Can food banks sustain nutrient requirements? A case study in Southwestern Ontario

The Pathways study: a cohort study of new food-aid users in rural, semi urban, and urban areas of Quebec, Canada

BACKGROUND

While considerable research has been conducted on household food insecurity (HFI), little research has examined the effects of food donation programs on users' living conditions. The Pathways study was established to investigate the long-term effects of food donation programs on food insecurity as well as other critical outcomes, such as diet, health, and social support. Herein, we describe the design of the Pathways Study and the participants' characteristics at baseline.

METHODS

The Pathways study is a prospective cohort study of 1001 food-aid users in Quebec (Canada). We recruited newly registered users of food donation programs from 106 community-based food-aid organizations that partnered with the study. Baseline data were collected through face-to-face interviews from September 2018 to January 2020, with planned follow-up interviews at 12 and 24 months after enrollment. Household food insecurity, diet, food competencies, food shopping behaviors, perceived food environment, health status, social support and isolation, sociodemographic characteristics, housing conditions, negative life events, and the impacts of COVID-19 were assessed with validated questionnaires.

RESULTS

The cohort included 1001 participants living in rural (n = 181), semi-urban (n = 250), and urban areas (n = 570). Overall, household food insecurity was reported as severe among 46.2% and moderate in 36.9% of participants. Severe household food insecurity was more prevalent in rural (51.4%) and urban (47.8%) areas compared to semi-urban (39%) areas. Overall, 76.1% of participants reported an annual income below C$20,000. Half (52%) had low education levels (high school or lower), 22.0% lived in single-parent households, and 52.1% lived alone. Most (62.9%) experienced at least one major financial crisis in the preceding year.

CONCLUSIONS

Results show that newly registered users of food donation programs often have low-income and severe food insecurity, with major differences across geographical locations. The Pathways study is the first study designed to follow, over a 2-year period, a cohort of newly registered users of food donation programs and to quantify their trajectories of service use. Findings from the Pathways study might help adapt the community response to the strategies used by food-insecure households to feed themselves.

Assessing the nutritional content and adequacy of food parcels among vulnerable Lebanese during a double crisis: COVID-19 pandemic and an economic meltdown

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore the nutritional content and quality of food parcels distributed in Lebanon and assess their adherence to dietary guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic and an unprecedented economic crisis.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study (June-July 2020); phone survey (thirty items).

SETTING

Lebanon.

PARTICIPANTS

Food parcel providers (FPP; n 72) involved in food parcel distribution (FPD), mainly to Lebanese households.

RESULTS

FPP included international non-governmental organizations (INGO) (n 3), local non-governmental organizations (n 45) and personal initiatives (n 24). Overall, low adherence to the World Food Programme (WFP) food parcel guidelines were observed among FPP for specific food items, including vegetables, fish, legumes and cereals, whereas salt content significantly surpassed the guidelines (all P-values <0·001). On average, a food parcel provided 608·4 ± 55 kcal/d/person. The greatest contributors to total energy intake (TE) in the food parcel were carbohydrates (46·4 %) and fats (46·8 %), while protein contributed to 7 %TE. In addition, %TE from fats and sugars significantly surpassed the dietary reference intakes (DRI) for a single person per d (134-234 % and 185 % of DRI, respectively, P-values <0·001). Only 10-15 % of daily needs for key micronutrients, including Fe, Zn, thiamin, riboflavin and dietary folate, were met through the food parcels. Adequate food safety and hygiene practices were reported among FPP, yet dramatic changes in food costs due to overlapping crises affected the quality and quantity of food in parcels.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings highlight the need to improve the nutritional content of food parcels and adherence to dietary guidelines to alleviate food and nutrition insecurity while preventing diet-related diseases among vulnerable beneficiaries in Lebanon.

Food donation as a strategy to reduce food waste in an emerging Latin American country: a case study in Uruguay

Abstract

Food donation has expanded globally and has become a common form of food assistance in emerging countries. However, research on food donation experiences in these settings is still scarce.

Purpose

In this context, the objectives of the present work were as follows: (i) to explore the views of Uruguayan stakeholders on food donation as a strategy to reduce food waste, (ii) to identify barriers and enablers for food donation in Uruguay, and (iii) to explore the organizational characteristics of Uruguayan food banks.

