The Pathway Study: Commonalities Across New Food Bank Users in Rural, Suburban and Urban Areas

Abstract Background Few studies investigate long-term effects of food donation programs on food insecurity, diet, social integration or health. We describe household food insecurity (HFI), health, social integration and sociodemographic characteristics of 1003 new food banks users in rural, suburban and urban areas in Quebec, Canada. Methods Adults requesting food aid for the first time in the past 6 months were recruited in 117 food aid organizations (32 in rural, 35 in suburban, 50 in urban areas) using a nested sampling technique. Baseline data were collected from Sept 2018 to Jan 2020 in computer-assisted face-to-face interviews. Participants will be followed biennially. HFI was assessed with the 18-item Household Food Security Survey Module. Perceived physical and mental health scores were assessed with the SF12V2 module. Psychological distress and social integration were assessed with the Kessler scale K6+ and a modified version of MSPSS Scale. Differences across groups were tested with Chi square, ANOVA and post-hoc tests. Results Most participants reported high levels of materiel deprivation, with some variability across settings. Severe HFI was more prevalent in rural (51%) and urban (47%) areas than in suburbs (38%). More urban participants reported <20000 CAN$/yr (79% vs 74% in suburbs and 69% in rural) although low education level was more prevalent in rural areas (82% reported <12th grade education vs. 67% in suburban and 64% in urban areas). Psychological distress was higher in the suburbs (28%) compared to urban (21%) or rural areas (22%). No differences were detected across settings in social integration or physical or mental health scores. Conclusions New users of food banks report markedly high levels of material, social and health-related deprivation. In-depth analyses will permit more meaningful interpretation of these differences. The Pathways Study will permit better understanding of the life experience of persons requesting food assistance. Key messages People demanding food aid for the first time reported high levels of materiel deprivation, with some variability across settings. Severe housefold insecurity is around 50% among new food aid demanders in rural and urban settings.

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Household food insecurity, income loss, and symptoms of psychological distress among adults following the Cyclone Amphan in coastal Bangladesh

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0259098 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (11) ◽

pp. e0259098

Author(s):

Ahmed Hossain ◽

Bayes Ahmed ◽

Taifur Rahman ◽

Peter Sammonds ◽

Shamrita Zaman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Food Security ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Psychological Symptoms ◽

Household Food Insecurity ◽

Income Loss ◽

Coastal Bangladesh ◽

Household Food ◽

High Prevalence

Introduction Cyclone Amphan swept into Bangladesh’s southwestern coast at the end of May 2020, wreaking havoc on food security and economic stability, as well as possibly worsening mental health. We studied the prevalence of post-cyclone stressors in adults following the cyclone and its association with symptoms of psychological distress. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study in a coastal district of Bangladesh. A five-item brief symptom rating scale was used to measure the symptoms of psychological distress. Household food insecurity was measured using the USAID Household Food Insecurity Access Scale questionnaire. We estimated adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) using robust log-linear models adjusted for potential confounders. Results A total of 478 adults (mean [SD] age, 37.0[12.6] years; 169[35.4%] women) participated in the study. The prevalence of moderate-to-severe psychological symptoms and suicidal ideation was 55.7% and 10.9%, respectively. Following the cyclone, 40.8% of the adults reported severe food insecurity, and 66% of them reported moderate-to-severe mental health symptoms. Also, 54.4% of women and 33.7% of men reported severe food insecurity in the households. Moreover, 25.5% of respondents reported no income or a significant income loss after the cyclone, and 65.5% of them had moderate-to-severe psychological symptoms. Also, 13.8% of respondents reported housing displacement because of severely damaged houses, and 68.2% of them reported moderate-to-severe psychological symptoms. The high prevalence of mental health symptoms was found in women (aPR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.06–1.82), people with severe food insecurity (aPR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.01–2.64), and people who lost jobs or lost a major income source (aPR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.02–1.54). Conclusion Following cyclone Amphan, many low-income individuals saw their income drop drastically while others were unemployed and living with severe food insecurity. The result suggests gender inequalities in food-security after the cyclone. Immediate action is needed to ensure household food-security for reducing the burden of mental illness. Rising opportunities of paid-jobs and decreasing income-loss, especially for the poor people, can have a protective impact on psychological distress. However, due to the high prevalence of severe psychological symptoms, long-term mental health services are required among the population of coastal Bangladesh.

