Food banking and emergency food aid: expanding the definition of local food environments and systems

The Nutritional Quality of Food Donated to a Western Australian Food Bank

Food banks provide an indispensable service to people experiencing severe food insecurity. Food banks source donations from across the food system; however, the food redistributed to clients across the developed world is nutritionally poor. This, together with the increasing prevalence of diet-related diseases and food insecurity, has prompted a focus on nutritional quality. Despite more food being distributed via food banks in Australia, the nutritional quality of donated food remains unreported. This study analyzed all food (84,996 kg (1216 products)) donated to Foodbank WA over a 5-day period using diet-, food-, and nutrient-based nutrition classification schemes (NCSs). A total of 42% (27% of total weight) of donated food products were deemed 'unsuitable' and 19% (23% by weight) were 'suitable' according to all NCSs. There was no agreement on 39% of products (50% by weight). Overall, NOVA and the Healthy Eating Research Nutrition Guidelines (HERNG) (κ = 0.521) had the highest level of agreement and the ADGs and HERNGs the lowest (κ = 0.329). The findings confirm the poor nutritional quality of food donated to food banks and the need to work with donors to improve the food they donate. Fit-for-purpose nutrition guidelines are urgently needed for Australian food banks to support them in providing nutritious food to their vulnerable clients.

Unraveling Elusive Boundaries: A Comprehensive Framework for Assessing Local Food Consumption Patterns in Nova Scotia, Canada

Promoting local food consumption for economic growth is a priority; however, defining "local" remains challenging. In Nova Scotia, Canada, this pioneering research establishes a comprehensive framework for assessing local food consumption. Employing three data collection methods, our study reveals that, on average, Nova Scotians allocate 31.2% of their food expenditures to locally sourced products, excluding restaurant and take-out spending, as per the provincial guidelines. The participants estimated that, in the previous year, 37.6% of their spending was on local food; this figure was derived from the most effective method among the three. However, the figure was potentially influenced by participant perspective and was prone to overestimation. To enhance accuracy, we propose methodological enhancements. Despite the limitations, the 31.2% baseline offers a substantial foundation for understanding local food patterns in Nova Scotia. It serves as a replicable benchmark for future investigations and guides researchers with similar objectives, thereby establishing a robust research platform.

A mixed-method systematic review and meta-analysis of the influences of food environments and food insecurity on obesity in high-income countries

Obesity remains a serious public health concern in rich countries and the current obesogenic food environments and food insecurity are predictors of this disease. The impact of these variables on rising obesity trends is, however, mixed and inconsistent, due to measurement issues and cross-sectional study designs. To further the work in this area, this review aimed to summarize quantitative and qualitative data on the relationship between these variables, among adults and children across high-income countries. A mixed-method systematic review was conducted using 13 electronic databases, up to August 2021. Two authors independently extracted data and evaluated quality of publications. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) for the association between food insecurity and obesity. Where statistical pooling for extracted statistics related to food environments was not possible due to heterogeneity, a narrative synthesis was performed. Meta-analysis of 36,113 adults and children showed statistically significant associations between food insecurity and obesity (OR: 1.503, 95% confidence interval: 1.432-1.577, p < .05). Narrative synthesis showed association between different types of food environments and obesity. Findings from qualitative studies regarding a reliance on energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods owing to their affordability and accessibility aligned with findings from quantitative studies. Results from both qualitative and quantitative studies regarding the potential links between increased body weight and participation in food assistance programs such as food banks were supportive of weight gain. To address obesity among individuals experiencing food insecurity, wide-reaching approaches are required, especially among those surrounded by unhealthy food environments which could potentially influence food choice.

Body composition, physical fitness and physical activity in Mozambican children and adolescents living with HIV

INTRODUCTION

As a result of the effectiveness of antiretroviral drugs (ART), HIV/AIDS has become a chronic disease, which has enabled children living with HIV to reach adolescence and adulthood. However, the long exposure to both the disease and ART has caused undesirable effects that compromise the physiological functioning and the quality of life of the subjects.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the body composition, physical fitness and habitual physical activity of children and adolescents living with HIV on ART.