Methods

A qualitative approach based on two data collection strategies was used: documentary content analysis of official governmental documents and in-depth semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders related to food waste and food donations in Uruguay.

Results

Food donation emerged as a central strategy for food waste reduction in the view of Uruguayan stakeholders, mainly because it was perceived as an efficient strategy to reduce food insecurity. The complexity of food donation was acknowledged by Uruguayan stakeholders and who identified several barriers for its implementation related to economic considerations, the characteristics of the donated products, legal and commercial considerations, and organizational characteristics of food banks.

Conclusion

Although most barriers were aligned with results from previous studies conducted in developed countries, some specificities to the Uruguayan context were also identified. Clear and detailed legal frameworks to ensure that the donated products reach the target population along with nutritional requirements for the foods to be donated were deemed necessary.

Meeting Older Adults' Food Needs: Interviews with Area Agency on Aging Staff, Food Bank Staff, and Older Adults

Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and food banks provide nutritious food for in-need older adults. The objective of this study was to identify successes, challenges, and opportunities associated with meeting the food needs of older adults. We used semi-structured telephone interviews with AAA nutrition staff (n = 5), food bank program coordinators (n = 5) and executives (n = 6), and older adults (n = 60) in Iowa. AAAs and food banks identified providing healthy food and client satisfaction as successes and funding and staff/volunteer capacity as challenges. Before the pandemic, the relationships between these organizations were limited, but both saw opportunities for collaboration. Older adults described coordination between AAAs and food banks during the COVID-19 crisis. AAAs and food banks play an important role in meeting older adults' food needs, but their effectiveness is limited by challenges related to funding and capacity. There is a need to identify feasible and sustainable strategies for collaboration past this crisis.

A descriptive analysis of food pantries in twelve American states: hours of operation, faith-based affiliation, and location

BACKGROUND

Our objectives were to describe both the development, and content, of a charitable food dataset that includes geographic information for food pantries in 12 American states.

METHODS

Food pantries were identified from the foodpantries.org website for 12 states, which were linked to state-, county-, and census-level demographic information. The publicly available 2015 Food Access Research Atlas and the 2010 US Census of Population and Housing were used to obtain demographic information of each study state. We conducted a descriptive analysis and chi-square tests were used to test for differences in patterns of food pantries according to various factors.

RESULTS

We identified 3777 food pantries in 12 US states, providing an estimated 4.84 food pantries per 100,000 people, but ranged from 2.60 to 7.76 within individual states. The majority of counties (61.2%) had at least one food pantry. In contrast, only 15.7% of all census tracts in the study states had at least one food pantry. A higher proportion of urban census tracts had food pantries compared to rural tracts. We identified 2388 (63.2%) as being faith-based food pantries. More than a third (34.4%) of food pantries did not have information on their days of operation available. Among the food pantries displaying days of operation, 78.1% were open at least once per week. Only 13.6% of food pantries were open ≤1 day per month.

CONCLUSIONS

The dataset developed in this study may be linked to food access and food environment data to further examine associations between food pantries and other aspects of the consumer food system (e.g. food deserts) and population health from a systems perspective. Additional linkage with the U.S. Religion Census Data may be useful to examine associations between church communities and the spatial distribution of food pantries.

The Nutritional Content of Rescued Food Conveyed by a Food Aid Organization

Background: The number of food-insecure families in the European Union has increased, resulting in an increasing number of households depending on food assistance programs. The aim in this study was to evaluate the nutrient content of food rescued by a food aid organization that rescues and redistributes fresh or freshly cooked food to low-income households. Methods: To determine the nutritional content of food hampers provided by our case study organization, we weighed all items of food hampers in three weighing rounds over a period of four months. The Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) was applied to measure households’ food insecurity. Results: Our results show that, at our case study food aid organization, food donations substantially contribute to energy, macro, and micronutrient dietary recommendation intake (DRI). Conclusions: When evaluating how these nutrients contribute to alleviating food insecurity of the beneficiary households, we found that the perception of food insecurity is independent of the amount of nutrients served. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study measuring the nutritional content of fresh or freshly cooked rescued food conveyed by a food aid organization.

Dietary acculturation among African emigrant students in India: determinants and problems

OBJECTIVE

Emigrants face a high level of food insecurity. There is a wide research gap in the domain of identifying the determinants and problems of dietary acculturation in the context of emigrant students. This article attempts to study the factors affecting the dietary acculturation of African emigrant students in India.