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Prevalence and Factors Associated to Household Food Insecurity During COVID-19 Outbreak

Jurnal Ilmu Kesehatan Masyarakat ◽

10.26553/jikm.2021.12.2.143-153 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 143-153

Author(s):

Dian Luthfiana Sufyan ◽

Muhammad Nur Hasan Syah ◽

Nurbaya

Keyword(s):

Food Insecurity ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Family Income ◽

Food System ◽

Reproductive Age ◽

Household Food Security ◽

Household Food Insecurity ◽

Alternative Source ◽

Household Food

COVID-19 outbreak added unprecedented threatens to the food system worldwide. The enactment of social restriction regulation by several provinces in Indonesia may give an impact to household food security. Economical access to food might be compromised since the application of work from home policy, particularly for those who earn income from informal sector jobs. This study aims to determine the proportion of household food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic, identify the associated factors, and the strongest predictor of household food insecurity. This cross-sectional study design was carried out in Java and Sulawesi. A Self-administered Google Form Questionnaire was filled out by 191 women of reproductive age as the household food gatekeeper. Household food insecurity was evaluated using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) Questionnaire by FAO that consisted of eight gradual questions. Data analysis was performed using statistical software for univariate, bivariate (chi-square), and multivariate (logistic regression). The proportion of food insecurity in the study was 29.8%, encompassed 19.9% mild food insecure, 7.3% moderate food insecure, and 2.6% severe food insecure. Food insecurity was significantly associated with place of residence, family income, and education. Living in urban areas was among the robust predictor of household food insecurity (OR 5.59, CI 95%), meaning living in urban was a risk factor of household food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Urban living was highly dependent on routine salary since they might not occupy with some sort of alternative source for income like in the rural areas, however, there was income reduction during the crisis. Food insecurity might be a sting in the tail of the COVID-19 pandemic, food policy regarding this matter is urgently required.

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Dietary Consumption Patterns and Their Predictors Among Young Children in Northern Ghana

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzab045_006 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 624-624

Author(s):

Emily Becher ◽

Jennie Davis ◽

Sika Kumordzie ◽

K. Ryan Wessells ◽

Charles Arnold ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Children ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Vegetable Intake ◽

Northern Ghana ◽

Household Food Insecurity ◽

Household Characteristics ◽

Household Food ◽

Residence Location

Abstract Objectives To assess the prevalence and frequency of consumption of vegetables, fruits, sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs), salty and sweet snacks and the relationship between consumption and household characteristics (residence location, food insecurity, and socioeconomic status [SES]) among children 2–5 years of age in two districts in the Northern region of Ghana. Methods Households were recruited from 14 urban, 8 semi-urban and 6 rural clusters in the Tolon and Kumbungu districts in Northern Ghana. Primary caregivers of children 2–5 years (n = 242) reported the number of days in a typical week selected food items were consumed, and the number of servings per day. Household characteristics, food insecurity (USAID Household Food Insecurity Access Scale) and SES, were assessed via questionnaires administered to the head of household. We examined the relationships between consumption of each food and 1) residence (urban vs. semi-urban/rural), 2) household food insecurity (moderate/severe vs. none/mild) and 3) household SES (lowest quartile vs. other quartiles). Results The proportion of children who consumed each food in a typical week was: 98% vegetables, 81% sweet snacks, and 75% fruits; approximately half of children consumed salty snacks (51%) or SSBs (46%). Mean (SD) servings consumed in a typical week were: 7.85 (7.32) vegetables, 2.82 (2.51) sweet snacks, 2.54 (3.69) SSBs, 1.77 (1.70) fruits, and 1.17 (1.67) salty snacks. Consumption of fruits (82% vs 68%, p = 0.01) and sweet snacks (91% vs 71%, p < 0.0001) was more common in urban areas than in rural areas, but consumption of vegetables, salty snacks, and SSBs was not associated with residence location. Household food insecurity and SES were not associated with consumption of any of the foods examined. Conclusions Although quantitative intake data were not available, these data suggest that, on average fruit and vegetable intake may be low relative to Ghana Dietary and Physical Activity Guidelines for daily servings, while SSBs and sweetened snacks are common. Eating patterns among young children may differ between urban and rural environments within these two districts. Funding Sources Funding was provided to UC Davis from Helen Keller International.

