scholarly journals Dialing up Critical Feminist Research as Lockdown Dialed us Down: How a Pandemic Sparked Community Food Dialogs in Cape Town, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Paganini ◽  
Keren Ben-Zeev ◽  
Khutala Bokolo ◽  
Nomonde Buthelezi ◽  
Sanelisiwe Nyaba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Feminist Research ◽  
Spatial Inequality ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Critical Feminist

The COVID-19 pandemic and its control measures had a devastating impact on household food security in South Africa. The pandemic brought existing food injustice patterns, such as spatial inequality, intersectionality, and the causes of food poverty to the forefront, especially for women. It also galvanized momentum in the people's agenda for solidarity and stimulated community members' calls for an overhaul of the existing commercialized food system toward hyper-localized, community-led solutions such as food dialogs and community kitchens. First and foremost, that meant talking about hunger and addressing its root causes. This paper reports on a co-research process on household food security during the pandemic in four neighborhoods of the Cape Flats. This study found that household food insecurity and the roles women play in food systems are significantly shaped by intersectionality: the consequences of being women, Black or Persons of Color, residents of geographies of social and economic marginalization within the city, and historically excluded from higher education. In this paper, we provide reflections on the co-research process from the perspectives of co-researchers, the project coordinator, and the project funder by applying a critical feminist framework and by answering the question: How can critical feminist research steer community-led action? Community members from the Cape Flats and five post-graduate students from a Berlin-based institute conceptualized this study and it was implemented by community researchers and projects partners in 2020. The paper highlights important aspects of the methodology, particularly the joint contextualization and sense making of findings by community researchers who placed food insecurity results in the context of their lived experiences. Based on their discussions, the co-researchers created visions for post-COVID-19 food environments, one of which is discussed in this paper: destigmatization of hunger. Hunger was described by co-researchers as a problem hidden by individuals and silenced by communities.

scholarly journals Caregivers’ Knowledge and Food Accessibility Contributes to Childhood Malnutrition: A Case Study of Dora Nginza Hospital, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (20) ◽  
pp. 10691
Author(s):  
Pamela Clarke ◽  
Mthokozisi Kwazi Zuma ◽  
Ayuk Betrand Tambe ◽  
Liana Steenkamp ◽  
Xikombiso Gertrude Mbhenyane
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
The Body ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Household Food

Amongst the problems facing South Africa today are malnutrition and food insecurity, and there is a need for interventions and innovative strategies to address these. The aim of the study was to determine the contribution of caregivers’ knowledge of nutrition and household food security among children aged 0 to 60 months. A cross-sectional study design was applied using a quantitative approach. A convenience sample (n = 184) of caregiver–child pairs (for children 0 to 60 months) from the Dora Nginza Hospital Paediatric Outpatient Department was used. A structured questionnaire was applied to collect data on socio-economic factors, health status, household food security, and caregivers’ knowledge. In addition, interviews were conducted, and anthropometric measurements of children were taken to determine their nutritional status. The results indicate that most caregivers were female, and more than half completed high school, yet almost 75% were unemployed. Most of the caregivers (58.2%) were either overweight or obese. The results also show that only 33.2% of households were food secure, 29.3% were at risk of hunger, and 37.5% experienced hunger. The prevalence of stunting, underweight, and wasting among children in the study was high. A significant, slightly positive correlation was found between the body mass index of the caregiver and height for age. Poor socio-economic status and food inaccessibility were identified as possible underlying contributing factors to malnutrition, contributing to food insecurity and therefore poor dietary intake.

scholarly journals Household Food Insecurity Status and Determinants: The Case of Botswana and South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-224
Author(s):  
Simbarashe Ndhleve ◽  
Clarah Dapira ◽  
Hlekani Muchazotida Kabiti ◽  
Zibongiwe Mpongwana ◽  
Elphina Nomabandla Cishe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
The State ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Household Food Insecurity ◽  
Sample Population ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Economic Infrastructure ◽  
Food Insecurity Access

This study used a survey questionnaire to investigate the state and determinants of household food security in South Africa and Botswana. In South Africa, 1557 households in two District Municipalities within Eastern Cape Province participated in the study. In Botswana, data was collected from 506 in Southern Kanye, southeast District, and Gaborone households. The paper employed Household Food Insecurity Access Scale and Prevalence to investigate the state food security across the sample population. The Household Food Insecurity Access Prevalence was used to determine the characteristics of and changes in household food insecurity of the sample households. The linear and ordinal regression analyses were carried out to outline determinants of food insecurity in the region. Findings emanating from the current study show a high prevalence of food insecurity in both countries. Meanwhile, geographical location, household size, and socio-economic infrastructure emerged as common determinants of food security for Botswana and South Africa. The paper recommends state-mediated intervention to improve access to basic socio-economic infrastructure and address unemployment rates in both countries as key areas to improve food security status.

scholarly journals High food insecurity in Latinx families and associated COVID-19 infection in the Greater Bay Area, California