DESIGN

For conducting a first-of-its-kind study for African emigrant students in India, we used field survey method, and the primary data were collected using a pre-structured questionnaire.

SETTING

This was a field survey conducted in Punjab (a state of India).

PARTICIPANTS

One hundred and twenty African emigrant students participated in the survey.

RESULTS

Results of logistic regression indicated that food awareness (P = 0·027) and food suitability (P = 0·043) were the major determinants of dietary acculturation. Lack of familiarity and lack of proximity to food access points are the major problems faced by the African emigrant students. African emigrant students prepared for dietary acculturation largely only after coming to India. There is a significant positive correlation (P = 0·013) between problems faced by the respondents and tendency to prepare for acculturation after coming to India.

CONCLUSIONS

Information regarding local food environment plays a significant role in dietary acculturation. There is a pertinent need to educate emigrant students regarding food availability and access by developing suitable educational content.

A Nutritional and Environmental Analysis of Local Food Pantries Accessible to College Students in Rural North Carolina

Introduction

Food insecurity is a growing concern among college students and is especially prevalent in rural areas. Food pantries often serve as a resource to food insecure individuals yet, their policies, standards, and nutritional quality vary due to the unpredictability of food donations.

Purpose

To examine the nutritional quality of food items and adherence of best practices at local food pantries accessible to college students near a university in rural Appalachia.

Methods

Three food pantries in North Carolina were selected due to their proximity to a local, rural university. Food items were analyzed for nutrient and food group content and compared to national recommended standards for a moderately active 20-year-old male student. Food pantry environments were analyzed using the Healthy Food Pantry Assessment Tool (HFPAT).

Results

All pantries scored in acceptable ranges (39, 59, and 60) on the HFPAT. Food pantries provided 38% of total daily calories and below recommended daily levels for vitamin C (27%), vitamin D (5%), potassium (29%), and calcium (38%), but above recommended levels for sugar (220%), and trans-fat (342%). When all the food from food pantries were combined, they still did not meet food group recommendations, providing: 25% fruit, 50% vegetable, 9% grain, 15% protein, and 20% dairy servings over a 14-day period.

Implications

In general, students who rely on food pantries as their sole source of food do not reach recommend levels for nutrients or food groups. Interventions, programs, and/or policies which increase the healthfulness of food pantry items are warranted to improve the quality of food available to food insecure college students.

Health professionals' experiences and perspectives on food insecurity and long-term conditions: A qualitative investigation

Estimates suggest that over 10% of the UK population are affected by food insecurity. International evidence indicates that food insecurity is a risk factor for many long-term health conditions, and can adversely affect people's ability to manage existing conditions. Food insecurity is thus not only a serious social concern but also a healthcare issue requiring the attention of UK health professionals. An exploratory qualitative study was undertaken to investigate the experiences and views of health professionals in north east Scotland, with a particular focus on support for people with long-term conditions whom they believed were affected by food insecurity. Two focus groups and nine semi-structured interviews were undertaken with a total of 20 health professionals between March and July 2016. Thematic analysis generated three main themes. The health professionals had (a) diverse levels of understanding and experience of food insecurity, but between them identified a range of (b) negative impacts of food insecurity on condition-management, especially for diet dependent conditions or medication regimes, and for mental health. Even for those health professionals more familiar with food insecurity, there were various (c) practical and ethical uncertainties about identifying and working with food insecure patients (it could be difficult to judge, for example, whether and how to raise the issue with people, to tailor dietary advice to reflect food insecurity, and to engage with other agencies working to address food insecurity). This study indicates that health professionals working with food insecure patients have learning and support needs that warrant further investigation. Debates about health professionals' responsibilities, and interventions to guide and support health professionals, including tools that might be used to screen for food insecurity, must also reflect the diverse lived needs and values of people who experience food insecurity.

The role of food parcel use on dietary intake: perception of Dutch food bank recipients - a focus group study

OBJECTIVE

To gain insight in Dutch food bank recipients' perception on the content of the food parcels, their dietary intake and how the parcels contribute to their overall dietary intake.

DESIGN

Eleven semi-structured focus group discussions were conducted. Focus group topics were based on Andersons food insecurity definition: the lack of availability of nutritionally adequate foods and the assured ability to acquire foods in socially acceptable ways. Data were coded and analysed with Atlas.ti 7.0 software, using the framework approach.