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KETAHANAN PANGAN RUMAH TANGGA TANI PERKOTAAN DAN PERDESAAAN KABUPATEN GUNUNGKIDUL

Agro Ekonomi ◽

10.22146/jae.18031 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 11

Author(s):

Dyah Ayu Widyanitha ◽

Suhatmini Hardyastuti ◽

Jangkung Handoyo Mulyo

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Descriptive Analysis ◽

Least Square ◽

Farm Households ◽

Farm Household ◽

Household Food ◽

Food Expenditure

This research is conducted (1) to analyze share offarm householdfood expenditure/or the urban and rural,(2) to analyze the level of urban and rural energy farm household, (3) to analyze the level of household food securityurban and rural farm, (4) to analyze desirable dietary pattern of urban and rural farm household, (5) to understand influencingfactor of score food security farm household. The primary method for this research use descriptive analysis,sampling is done by using simple random method with 25 urban and 25 rural farm household in Gun ungkidu I. The data was analyzed by independent sample t-test and multiplier regression analysis by Ordinary Least Square (OLS).The results showed that (1) the share offarm household food expenditure in urban areas is lower than the share of food expenditure offarm households in rural areas, (2) the adequacy offarm household energy in rural areas is higherthan the farm households in urban area, (3) urban households food secure 20%, vulnerable food 40%, less food 12%, food insecurity 28%, yet rural household food secure 16%, vulnerable food 48%, less food 4%, food insecurity 32%,(4) food pattern expectations farm households in urban areas are not higher than the expectation of food patterns in rural areas, (5) factors that positively affect the food security of farm households are farm household income andlocation (urban and rural).

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Prevalence of household food poverty in South Africa: results from a large, nationally representative survey

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1079/phn2001320 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 383-389 ◽

Cited By ~ 52

Author(s):

Donald Rose ◽

Karen E Charlton

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Low Cost ◽

Objective Measure ◽

Household Food Insecurity ◽

Subsistence Level ◽

Household Food ◽

Nationally Representative

AbstractObjectives:Household food insecurity is a major determinant of undernutrition, yet there is little information on its prevalence in the South African population. This paper assesses household food insecurity in South Africa using a quantitative and objective measure, known as food poverty, and provides prevalence estimates by geographic area and socio-economic condition.Design:Secondary data analysis combining two sources: Statistics South Africa's household-based 1995 Income and Expenditure Survey; and the University of Port Elizabeth's Household Subsistence Level series, a nationally-conducted, market-based survey.Setting:South Africa.Subjects:A nationally representative sample of the entire country – stratified by race, province, and urban and non-urban areas – consisting of 28 704 households.Results:A household is defined to be in food poverty when monthly food spending is less than the cost of a nutritionally adequate very low-cost diet. The prevalence of food poverty in South Africa in 1995 was 43%. Food poverty rates were highest among households headed by Africans, followed by coloureds, Indians and whites. Higher food poverty rates were found with decreasing income, increasing household size, and among households in rural areas or those headed by females.Conclusions:The widespread nature of household food insecurity in South Africa is documented here. Prevalence rates by geographic and socio-economic breakdown provide the means for targeting of nutritional interventions and for monitoring progress in this field. The corroboration of these findings with both internal validation measures and external sources suggests that food poverty is a useful, objective measure of household food insecurity.