BMC Nutrition ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Milagro Escobar ◽  
Andrea DeCastro Mendez ◽  
Maria Romero Encinas ◽  
Sofia Villagomez ◽  
Janet M. Wojcicki
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Employment Status ◽  
The United States ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Bay Area ◽  
Household Food ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Food insecurity impacts nearly one-in-four Latinx households in the United States and has been exacerbated by the novel coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We examined the impact of COVID-19 on household and child food security in three preexisting, longitudinal, Latinx urban cohorts in the San Francisco Bay Area (N = 375 households, 1875 individuals). Households were initially recruited during pregnancy and postpartum at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG) and UCSF Benioff prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. For this COVID-19 sub-study, participants responded to a 15-min telephonic interview. Participants answered 18 questions from the US Food Security Food Module (US HFSSM) and questions on types of food consumption, housing and employment status, and history of COVID-19 infection as per community or hospital-based testing. Food security and insecurity levels were compared with prior year metrics. Results We found low levels of household food security in Latinx families (by cohort: 29.2%; 34.2%; 60.0%) and child food security (56.9%, 54.1%, 78.0%) with differences between cohorts explained by self-reported levels of education and employment status. Food security levels were much lower than those reported previously in two cohorts where data had been recorded from prior years. Reported history of COVID-19 infection in households was 4.8% (95% Confidence Interval (CI); 1.5–14.3%); 7.2% (95%CI, 3.6–13.9%) and 3.5% (95%CI, 1.7–7.2%) by cohort and was associated with food insecurity in the two larger cohorts (p = 0.03; p = 0.01 respectively). Conclusions Latinx families in the Bay Area with children are experiencing a sharp rise in food insecurity levels during the COVID-19 epidemic. Food insecurity, similar to other indices of poverty, is associated with increased risk for COVID-19 infection. Comprehensive interventions are needed to address food insecurity in Latinx populations and further studies are needed to better assess independent associations between household food insecurity, poor nutritional health and risk of COVID-19 infection.

scholarly journals AB0657 PERCEIVED STRESS AND FOOD INSECURITY IN PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM WOMEN WITH RHEUMATIC DISEASES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1360.3-1361
Author(s):  
L. G. Espinosa Banuelos ◽  
P. R. Ancer Rodríguez ◽  
M. G. Herrera López ◽  
C. M. Skinner Taylor ◽  
L. Pérez Barbosa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Rheumatic Diseases ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Postpartum Women ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Perceived Stress Scale ◽  
Stress Scale ◽  
Household Food

Background:The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has directly impacted the psychological and physical health of individuals worldwide, as well as the global economy. Food insecurity rates have risen especially in vulnerable countries like Mexico. Furthermore, social isolation and economic uncertainty have multiplied depression and anxiety disorders. Pregnant and postpartum women are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity, increased stress, depression, and anxiety.Objectives:The aim of this study is to determine the perception of food insecurity (FI) and perceived stress in pregnant and postpartum women with rheumatic disease during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.Methods:An observational, cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted. Patients from to the pregnancy and rheumatic diseases clinic of the University Hospital “Dr. José E. González” in Northeast Mexico evaluated between August to October 2020 were included. The Spanish validated versions of the Household Food Security Access Scale (HFIAS) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) were applied by telephonic interview. The WHO recommendations were employed to determine the appropriate intake for each food group in a week. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to determine normality of the data. The Spearman correlation coefficient and the Kruskal-Wallis test were used for statistical analysis.Results:A total of 29 women were included. Six (20.6%) women were found to have moderate or severe degrees of food insecurity. In addition, 12 (40.30%) perceived moderate and severe levels of stress in the PSS-10. No relationship was found between food insecurity and perceived stress (p= 0.059). The food groups that exceeded the recommended weekly frequency were oils and sugars exceeded 3.9 and 2.9 frequencies, respectively.Conclusion:We found that 20.6% women suffered household food insecurity and 40.3% suffered moderate and severe levels of stress. No relationship was found between food insecurity with the HIFAS scale and perceived stress measures with the PSS-10. We found that oils and sugars exceeded more by the double of the recommended frequency per week.References:[1]Pérez-Escamilla R, Cunningham K, Moran VH. COVID-19 and maternal and child food and nutrition insecurity: a complex syndemic. Matern Child Nutr. 2020;16(3):e13036. doi:10.1111/mcn.13036[2]Adams EL, Caccavale LJ, Smith D, Bean MK. Food Insecurity, the Home Food Environment, and Parent Feeding Practices in the Era of COVID-19. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2020;28(11):2056-2063. doi:10.1002/oby.22996Table 1.Socio-demographic characteristics and scale results.Age, years, mean (SD)27.5 (7.03)Diagnosis, n (%)RA16 (55.1)SLE7 (24.4)Others6 (20.6)Results per scalesHFIAS, n (%)No risk13 (44.8)Mild10 (34.4)Moderated3 (10.3)Severe3 (10.3)EPP-10, n (%)Mild17 (58.6)Moderated9 (31.0)Severe3 (10.3)SD: standard deviation, RA: Rheumatoid arthritis, SLE: Systemic lupus erythematosus, HFIAS: Household food security access component scale, EPP-10: Perceived stress scale 10 items.Disclosure of Interests:None declared.