SETTING

Seven food banks throughout the Netherlands.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 44 Dutch food bank recipients.

RESULTS

Food bank recipients were not always satisfied with the amount, quality, variation and type of foods in the food parcel. For the participants who could afford to, supplementing the food parcel was reported as main reason for buying foods, and price was the most important aspect in selecting these foods. Participants were not satisfied with their dietary intake; they mainly reported not having enough to eat. The content of the food parcel importantly influenced participants' overall dietary intake. Finally, participants reported struggling with their feelings of dissatisfaction, while also being grateful for the foods they receive.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that, despite their best efforts, food banks are not meeting food bank recipients' needs. Our results provide valuable directions for improving the content of the food parcels by increasing the quantity, quality and variation in the foods supplied. Whether this also improves the dietary intake of recipients needs to be determined.

Do food donation tax credits for farmers address food loss/waste and food insecurity? A case study from Ontario

To increase donations of nutritious food, Ontario introduced a tax credit for farmers who donate agricultural products to food banks in 2013. This research seeks to investigate the role of Ontario's Food Donation Tax Credit for Farmers in addressing both food loss and waste (FLW) and food insecurity through a case study of fresh produce rescue in Windsor-Essex, Ontario. This research also documents the challenges associated with rescuing fresh produce from farms, as well as alternatives to donating. Interviews with food banks, producers and key informants revealed that perceptions of the tax credit, and the credit's ability to address FLW and food insecurity, contrasted greatly with the initial perceptions of the policymakers who created the tax credit. In particular, the legislators did not anticipate the logistical challenges associated with incentivizing this type of donation, nor the limitations of a donation-based intervention to provide food insecure Ontarians with access to fresh, nutritious food.

Interventions to address household food insecurity in high-income countries

Household food insecurity is a serious public health concern in high-income countries. Canada and the USA regularly monitor household food insecurity, while in other countries, such as the UK, it has been the rapid rise of food bank usage that has drawn increased attention to this longstanding, but largely overlooked, problem. This review evaluates evidence on interventions intended to reduce household food insecurity in high-income countries. Research on social protection interventions suggests both cash transfers and food subsidies (e.g. the US Supplement Nutrition and Assistance Programme) reduce household food insecurity. In contrast, research on community-level interventions, such as food banks and other food programmes, suggests limited impacts. Although food banks have become a common intervention for food insecurity in high-income countries, evidence suggests their reliance on donations of volunteer time and food make them inevitably limited in the assistance they are able to provide. The stigma people feel using food banks may also make them untenable. Alternatives to, or enhanced, food banks such as community shops or community kitchens, have become common, but evidence also suggests they may be limited in effectiveness if they do not reach people experiencing food insecurity. This review highlights the difficulty of trying to address household food insecurity with community-based food interventions when solutions likely lie upstream in social protection policies.

"Nothing is going to change three months from now": A mixed methods characterization of food bank use in Greater Vancouver

North American food bank use has risen dramatically since the 1980s, and over 850,000 Canadians were estimated to have visited a food bank monthly in 2015. Food banks serve multiple roles in communities, ranging from 'emergency responses' to individualized and short-term experiences of hunger, to 'chronic' supports as part of long-term subsistence strategies. This study used a mixed-methods design to examine the spectrum of food bank user experiences in a large urban context, as part of a community-based project aiming to envision a redesign of the food bank to contribute to broader community food security outcomes. Survey (n = 77) and focus group (n = 27) results suggested that participants widely viewed food banks as a long-term food-access strategy. Inadequate financial resources, steep increases in housing and food costs, and long-term health challenges emerged as the most prominent factors influencing food bank use. Participants commonly reported unmet food needs despite food bank use, limited agency over factors influencing access to sufficient food, and anticipated requiring food bank services in future. These findings contest global constructions of food banks as "emergency" food providers and support growing evidence that food banks are an insufficient response to chronic poverty, lack of affordable housing and insufficient social assistance rates underlying experiences of food insecurity. Participants envisioned changes to the food bank system to increase community food security including improved food quality and quantity (short-term), changes to service delivery and increased connections with health services (capacity building), and a greater role in poverty reduction advocacy (system redesign).