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Acute food insecurity and short-term coping strategies of urban and rural households of Bangladesh during the lockdown period of COVID-19 pandemic of 2020: report of a cross-sectional survey

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-043365 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. e043365

Author(s):

Subhasish Das ◽

Md. Golam Rasul ◽

Md Shabab Hossain ◽

Ar-Rafi Khan ◽

Md Ashraful Alam ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Insecurity ◽

Coping Strategies ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽

Rural Households ◽

P Value ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Food Insecure Households

IntroductionWe conducted a cross-sectional survey to assess the extent and to identify the determinants of food insecurity and coping strategies in urban and rural households of Bangladesh during the month-long, COVID-19 lockdown period.SettingSelected urban and rural areas of Bangladesh.Participants106 urban and 106 rural households.Outcome variables and methodHousehold food insecurity status and the types of coping strategies were the outcome variables for the analyses. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were done to identify the determinants.ResultsWe found that around 90% of the households were suffering from different grades of food insecurity. Severe food insecurity was higher in urban (42%) than rural (15%) households. The rural households with mild/moderate food insecurity adopted either financial (27%) or both financial and food compromised (32%) coping strategies, but 61% of urban mild/moderate food insecure households applied both forms of coping strategies. Similarly, nearly 90% of severely food insecure households implemented both types of coping strategies. Living in poorest households was significantly associated (p value <0.05) with mild/moderate (regression coefficient, β: 15.13, 95% CI 14.43 to 15.82), and severe food insecurity (β: 16.28, 95% CI 15.58 to 16.97). The statistically significant (p <0.05) determinants of both food compromised and financial coping strategies were living in urban areas (β: 1.8, 95% CI 0.44 to 3.09), living in poorest (β: 2.7, 95% CI 1 to 4.45), poorer (β: 2.6, 95% CI 0.75 to 4.4) and even in the richer (β: 1.6, 95% CI 0.2 to 2.9) households and age of the respondent (β: 0.1, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.21).ConclusionBoth urban and rural households suffered from moderate to severe food insecurity during the month-long lockdown period in Bangladesh. But, poorest, poorer and even the richer households adopted different coping strategies that might result in long-term economic and nutritional consequences.

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Food Aid – Normalising the Abnormal in Finland

Social Policy and Society ◽

10.1017/s1474746415000123 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 14 (3) ◽

pp. 471-482 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Tiina Silvasti

Keyword(s):

Food System ◽

Policy Issue ◽

Food Aid ◽

Food Banks ◽

Welfare Regime ◽

Security Costs ◽

Economic Developments ◽

Food Charity ◽

First Time ◽

Deep Recession

In Finland, food banks and bread lines emerged for the first time during the deep recession in the mid-1990s and, since then, have become permanent. This was partly an outcome of cutting or freezing social security costs during the economic slump, but there has also been an increasingly explicit transformation in national social policy. However, the emergence and persistence of food aid cannot be explained purely as a social and poverty policy issue. This article examines charity food aid as a solution to the hunger problem within the Nordic welfare regime and traces connections linking the establishment of food charity to the prevailing food system. This article focuses on different policy actions and economic developments that took place independently during the 1990s, producing, apparently accidently and without conscious co-ordination, entrenchment of charitable food aid in Finland.

