Food Security: Evidence from Rural and Semi-Urban Areas in Ethiopia

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11123232 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 3232 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Bekele Gebisa Etea ◽

Deyi Zhou ◽

Kidane Assefa Abebe ◽

Dessalegn Anshiso Sedebo

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Household Income ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Binary Logistic Regression ◽

Ordinary Least Squares ◽

Least Square ◽

Estimation Methods ◽

Income Diversification ◽

Access To Food

Reducing food insecurity remains a major public policy challenge in developing countries. Food insecurity becomes severe in areas where households highly depend on undiversified livelihoods. However, studies linking household income diversification to food security are limited. This study, therefore, examined the effect of income diversification on food security in the Ambo district, Ethiopia. A survey of rural (n = 175) and semi-urban (n = 175) households was conducted. The Simpson’s index of diversity (SID) was used to measure the level of household income diversity. Food security (access) was measured using the daily calorie consumption (nutrition-based) and the household food insecurity access scale (HFIAS) (experience-based) methods. Consequently, we used binary logistic regression and ordinary least squares (OLS) estimation methods to determine the effect of household income diversity on food security. The instrumental variable (IV) method was also employed to overcome an endogeneity bias. The results revealed that the level of household income diversification was low, and the majority of households were food insecure. The binary logistic and the second-stage least square (2SLS) regression results suggested that income diversification contributes significantly and positively to food security in the study areas. Therefore, we conclude that income diversification reduces food insecurity by enhancing households’ access to food.

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Food insecurity among postsecondary students in developed countries

British Food Journal ◽

10.1108/bfj-08-2017-0450 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 120 (11) ◽

pp. 2660-2680 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Sarah Dawn Lee ◽

Mahitab Hanbazaza ◽

Geoff D.C. Ball ◽

Anna Farmer ◽

Katerina Maximova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Quality Assessment ◽

Low Income ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Postsecondary Students ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Content Type ◽

Quantitative Studies ◽

The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to conduct a narrative review of the food insecurity literature pertaining to university and college students studying in Very High Human Development Index countries. It aims to document food insecurity prevalence, risk factors for and consequences of food insecurity and food insecurity coping strategies among students. Design/methodology/approach English articles published between January 2000 and November 2017 were identified using electronic databases. Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies assessed the study quality of quantitative research. Findings A total of 37 quantitative, three mixed-methods and three qualitative studies were included from 80,914 students from the USA (n=30 studies), Australia (n=4), Canada (n=8) and Poland (n=1). Prevalence estimates of food insecurity were 9–89 percent. All quantitative studies were rated weak based on the quality assessment. Risk factors for food insecurity included being low income, living away from home or being an ethnic minority. Negative consequences of food insecurity were reported, including reduced academic performance and poor diet quality. Strategies to mitigate food insecurity were numerous, including accessing food charities, buying cheaper food and borrowing resources from friends or relatives. Research limitations/implications Given the heterogeneity across studies, a precise estimate of the prevalence of food insecurity in postsecondary students is unknown. Practical implications For many students studying in wealthy countries, obtaining a postsecondary education might mean enduring years of food insecurity and consequently, suffering a range of negative academic, nutritional and health outcomes. There is a need to quantify the magnitude of food insecurity in postsecondary students, to inform the development, implementation and evaluation of strategies to reduce the impact of food insecurity on campus. Originality/value This review brings together the existing literature on food insecurity among postsecondary students studying in wealthy countries to allow a better understanding of the condition in this understudied group.

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The Welfare Effects of Carbon Tax on Chinese Households: A Study Based on the 2013 Chip Survey Data

Chinese Journal of Urban and Environmental Studies ◽

10.1142/s2345748120500190 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 2050019

Author(s):

LI Xuehui ◽

LI Zhi ◽

WANG Zhengxin

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Household Income ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Carbon Tax ◽

Rural Households ◽

High Income ◽

Cyclic Utilization ◽

Urban Rural ◽

Low Income Households

Based on the micro-data from the 2013 Chinese Household Income Project (CHIP) Survey, the authors use a Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System (QUAIDS) model to simulate and measure the impacts on the welfare of urban and rural households with different incomes after a carbon tax at 50[Formula: see text]RMB/ton was levied in China. The results show that the collection of carbon tax will increase households’ consumer spending to varying degrees. In urban areas, the carbon tax exerts the greatest impact on low-income households, followed by high-income households; while in rural areas, it has the most significant effects on high-income households and the least on low-income households. On the whole, carbon tax’s impact on urban households is greater than that on rural households. To a certain extent, it can help the household income inequality change for the better and narrow the urban–rural income gap. Since the carbon tax does not act on the distribution of Chinese household income in a simply regressive or progressive way, the authors believe that China should implement supporting policies such as tax subsidies or tax refund as supplements to carbon taxation in an effort to establish a mechanism for cyclic utilization of carbon tax revenue.

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