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Orjiakor EC. Nurturing Food Security for All: Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 Social Protection Responses Among Vulnerable Population Groups in Nigeria. Ecol Food Nutr 2024; 63:83-97. [PMID: 38276988 DOI: 10.1080/03670244.2024.2307434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
This study examines the impact of government and humanitarian interventions during COVID-19 on food security among vulnerable populations in Nigeria. Data from a survey conducted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in July 2020 was used, with a sample of 4,833 households drawn from various vulnerable groups such as refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Using matching methods, the results indicate that targeted support initiatives helped alleviate immediate food insecurity challenges during the pandemic. This underscores the significance of focused interventions in mitigating the adverse impact of economic shocks on food security for vulnerable populations.
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Kang Y, Prihartono I, Kim S, Kim S, Lee S, Spadoni R, McCormack J, Wetzler E. Spatial and temporal trends in food security during the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia Pacific countries: India, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Nutr Res Pract 2024; 18:149-164. [PMID: 38352210 PMCID: PMC10861339 DOI: 10.4162/nrp.2024.18.1.149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES The economic recession caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic disproportionately affected poor and vulnerable populations globally. Better uunderstanding of vulnerability to shocks in food supply and demand in the Asia Pacific region is needed. SUBJECTS/METHODS Using secondary data from rapid assessment surveys during the pandemic response (n = 10,420 in mid-2020; n = 6,004 in mid-2021) in India, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Vietnam, this study examined the risk factors for reported income reduction or job loss in mid-2021 and the temporal trend in food security status (household food availability, and market availability and affordability of essential items) from mid-2020 to mid-2021. RESULTS The proportion of job loss/reduced household income was highest in India (60.4%) and lowest in Indonesia (39.0%). Urban residence (odds ratio [OR] range, 2.20-4.11; countries with significant results only), female respondents (OR range, 1.40-1.69), engagement in daily waged labor (OR range, 1.54-1.68), and running a small trade/business (OR range, 1.66-2.71) were significantly associated with income reduction or job loss in three out of 4 countries (all P < 0.05). Food stock availability increased significantly in 2021 compared to 2020 in all four countries (OR range, 1.91-4.45) (all P < 0.05). Availability of all essential items at markets increased in India (OR range, 1.45-3.99) but decreased for basic foods, hygiene items, and medicine in Vietnam (OR range, 0.81-0.86) in 2021 compared to 2020 (all P < 0.05). In 2021, the affordability of all essential items significantly improved in India (OR range, 1.18-3.49) while the affordability of rent, health care, and loans deteriorated in Indonesia (OR range, 0.23-0.71) when compared to 2020 (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Long-term social protection programs need to be carefully designed and implemented to address food insecurity among vulnerable groups, considering each country's market conditions, consumer food purchasing behaviors, and financial support capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunhee Kang
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | | | - Sanghyo Kim
- Korea Rural Economic Institute, Naju 58321, Korea
| | - Subin Kim
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Soomin Lee
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
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Travasso SM, Joseph S, Swaminathan S, Manivannan JR, Webb P, Kurpad A, Thomas T. A longitudinal survey on changes in employment and food consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic in rural Bihar, India. J Nutr 2023; 153:2985-2993. [PMID: 37479115 DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a need for empirical evidence on changes in employment and food consumption during pandemic situations in households belonging to the informal economy. OBJECTIVE To examine changes in food insecurity, household diet diversity, and employment in agriculture during the pre-COVID-19 (2019-early 2020) and COVID-19 pandemic (September 2021) periods. METHODS A total of 1632 households from a face-to-face pre-COVID-19 survey and 621 of those followed up by a telephonic survey during COVID-19 in Bihar, India, were included in the analyses. Household food insecurity, household diet diversity score (HDDS), and employment change (agriculture or nonagriculture) were assessed during both periods. Food insecurity and diet diversity in the 2 periods were examined by logistic regression. A change in the odds of being food insecure or having low HDDS was examined as an interaction between time and employment status. RESULTS Prevalence of food insecurity increased from 21% to 55%, and low diet diversity increased from 47% to 69% in households assessed in both surveys. Employment status was not associated with food insecurity or low HDDS during the baseline survey. However, during the pandemic, ∼30% of households changed their employment from agriculture to nonagriculture and were more likely to be food insecure (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.77; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1. 78-4.32) and have low HDDS (aOR: 1.66; 95%CI: 1.05-2.61), than those who remained in agriculture. Similarly, those who retained nonagricultural employment during the pandemic were more likely to be food insecure (aOR: 2.23; 95%CI: 1.45-3.43) and have low HDDS (aOR: 1.73; 95%CI: 1.11-2.70), compared to those who remained in agriculture. In propensity score-adjusted interaction analysis of time and employment, food insecurity and low HDDS remained significantly associated with nonagricultural employment during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS Enhanced support to rural households in agricultural occupations could buffer them from unexpected crises, which may also protect their nutritional intake.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Patrick Webb
- Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, USA
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Hasan AMR, Smith G, Selim MA, Khatun F, Mahmood SS, Reidpath DD, Rasheed S. Qualitative exploration of the impact of COVID-19 on the food environment of urban informal settlements of Dhaka, Bangladesh. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e067652. [PMID: 37527892 PMCID: PMC10394537 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-067652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Our study explored the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the food environment from the perspective of the urban poor and food vendors. DESIGN This was a qualitative study conducted during September 2020 and February 2021. SETTING The study was carried out in two purposively selected informal settlements of Dhaka City, Bangladesh. PARTICIPANTS We conducted 21 in-depth interviews with residents of informal settlements and 10 key informant interviews with food vendors and food aid workers. RESULT The availability of staple foods was not disrupted during the pandemic but some perishables foods became more expensive due to supply chain disruptions and increased transportation costs. Limited market hours affected market access and mobility restrictions adversely affected local vendors. Cart vendors selling perishables incurred business losses they could ill afford. Demand for food reduced as employment disruption lead to reduced purchasing power and, therefore, reduction of quantity, quality and desirability of foods purchased. Respondents reported skipping meals and going hungry. The aid received was considered inadequate to meet needs. CONCLUSION The food environment of the urban poor was disrupted from both supply and demand sides and the organisational response (both government and non-government) was severely inadequate. The social safety net needs to be extended and redesigned to ensure food security and health for the urban working poor in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Rumayan Hasan
- Health Systems and Population Studies Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Mohammad Abdus Selim
- Health Systems and Population Studies Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Fatema Khatun
- Health Systems and Population Studies Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Shehrin Shaila Mahmood
- Health Systems and Population Studies Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Daniel D Reidpath
- Health Systems and Population Studies Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Sabrina Rasheed
- Health Systems and Population Studies Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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Narayan KMV, Varghese JS, Beyh YS, Bhattacharyya S, Khandelwal S, Krishnan GS, Siegel KR, Thomas T, Kurpad AV. A Strategic Research Framework for Defeating Diabetes in India: A 21st-Century Agenda. J Indian Inst Sci 2023; 103:1-22. [PMID: 37362852 PMCID: PMC10029804 DOI: 10.1007/s41745-022-00354-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Indian people are at high risk for type 2 diabetes (T2DM) even at younger ages and lower body weights. Already 74 million people in India have the disease, and the proportion of those with T2DM is increasing across all strata of society. Unique aspects, related to lower insulin secretion or function, and higher hepatic fat deposition, accompanied by the rise in overweight (related to lifestyle changes) may all be responsible for this unrelenting epidemic of T2DM. Yet, research to understand the causes, pathophysiology, phenotypes, prevention, treatment, and healthcare delivery of T2DM in India seriously lags behind. There are major opportunities for scientific discovery and technological innovation, which if tapped can generate solutions for T2DM relevant to the country's context and make leading contributions to global science. We analyze the situation of T2DM in India, and present a four-pillar (etiology, precision medicine, implementation research, and health policy) strategic research framework to tackle the challenge. We offer key research questions for each pillar, and identify infrastructure needs. India offers a fertile environment for shifting the paradigm from imprecise late-stage diabetes treatment toward early-stage precision prevention and care. Investing in and leveraging academic and technological infrastructures, across the disciplines of science, engineering, and medicine, can accelerate progress toward a diabetes-free nation.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. M. Venkat Narayan
- Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
- Emory Global Diabetes Research Center, Woodruff Health Sciences Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
| | - Jithin Sam Varghese
- Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
- Emory Global Diabetes Research Center, Woodruff Health Sciences Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
| | - Yara S. Beyh
- Laney Graduate School, Nutrition and Health Sciences Doctoral Program, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
| | | | | | - Gokul S. Krishnan
- Robert Bosch Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
| | - Karen R. Siegel
- Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
- Emory Global Diabetes Research Center, Woodruff Health Sciences Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
| | - Tinku Thomas
- Department of Biostatistics, St. John’s Medical College, Bengaluru, India
| | - Anura V. Kurpad
- Department of Physiology, St. John’s Medical College, Bengaluru, India