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The association between household food insecurity and obesity in Mexico: a cross-sectional study of ENSANUT MC 2016

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980021003153 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Rosa Elena Ponce-Alcala ◽

Jose Luis Ramirez-Garcia Luna ◽

Teresa Shamah-Levy ◽

Hugo Melgar-Quiñonez

Keyword(s):

Food Insecurity ◽

Abdominal Obesity ◽

Urban Areas ◽

National Level ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Household Food Insecurity ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Household Food ◽

Mexican Adults

Abstract Objective: To examine the association between household food insecurity and overweight, obesity and abdominal obesity in Mexican adults. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: We analysed data from the Mexican Halfway National Health and Nutrition Survey 2016, a nationally representative survey that accounted for rural and urban areas in four regions of Mexico: North, Centre, Mexico City and South. Participants: Adults from 20 to 59 years old (n 5456, which represents 45 804 210 individuals at the national level). Results: 70·8 % of the Mexican adults had some degree of household food insecurity. This situation showed larger proportions (P < 0·05) among indigenous people, those living in a rural area, in the Southern region or the lowest socio-economic quintiles. The prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity was higher in female adults (P < 0·001), with the highest proportions occurring among those experiencing severe household food insecurity. Among women, mean BMI and waist circumference were higher as household food insecurity levels increased (P < 0·001). According to multivariate logistic regression models, severe household food insecurity showed to be positively associated with obesity (OR: 2·36; P = 0·001) in Mexican adult females. Conclusions: Our findings confirm the association between household food insecurity and obesity among Mexican women. Given the socio-demographic characteristics of the food-insecure population, it is alarming that prevailing socio-economic inequalities in the country might also be contributing to the likelihood of obesity. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain and bolster surveillance systems to track both problems and implement adequate policies and interventions.

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Mental health survey of the adult population in Iran

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.184.1.70 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 184 (1) ◽

pp. 70-73 ◽

Cited By ~ 158

Author(s):

A. A. Noorbala ◽

S. A. Bagheri Yazdi ◽

M. T. Yasamy ◽

K. Mohammad

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Learning Disability ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Adult Population ◽

General Health Questionnaire ◽

Population Sample ◽

Cluster Sampling ◽

International Studies

BackgroundNo national data on the prevalence of mental disorders are available in Iran. Such information may be a prerequisite for efficient national mental health intervention.AimsTo determine the mental health status of a population sample aged 15 years and over.MethodThrough random cluster sampling, 35 014 individuals were selected and evaluated using the 28-item version of the General Health Questionnaire. A complementary semi-structured clinical interview was also undertaken to detect learning disability (‘mental retardation’), epilepsy and psychosis.ResultsAbout a fifth of the people in the study (25.9% of the women and 14.9% of the men) were detected as likely cases. The prevalence of mental disorders was 21.33% in rural areas and 20.9% in urban areas. Depression and anxiety symptoms were more prevalent than somatisation and social dysfunction. The interview of families by general practitioners revealed that the rates of learning disability epilepsy and psychosis were 1.4%, 1.2% and 0.6%, respectively Prevalence increased with age and was higher in the married, widowed, divorced, unemployed and retired people.ConclusionsPrevalence rates are comparable with international studies. There is a wide regional difference in the country, and women are at greater risk.

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Gender and sexual minorities

Urban Mental Health (Oxford Cultural Psychiatry series) ◽

10.1093/med/9780198804949.003.0018 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 258-268

Author(s):

Richard Bradlow ◽

Neha Singh ◽

Suraj Beloskar ◽

Gurvinder Kalra

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Urban Area ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Living Environment ◽

Substantial Impact ◽

Urban Settings ◽

Rural And Urban Areas ◽

Rural And Urban ◽

Push And Pull

A person’s living environment can have substantial impact on his/her mental health due to a range of factors related to the environment. It has often been argued that urban settings are a hotpot of sociocultural evolutions that attract individuals from the gender and sexual minority (GSM) groups. This has led to migration from rural to urban areas and also from one urban area to another urban area. Various push and pull factors in both the rural and urban areas help GSM individuals decide in which direction to move. While rural areas present with challenges such as social isolation within a homophobic/transphobic environment, urban areas also have their own unique set of challenges for the GSM population. In this chapter, we focus on various factors in both rural and urban settings that impact on the mental health of GSM population.

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