scholarly journals Measuring household food security: the global experience

2008 ◽  
Vol 21 (suppl) ◽  
pp. 27s-37s ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugo Melgar-Quinonez ◽  
Michelle Hackett
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
United States Department ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
Governmental Agencies ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Food Security Status ◽  
New Research

Measuring household food insecurity represents a challenge due to the complexity and wide array of factors associated with this phenomenon. For over one decade, researchers and agencies throughout the world have been using and assessing the validity of variations of the United States Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Supplemental Module. Thanks to numerous studies of diverse design, size, and purpose, the Household Food Security Supplemental Module has shown its suitability to directly evaluate the perceptions of individuals on their food security status. In addition, challenges and limitations are becoming clearer and new research questions are emerging as the process advances. The purpose of this article is to describe the development, validation procedures, and use of the Household Food Security Supplemental Module in very diverse settings. The most common Household Food Security Supplemental Module related studies have been conducted using criterion validity, Rasch modeling and Cronbach-Alpha Coefficient. It is critical that researchers, policy makers, governmental and non-governmental agencies intensify their efforts to further develop tools that provide valid and reliable measures of food security in diverse population groups. Additional work is needed to synthesize a universally applicable tool able to capture the global human phenomenon of food insecurity.

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 Household Food Security Status and Its Determinants in Maphumulo Local Municipality, South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 3307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Primrose Ngema ◽  
Melusi Sibanda ◽  
Lovemore Musemwa
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression Model ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Food Security Status

Food security at the household level remains a major issue in South Africa and for many other developing countries, particularly those in Africa. As a means of ensuring food security in KwaZulu-Natal province, various food security intervention programmes were launched. Nonetheless, food security remains an issue among households in the province. This paper estimates the household food security status of the “One Home One Garden” (OHOG) beneficiaries against that of non-beneficiaries and assesses the determinants of household food security status in Maphumulo. A stratified random sampling technique was used to sample 495 households (including 330 OHOG beneficiaries and 165 non-beneficiaries). The status of household food security was estimated by means of a “Household Dietary Diversity Score” (HDDS). Additionally, a Household Food Consumption Score” (HFCS) tool was employed to supplement the HDDS. The results showed that food consumption patterns were characterized by medium (4.89) and average (4.22) HDDS for the OHOG beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries, respectively. Taking HDDS as a proxy for household food security, an independent samples t-test (Levene’s test—equal variances assumed) reveals a significant (p < 0.001) relationship between the sample means of the two groups. A greater proportion (65%) of the OHOG beneficiaries had an acceptable (≥35) HFCS level, whereas just over half (54%) of the non-beneficiaries fell in the borderline (21.5 to 35) HFCS level. The determinants of household food security status were elicited by means of a binary logistic regression model. The results revealed that education (p = 0.036), receiving infrastructural support (irrigation) (p = 0.001), and participation in the OHOG programme (p = 0.000) positively influenced the food security status of households, yet household income (p = 0.000) and access to credit (p = 0.002) showed a negative correlation. This paper proposes that government and developmental agencies, in their efforts to enhance food security through food security intervention programmes, should support households by investing in education and agricultural infrastructure, as well as giving priority to smallholder infrastructural irrigation support for households that largely rely on rain-fed systems.

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 security status and associated factors among high-school students in Esfahan, Iran

2010 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 1609-1613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Assieh Mohammadzadeh ◽  
Ahmadreza Dorosty ◽  
Mohammadreza Eshraghian
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
School Students ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Food Security Status ◽  
Food Insecure Households

AbstractObjectiveThe present study was designed to determine household food security status and factors associated with food insecurity among high-school students in Esfahan, Iran.DesignCross-sectional surveys.SettingThe present study was conducted in autumn 2008 in Esfahan, Iran. The samples were selected using systematic cluster sampling. Socio-economic questionnaires, food security questionnaires and FFQ were filled out during face-to-face interviews. In addition, data on participants’ weights and heights were collected.SubjectsA total of 580 students (261 boys and 319 girls) aged 14–17 years from forty high schools in Esfahan, Iran, were selected.ResultsThe prevalence of household food insecurity according to the US Department of Agriculture food security questionnaire was 36·6 % (95 % CI 0·33, 0·40). Food insecurity was positively associated with number of members in the household (P < 0·05) and negatively associated with parental education level and job status and household economic status (P < 0·05). Moreover, students living in food-insecure households more frequently consumed bread, macaroni, potato and egg (P < 0·05), while they less frequently consumed rice, red meat, sausage and hamburger, poultry, fish, green vegetables, root and bulb (coloured) vegetables, melons, apples and oranges, milk and yoghurt (P < 0·05).ConclusionsFood insecurity was prevalent among households in Esfahan, Iran, and food security status was associated with socio-economic factors. Students who belonged to food-secure households more frequently consumed healthy foods (except sausage and hamburger), whereas those living in food-insecure households more frequently consumed cheap foods containing high energy per kilogram. The present study suggests that intervention programmes be designed and carried out.

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