The Nutritional Quality of Food Provided from Food Pantries: A Systematic Review of Existing Literature

BACKGROUND

In many affluent countries, food-insecure households use food pantries to keep their family fed. The long-term dependence of many users on these programs calls for a systematic review of studies on the nutritional quality of food provided by food pantries.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this systematic review was to summarize the current scientific evidence about the nutritional quality of food bags distributed by food pantries.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted in the electronic databases PubMed, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, and Psychology Behavioral Sciences Collection to identify cross-sectional, cohort, and intervention studies reporting baseline data conducted in high-income countries and published between 1980 and 2015, which reported the nutritional quality of food bags distributed by food pantries. Identified citations were screened in two stages and data were independently extracted by two authors using a predefined data sheet. The quality of included studies was evaluated using criteria of an adapted Ottawa Scale. The systematic review was reported in accordance to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement.

RESULTS

Applying the two-stage screening, 9 of 1,546 articles were identified for inclusion. Nutritional quality of food bags varied widely between and within studies. Milk products, vitamins A and C, and calcium were provided in particularly low amounts. None of the studies were nationally representative and only a few studies controlled for the household composition of the recipients of food bags.

CONCLUSION

Food pantries likely have a strong influence on users' diets, but the food pantries examined in the selected studies were largely unable to support healthy diets. The distribution of more perishable foods would increase users' diet quality and may have an immense potential to address malnutrition in vulnerable population groups.

Dutch food bank parcels do not meet nutritional guidelines for a healthy diet

Nutritional intakes of food bank recipients and consequently their health status largely rely on the availability and quality of donated food in provided food parcels. In this cross-sectional study, the nutritional quality of ninety-six individual food parcels was assessed and compared with the Dutch nutritional guidelines for a healthy diet. Furthermore, we assessed how food bank recipients use the contents of the food parcel. Therefore, 251 Dutch food bank recipients from eleven food banks throughout the Netherlands filled out a general questionnaire. The provided amounts of energy (19 849 (sd 162 615) kJ (4744 (sd 38 866) kcal)), protein (14·6 energy percentages (en%)) and SFA (12·9 en%) in a single-person food parcel for one single day were higher than the nutritional guidelines, whereas the provided amounts of fruits (97 (sd 1441) g) and fish (23 (sd 640) g) were lower. The number of days for which macronutrients, fruits, vegetables and fish were provided for a single-person food parcel ranged from 1·2 (fruits) to 11·3 (protein) d. Of the participants, only 9·5 % bought fruits and 4·6 % bought fish to supplement the food parcel, 39·4 % used all foods provided and 75·7 % were (very) satisfied with the contents of the food parcel. Our study shows that the nutritional content of food parcels provided by Dutch food banks is not in line with the nutritional guidelines. Improving the quality of the parcels is likely to positively impact the dietary intake of this vulnerable population subgroup.

Food security among asylum seekers in Melbourne

Objectives: This research explores food insecurity among asylum seekers who are members of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) in Melbourne, Australia.

Methods: Structured person‐assisted questionnaires were conducted with 56 asylum seekers. The questionnaires examined issues around access to food, cultural appropriateness of available food, transport issues, use of the ASRC Foodbank and questions about general health.

Results: Findings suggest that: 1) almost all asylum seekers in this study were food insecure; 2) most of the asylum seekers using the ASRC Foodbank have no access to food other than that provided at the centre; and 3) the reason that most asylum seekers are food insecure is related to structural problems associated with limitations imposed by different visas.

Conclusions and implications: The ability of asylum seekers to achieve food security is limited by their restricted access to welfare and government or work‐related income. Given that the current policy situation is likely to continue, providers such as the ASRC will find continuing demands on their services and increasing pressures to provide more than a ‘supplemental’ food supply.

A survey of food bank operations in five Canadian cities

BACKGROUND

Food banks have emerged in response to growing food insecurity among low-income groups in many affluent nations, but their ability to manage this problem is questionable. In Canada, in the absence of public programs and policy interventions, food banks are the only source of immediate assistance for households struggling to meet food needs, but there are many indications that this response is insufficient. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that facilitate and limit food bank operations in five Canadian cities and appraise the potential of these initiatives to meet food needs.

METHODS

An inventory of charitable food provisioning in Halifax, Quebec City, Toronto, Edmonton, and Victoria, Canada was conducted in 2010. Of the 517 agencies that participated in a telephone survey of their operations, 340 were running grocery programs. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to determine the association between program characteristics, volume of service, and indicators of strain in food banks' abilities to consistently achieve the standards of assistance they had established.