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Travasso SM, Joseph S, Swaminathan S, John AT, Makkar S, Webb P, Kurpad A, Thomas T. Impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on household diet diversity in rural Bihar, India: a longitudinal survey. Nutr J 2023; 22:13. [PMID: 36843104 PMCID: PMC9968637 DOI: 10.1186/s12937-023-00842-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted livelihoods and diets across the world. This study aimed to assess changes in household diet diversity and food consumption between the pre-COVID-19 period (December 2019-January 2020) and during the lockdown (March-May 2020), and to identify the socio-economic characteristics that determine these changes in rural Bihar, India. METHODS Households that had provided their phone numbers in the pre-COVID-19 household survey (n = 1797) were contacted for interviews during the lockdown telephonic survey in a longitudinal survey in two districts (Gaya and Nalanda) in Bihar. In total, 939 households were interviewed. Using data on food consumption from both surveys, 876 households were included in the analysis. Food and Agriculture Organization's household diet diversity score (HDDS) was used to compare diet diversity between the pre-COVID-19 period and during the lockdown. Logistic regression was used to identify factors affecting household diet diversity and food consumption in the study households. RESULTS Low diet diversity increased from 51.6% (95% CI 48.3-54.9) to 75.8% (95% CI 73.0-78.6) from the pre-COVID-19 to the lockdown period. Reduced food consumption was reported across all foods with nearly a quarter of the households reporting reduced consumption of fruits (27%), pulses (25%) and cereals (21%). Nearly 60% and above reported stopping consumption of nutrient-rich foods such as chicken, fish and eggs although the population was predominantly non-vegetarian. Logistic regression analysis revealed that taking a loan from neighbours/relatives (OR = 1.8; 95% CI 1.3-2.5) and belonging to lower social groups (OR = 1.8; 95% CI 1.1-2.9) increased odds of low HDDS. While those possessing ration cards had lower odds of reduced consumption of all food items, it was not associated with stopping consumption of any food item. In an unadjusted analysis, receipt of cash transfer during lockdown was also not associated with diet diversity (OR = 1.2; 95% CI 0.9-1.7). CONCLUSIONS COVID-19 has impacted the consumption of nutrient-rich foods among already low-income rural households in India. Maintaining diet diversity among socio-economically vulnerable households during periods when food consumption is most threatened by shocks such as COVID-19 would need sustained government support in terms of social protection coverage and benefit transfers in rural communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra M. Travasso
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, St. John’s Research Institute, Bengaluru, India
| | - Smitha Joseph
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, St. John’s Research Institute, Bengaluru, India
| | | | - Anjaly Teresa John
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, St. John’s Research Institute, Bengaluru, India
| | - Sanchit Makkar
- Division of Nutrition, St. John’s Research Institute, Bengaluru, India
| | - Patrick Webb
- Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, USA
| | - Anura Kurpad
- Department of Physiology, St. John’s Medical College, Bengaluru, India
| | - Tinku Thomas
- Department of Biostatistics, St. John’s Medical College, 100 Feet Rd, John Nagar, Koramangala, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560034 India
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Orjiakor EC, Adediran A, Ugwu JO, Nwachukwu W. Household living conditions and food insecurity in Nigeria: a longitudinal study during COVID-19 pandemic. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e066810. [PMID: 36604138 PMCID: PMC9826925 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study set out to investigate the risk of household food insecurity in Nigeria during the novel COVID-19 pandemic using a harmonised dataset of Nigeria's prepandemic face-to-face survey and two waves of the COVID-19 National Longitudinal Phone Survey (NLPS). SETTING Nigeria. PARTICIPANTS A representative sample of 1674 households is used in the analysis. DESIGN A longitudinal study. RESULTS Our longitudinal study reveals a significant increase in the prevalence of food insecurity in Nigeria during the COVID-19 crisis. For a sample of 1674 households used in the analysis, nearly 32% were moderately food insecure in the baseline survey (ie, the prepandemic period), compared with 74% and 72% that faced the same degree of food insecurity in the two waves of the COVID-19 phone survey. In like manner, not up to 4% of the households faced severe food insecurity in the prepandemic period, compared with 43% and 22% that experienced the same level of food insecurity during the period of the pandemic. Based on the available information in the dataset, we construct a composite non-monetary measure (or index) of household well-being and employ the binary logistic model to investigate the objects under study. The empirical results show that the well-being index has a strong negative association with household food insecurity. Further investigation reveals that the risk of being food insecure increases for households in relatively poor living conditions compared with those in the middle category and conversely declines for households in much better living conditions. CONCLUSION This study informs an understanding of the prevalence and risk of household food insecurity in Nigeria during the novel COVID-19 pandemic and provides insights that can guide policy actions in responding to the current wave of food crises in Nigeria.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jamesclement Onyekachi Ugwu
- Economics, University of Nigeria Faculty of Social Sciences, Nsukka, Enugu, Nigeria
- Corporate Alliance Research and Statistics (CARES), Abuja, Nigeria
| | - Wisdom Nwachukwu
- Economics, University of Nigeria Faculty of Social Sciences, Nsukka, Enugu, Nigeria
- Qaval Research Ltd, Enugu, Nigeria
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