METHODS

A total of 79 subjects of both genders aged 8-14 years, living with HIV in ART, selected by convenience participated in the study. The subjects underwent anthropometric assessment, physical fitness assessment and physical activity assessment.

RESULTS

Relative to reference norms, the values of the anthropometric indicators fell below 50th percentile (height/age = 92.4%; BMI/age 72.2%; sum of skinfolds = 51.9%; arm circumference = 63.3%). The prevalence of "low height/age" and "low weight/age" was 34.9% and 9.3%, respectively for boys, and 27.9% and 11.1%, respectively for girls. With the exception of trunk flexibility (12.3%), most subjects were considered unfit in the physical fitness tests (abdominal resistance = 76.4%; handgrip strength = 75.4%; lower limb power = 66.4%). The percentage of subjects with insufficient physical activity was 45.5% for boys and 77.8% for girls. The values for all variables were consistently and significantly lower when compared with studies done in Mozambicans boys and girls without HIV+ from both urban and rural areas.

CONCLUSION

The subjects participants in the study living with HIV and undergoing ART had impaired growth, low physical fitness and low levels of habitual physical activity in relation to the reference values of their peers without HIV, which compromised their physiological functioning and their quality of life.

Dietary health in the context of poverty and uncertainty around the social determinants of health

Lower household income has been consistently associated with poorer diet quality and poorer dietary health outcomes. Households experiencing poverty find themselves unable to afford enough food, and the food that they can afford is often poor quality, energy dense and low in nutrients. However, the relationship between diet, poverty and health is complex. Not everyone on a low income has a poor diet. Poverty is about more than low incomes and it is not a uniform experience. Particular aspects of the experience of poverty have implications for diet and dietary health. It is increasingly apparent that uncertainty is one of those aspects. Recession, welfare policy, employment trends and widening inequality have created more uncertainty for those on low incomes. In the context of heightened uncertainty, all aspects of household food provisioning - including budgeting, shopping, storage, meal planning and cooking - are more difficult and sometimes impossible. This review will draw on research about food practices and dietary health in low-income neighbourhoods to explore the ways in which experiences of prolonged uncertainty shape dietary practices and impact health and well-being.

Perceived Neighborhood-Level Drivers of Food Insecurity Among Aging Women in the United States: A Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND

Aging populations in the United States exhibit high rates of food insecurity and chronic illness. Few studies have explored the neighborhood-level drivers of food insecurity among such populations, and how they intersect with experiences of aging.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to explore how aging women experience food insecurity in the United States, and the neighborhood-level factors that influence these experiences.

DESIGN

Semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted to elicit participants' perceptions of how their neighborhood influenced their experiences with food security and aging.

PARTICIPANTS/SETTING

Thirty-eight food-insecure women aged 50 years and older were purposively sampled from the Northern California, Georgia, and North Carolina sites of the Women's Interagency Human Immunodeficiency Virus Study. Interviews were conducted between November 2017 and July 2018 at the three Women's Interagency Human Immunodeficiency Virus Study sites.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Three researchers thematically analyzed the data using an inductive-deductive approach.

RESULTS

Participants described neighborhood-level drivers of food insecurity that centered around three themes: accessibility of food from traditional food stores, the role of food aid institutions, and the intersection of aging with the food environment. Participants explained that food insecurity was related to limited access to food stores largely due to long distances and poor public transportation in Georgia and North Carolina, and high food prices in Northern California. Most participants described being dependent on food aid programs, but found this difficult due to poor quality food and long wait times. Aging-related issues emerged as a cross-cutting theme, with fatigue, poor strength, and chronic illness amplifying barriers to accessing food.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from this study reveal the structural barriers that aging women face in accessing healthy food within their neighborhoods, and how experiences with aging and chronic illnesses exacerbate these barriers. Although future programs should address common neighborhood-level barriers such as the accessibility and affordability of healthy foods, they should also be tailored to aging women and the local context.