RESULTS

Extensive, well-established food bank activities were charted in each city, with the numbers of people assisted ranging from 7,111 in Halifax to 90,141 in Toronto per month. Seventy-two percent of agencies indicated that clients needed more food than they provided. The number of people served by any one agency in the course of a month was positively associated with the proportion of food distributed that came from donations (beta 0.0143, SE 0.0024, p 0.0041) and the number of volunteers working in the agency (beta 0.0630, SE 0.0159, p 0.0167). Food banks only achieved equilibrium between supply and demand when they contained demand through restrictions on client access. When access to assistance was less restricted, the odds of food banks running out of food and invoking measures to ration remaining supplies and restrict access rose significantly.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite their extensive history, food banks in Canada remain dependent on donations and volunteers, with available resources quickly exhausted in the face of agencies' efforts to more fully meet clients' needs. Food banks have limited capacity to respond to the needs of those who seek assistance.

Nutritional quality and price of food hampers distributed by a campus food bank: a Canadian experience

Food insecurity is a mounting concern among Canadian post-secondary students. This study was conducted to evaluate the content of food hampers distributed by University of Alberta Campus Food Bank (CFB) and to assess the cost savings to students, using these hampers. Contents of hampers distributed among 1,857 students and their dependants since 2006 were evaluated against Canada's Food Guide (CFG) recommendations and Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI). Hampers were aimed at serving university students and one to five members of their households located in Edmonton, Western Canada. One thousand eight hundred fifty-seven clients in Alberta, Canada, were included in the study. Although all hampers provided adequate energy, their fat and animal protein contents were low. Compared to the CFG recommendations, the requirements of milk and alternatives and meat and alternatives were not sufficiently met for clients using > or = 3-person hampers. None of food hampers (i.e. one- to five-person hampers) met the DRI recommendations for vitamin A and zinc. Clients of CFB received Canadian dollar (CN$) 14.88 to 64.3 worth of non-perishable food items in one- to five-person hampers respectively. Hampers provided from the CFB need improvement. Nutrients missing from the food hampers could be provided from fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meat products; however, these foods are more expensive than processed food items. The CFB provides a significant amount of savings to its clients even without considering the additional perishable donations that are provided to clients. Interpretation of our data required the assumption that all clients were consuming all of their hampers, which may not always be the case. Clients that do not fully consume their hampers may benefit less from the food bank.

Food insecurity: limitations of emergency food resources for our patients

Rates of food insecurity are high among medically underserved patients. We analyzed food pantry responsiveness to the needs of medically ill cancer patients in New York City with the intent ofidentifying barriers to available food resources. Our data, collected from 60 pantries, suggest that the emergency food system is currently unable to accommodate patient needs. Accessibility issues include restricted service hours and documentation requirements. Food services were limited in quantity of food provided and the number of nutritious, palatable options. Additional emergency food resources and long-term approaches that provide ongoing food support to patients throughout their treatment period are needed.

Nutritional vulnerability seen within asylum seekers in Australia

To examine the extent of nutritional vulnerability seen in a cohort of asylum seekers in Australia. Twenty-one asylum seekers (15 males, 6 females) that used a food bank were interviewed over a 6 week period at the Melbourne based Asylum Seeker Resource Centre about foods consumed in the previous 24-h and any non food bank foods obtained. A basket audit was conducted after participants accessed the food bank on the day of interview, Participants obtained significantly less than the minimum requirements for the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating in the vegetables and legumes (P < .001, 95% CI -3.5, -1.7) fruits (P < .001, 95% CI -1.7, -.1.2), dairy (P < .001, 95% CI -1.8, -1.5) and meat and meat alternatives core food groups (P = .001, 95% CI -0.8, -0.3) using foods accessed from the food bank, their primary or sole food source. A high level of nutritional vulnerability was seen in this cohort due to their inability to meet minimum nutritional requirements from their primary food access point. Health professionals working with asylum seeker populations need to be aware of this issue and the resulting potential for longer term ill health as a consequence.

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

OBJECTIVE

Although 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.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey and mapping of discount supermarkets and community food programmes.

SETTING

Twelve high-poverty neighbourhoods in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

SUBJECTS

Respondents from 484 low-income families who had children and who lived in rental accommodations.

RESULTS

Food 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.

CONCLUSIONS

Our 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.