Household Food Insecurity and Psychosocial Dysfunction in Ecuadorian Elementary Schoolchildren

Household food insecurity (HFI) is a major global public health and pediatric concern due to its reported association with adverse child nutrition, growth, and health outcomes. Psychosocial dysfunction is a major cause of childhood disability. US and Canadian studies have linked HFI to poorer overall psychosocial dysfunction and specific dysfunction types in school-aged children, i.e., internalizing, externalizing, and attention behaviors. However, it is uncertain whether prior findings are generalizable to low- and middle-income country (LMIC) settings. We conducted a cross-sectional study to explore the association of HFI with psychosocial dysfunction in 6-12-year-old public elementary schoolchildren (n=279) residing in low-income neighborhoods in Quito, Ecuador. Maternal caregivers were interviewed to obtain data on child psychosocial dysfunction (Pediatric Symptom Checklist, PSC), food security (Household Food Security Survey Module), and maternal mental health (SF-36 Mental Composite Summary). Capillary blood samples were obtained from child participants to measure hemoglobin levels. The data were analyzed using general linear models with adjustment for covariates. The results revealed that HFI was associated with significantly higher overall average PSC scores (p=0.002) and with internalizing (p=0.001) and externalizing (p=0.03) but not attention subscale scores. However, anemia was independently associated with PSC attention subscale scores (p=0.015). This is the first study to report on the relationship between HFI and psychosocial dysfunction in school-aged children in a LMIC setting. It highlights the importance of improving policies and programs protecting vulnerable households from HFI. In addition to improving health and nutrition, such improvements could potentially reduce the burden of child psychosocial dysfunction.

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Household food insecurity and associated socio-economic factors among recent Syrian refugees in two Canadian cities

BORDER CROSSING ◽

10.33182/bc.v10i2.1161 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 203-214

Author(s):

Lina Al-Kharabsheh ◽

Samer Al-Bazz ◽

Mustafa Koc ◽

Joe Garcia ◽

Ginny Lane ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Low Income ◽

Household Food Security ◽

Household Food Insecurity ◽

Inverse Association ◽

Security Model ◽

Syrian Refugees ◽

Household Food ◽

Significant Difference

In Canada, the prevalence of food insecurity is high among low-income households, particularly recent refugees. We evaluated the prevalence of food security among recent Syrian refugees and the associated factors in two Canadian cities, Toronto and Saskatoon. We collected data using the Household Food ‎Security Model, sociodemographic and socioeconomic questionnaires from 151 families. 84% of the Syrian households were food insecure, with no significant difference in prevalence between Saskatoon and Toronto. The risk of food insecurity was four ‎times higher for households with the annual income below $40,000. Households with educated woman (high school or higher) had four times higher risk of household food insecurity compared to families with less-educated women. ‎Our findings indicate the high prevalence of food insecurity among recently resettled Syrian refugees in Canada. Higher-income directly associated with food security. The inverse association between education and food security in households with highly educated women warrants further investigation.

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The Impacts of Climatic and Non-climatic Factors on Household Food Security: Study on Malaysian East Coast Poor

10.31235/osf.io/xdpks ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Md. Mahmudul Alam ◽

Chamhuri Siwar ◽

Abu N.M. Wahid

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Low Income ◽

Climatic Factors ◽

Climatic Changes ◽

Household Food Security ◽

Household Food Insecurity ◽

Personal Factors ◽

Household Food ◽

Low Income Households

Sustainable food security at household level is a national concern in many countries. The reasons for household food insecurity include social, economic, political, and personal factors as well as climatic changes and its outcomes. This research aims at finding out the linkage of the factors of climatic changes, non-climatic factors and household resiliencies with the level of household food security among the poor and low income households in Malaysia. This study is based on primary data that were collected in Jul-Oct 2012 through a questionnaire survey on 460 poor and low income households from the Pahang, Kelantan, and Terengganu States of Malaysia. The sample was selected from E-Kasih poor household database based on cluster random sampling technique. Initially the study measures household food security according to the USAID-HFIA model, and ran ordinal regressions under the logit and probit models. This study finds that household food insecurity is not only linked with social and economic factors, but also significantly linked with the climatic factors. Therefore, the food security programs need to be integrated with the adaption programs for climatic change.

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Determinants of Household Food Insecurity and Its Association with Child Malnutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review of the Literature

Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science Journal ◽

10.12944/crnfsj.7.3.02 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 610-623 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Wuyeh Drammeh ◽

Noor Aman Hamid ◽

A.J. Rohana

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Service Providers ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Child Malnutrition ◽

Household Food Security ◽

Household Food Insecurity ◽

Global Public Health ◽

Household Food ◽

Sub Saharan

Food insecurity is a global public health challenge. Household food insecurity is the leading risk factor of malnutrition, claiming approximately 300,000 deaths each year. Whether directly or indirectly, due to inadequate food consumption and poor diet quality, it is also accountable for over half of all deaths among children in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is estimated that the prevalence of food-insecure individuals in the area will reach 17 million by the year 2021. Inadequate nutrition may result in low immunity, impaired physical and mental development and reduced productivity among children under five years and throughout the life course. This review article attempts to discuss the various household food insecurity determinants and their association with child malnutrition in a Sub-Saharan Africa context. The purposes of this article are to inform governments, policymakers and service providers regarding the importance of household food security and its determinants on child malnutrition, and to plan strategies to improve the household food security status in Sub-Saharan Africa.

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A Food Insecurity Systematic Review: Experience from Malaysia

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13030945 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 945

Author(s):

Norhasmah Sulaiman ◽

Heather Yeatman ◽

Joanna Russell ◽

Leh Shii Law

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Coping Strategies ◽

Low Income ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Welfare Recipient ◽

Vulnerable Groups ◽

Household Food Security ◽

Household Food Insecurity ◽

Household Food

Living free from hunger is a basic human right. However, some communities still experience household food insecurity. This systematic literature review explored different aspects of household food insecurity in Malaysia including vulnerable groups, prevalence, risk factors, coping strategies, and the consequences of food insecurity. The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Thirty-three relevant articles were selected from scientific databases such as CINAHL, Pubmed and Google Scholar, scrutiny of reference lists, and personal communication with experts in the field. The prevalence of household food insecurity in Malaysia was unexpectedly reported as high, with affected groups including Orang Asli, low-income household/welfare-recipient households, university students, and the elderly. Demographic risk factors and socioeconomic characteristics included larger household, living in poverty, and low education. Coping strategies were practices to increase the accessibility of food in their households. Consequences of household food insecurity included psychological, dietary (macro- and micronutrient intakes), nutritional status, and health impacts. In conclusion, this review confirmed that household food insecurity in Malaysia continues to exist. Nevertheless, extensive and active investigations are encouraged to obtain a more holistic and comprehensive picture pertaining to household food security in Malaysia.

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

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0259139 ◽

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.

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Association between Household Food Insecurity and Asthma in Korean Adults

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16122115 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (12) ◽

pp. 2115 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

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.

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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 ◽

10.3390/nu12051517 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 1517 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

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.

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

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980014001050 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 18 (5) ◽

pp. 877-892 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

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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Assessing the relevance of neighbourhood characteristics to the household food security of low-income Toronto families

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980010000339 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

pp. 1139-1148 ◽

Cited By ~ 58

Author(s):

Sharon I Kirkpatrick ◽

Valerie Tarasuk

Keyword(s):

Social Capital ◽

Food Security ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Low Income ◽

Food Access ◽

Household Food Security ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Household Food ◽

Neighbourhood Social Capital ◽

Neighbourhood Characteristics

AbstractObjectiveAlthough the sociodemographic characteristics of food-insecure households have been well documented, there has been little examination of neighbourhood characteristics in relation to this problem. In the present study we examined the association between household food security and neighbourhood features including geographic food access and perceived neighbourhood social capital.DesignCross-sectional survey and mapping of discount supermarkets and community food programmes.SettingTwelve high-poverty neighbourhoods in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.SubjectsRespondents from 484 low-income families who had children and who lived in rental accommodations.ResultsFood insecurity was pervasive, affecting two-thirds of families with about a quarter categorized as severely food insecure, indicative of food deprivation. Food insecurity was associated with household factors including income and income source. However, food security did not appear to be mitigated by proximity to food retail or community food programmes, and high rates of food insecurity were observed in neighbourhoods with good geographic food access. While low perceived neighbourhood social capital was associated with higher odds of food insecurity, this effect did not persist once we accounted for household sociodemographic factors.ConclusionsOur findings raise questions about the extent to which neighbourhood-level interventions to improve factors such as food access or social cohesion can mitigate problems of food insecurity that are rooted in resource constraints. In contrast, the results reinforce the importance of household-level characteristics and highlight the need for interventions to address the financial constraints that underlie problems of food insecurity.

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Rural and Urban Differences in Household Food Insecurity and Diet Diversity of Preschool Children (PSC) in Occidental Mindoro

Acta Medica Philippina ◽

10.47895/amp.v54i5.2254 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 54 (5) ◽

Author(s):

Kim Leonard G. Dela Luna ◽

Ernani R. Bullecer

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Preschool Children ◽

Rural Communities ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Urban Communities ◽

Dietary Diversity ◽

Household Food Security ◽

Household Food Insecurity ◽

Household Food ◽

Rural And Urban

Objective. Rural and urban differences affect food availability, accessibility, and sustainability; thus, it has a greatimpact on household food security and dietary diversity. The relationship between the human environment andother factors threatens different domains of food systems resulting in food security. The objective of this study isto determine significant differences between the prevalence of household food security and diet diversity betweenurban and rural communities in Occidental Mindoro. Specifically, to determine the pattern of usual food intake ofpreschool children between rural and urban communities Methods. This study utilized a comparative, cross-sectional, analytic study design in order to determine theprevalence of each variable of interest in the two study areas. Radimer-Cornell Tool was utilized to assess the foodsecurity status of the household while the FAO-Dietary Diversity Score Questionnaire was used to the diversityof diet among PSC. A total of 480 (rural: n=240; urban: n=240) preschool children were recruited to participatein this study. Ratio and proportion using the point and interval estimate were used to determine the prevalencein different areas, meanwhile, chi-square of homogeneity was used to determine significant difference in the twoareas under study. Results. Food insecurity in rural communities was found to be at 56.25% (95% CI: 49.97% to 62.53%) while theprevalence in urban communities was 45.83% (95% CI: 39.53% to 52.14%). There was a significant differencein the prevalence of household food insecurity between rural and urban communities (p=0.0224). Meanwhile,the prevalence of less dietary diversity among preschool children in rural communities was 37.08% (95%: 30.97%to 43.19%) and 26.25% (CI: 20.68% to 31.82%) for urban communities. There was a significant differencein prevalence of low dietary diversity score among preschool children between rural and urban communities(p=0.0107). Conclusion. There were significant differences in terms of household food insecurity and less diverse dietbetween two community settings. Higher prevalence in rural areas signifies that there is a need to prioritize thesevulnerable communities in terms of hunger mitigation and nutrition programs. A combination of milk-rice-meat-fishwas observed in the diet of preschool children for both communities however, higher prevalence of less dietarydiversity was detected among rural communities.

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