Food Insecurity amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Food Charity, Government Assistance, and Employment

Built Environment and Gender-Based Vulnerability as Key Drivers of Food Insecurity in Allegheny County

Food insecurity is pervasive in Allegheny County, as one in five residents experiences food insecurity. Food insecurity is linked to chronic health conditions like heart disease and hypertension and disproportionately affects women in the United States, particularly women who are head of household. There are multiple dimensions used to measure regional disparities in food accessibility. Prior research has examined the linkages between food access and food insecurity, and this study aims to explore further the relationship between equitable access to sustainable and affordable food sources. This study examines food outlets in Allegheny County to determine if there is a significant relationship between food outlet availability and food insecurity. Both the presence and accessibility of these food outlets were examined. To measure accessibility, the walking distance to the nearest public transportation stop was calculated for each public transportation stop. The minimum distance to each food outlet was compared to food insecurity rates on a census tract level. Results showed that communities without grocery stores had lower access to healthy and affordable food sources. Also, communities with a higher proportion of female-headed households experienced greater food insecurity, regardless of access to food outlets. There was no statistically significant relationship between the distance from public transportation stops to grocery stores and rates of food insecurity overall and in low-income communities. However, communities with inaccessible grocery stores, either absent in the census tract or without close public transport stops, did have even greater average rates of food insecurity if there was an above-average proportion of female-headed households. Based on these findings, it is evident there exist structural elements of the built environment that correspond with disproportionate rates of food insecurity experienced by communities with households that are predominately female headed. In addition to resource support for these marginalized groups, we suggest that sole reliance on distance as an indicator of food insecurity can be misleading. There should be a greater focus on walkability aggregated on a household or individual level within the community instead of physical distance alone at a general scale.

Evaluation of a Nutrition Education and Skills Training programme in vulnerable adults who are at high risk of food insecurity

BACKGROUND

In Australia, the prevalence of food insecurity increased by 1.5% between 2014 and 2016 and 2018 and 2020 due to effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. OzHarvest offers a 6-week Nutrition Education and Skills Training (NEST) programme to adults at risk of food insecurity. NEST provides 2.5-h weekly cooking workshops on simple, healthy and affordable meals. This study aimed to determine the immediate (post) and longer-term (6 months) impacts of participation in NEST.

METHODS

A quasi-experimental study with pre-post surveys (n = 258) and 6-month follow-up surveys (n = 20) was conducted from June 2019 to July 2022. Survey results were obtained from NEST programme participants (≥18 years) from six major Australian cities.

RESULTS

Participants demonstrated immediate improvement in nutrition knowledge (p < 0.001), food preparation behaviours (p < 0.001) and confidence and self-efficacy (n = 222; p < 0.001). Intake of discretionary foods decreased (p < 0.001), whereas fruit, vegetable and water intake increased (p < 0.001). Food security improved from 57% to 68% immediately after the completion of the programme (p < 0.001). Participants demonstrated longer-term improvements in nutrition knowledge (p < 0.001), cooking confidence (n = 8; p = 0.03), food preparation behaviours (p = 0.003) and increased vegetable (p = 0.03) and fruit intake (p = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Participation in OzHarvest's NEST programme results in short-term improvements in food security levels and dietary behaviours. Over the longer term, these changes were sustained but to a lesser degree, indicating that systemic changes are required to address underlying socio-economic disadvantages.

Queering food security research: A critical analysis of 2SLGBTQ+ People's experiences of food insecurity in Toronto during the COVID-19 pandemic

INTRODUCTION

Household food insecurity (HFI), stress, isolation, and discrimination are major determinants of health that disproportionately affect 2SLGBTQ + people. The COVID-19 pandemic potentially exacerbated these inequities. This study investigates HFI rates among 2SLGBTQ + adults living in diverse household conditions during the pandemic and explores the idea that heteronormative conceptions of the "household" may affect measurement of HFI.

METHODS

Cross-sectional survey responses were collected from 437 self-identified 2SLGBTQ + people from Toronto, Canada between March and July 2021. The survey measured HFI, sexual/gender identities, socio-demographic factors, household composition, and psycho-social stress/distress. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess variation in odds of marginal, moderate, and severe HFI in relation to sexual/gender identities, household composition, psycho-social distress, and socio-demographic covariates.

RESULTS

Forty-two percent of respondents reported some level of HFI, with severe HFI higher among respondents who were bisexual, transgender/gender diverse, and/or assigned-female-at-birth. Living alone was associated with decreased odds of reporting marginal HFI but increased odds of moderate or severe HFI compared to living with a partner, family, or roommates; living with children was associated with decreased odds of both marginal and severe HFI. One indicator of psycho-social distress (perceived discrimination) was associated with higher odds of all levels of HFI, while the other (isolation) was associated with decreased odds of marginal HFI.

CONCLUSION

These findings highlight the high prevalence of HFI linked with discrimination among 2SLGBTQ + individuals during the pandemic. The complicated results regarding household composition and social isolation may suggest a need to revise definitions of the household when measuring, monitoring, and seeking to mitigate HFI in 2SLGBTQ + communities.

Characterizing Trends in the Use of Food Donations and Other Food-Related Community-Based Social Assistance Programs in a Cohort of New Food Bank Users in Quebec, Canada

Objective: To characterize 12-month trends in the use of food donations and other food-related community-based social assistance programs (CB-SAPs) during the first year following the enrollment of new food bank (FB) users in Quebec, Canada. Methods: A cohort of 1,001 newly registered FB-users in Quebec from the Pathways Study were followed-up during 12-month following baseline assessment. Outcomes were monthly use of food donations and other food-related CB-SAPs. Main predictors were alternative food source utilization (AFSU) profiles: 1) exclusive-FB-users; 2) FB+fruit/vegetable-market-users; and 3) Multiple/diverse-AFS-users. Covariates included sociodemographic characteristics, health status, and major life events. We fit Bayesian hierarchical mixed-effect models, accounting for spatial clustering, temporal correlation, and censoring. Results: We observed an overall downward trend of food donation use among study completers (n = 745). Each AFSU profile had a distinctive monthly trend of food donation use, but probabilities of use across the three profiles overlapped, between 44% and 55%. The use of other food-related CB-SAPs was low and not correlated with AFSU profiles. Conclusion: De novo FB-users use food donations in different ways over time according to specific contextual AFSU profiles.

Food Security Status in Relation to Co-operative Enrolment Among University of Waterloo Undergraduate Students: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Purpose: Co-operative (co-op) education facilitates development of workplace competencies but may have unintended consequences for financial stability and food security. This study examined the association between co-op program enrolment and food security status among a sample of undergraduate students. Financial insufficiency and strategies to cope with it were also characterized.Methods: Cross-sectional data were collected from 167 co-op and 89 non-co-op students at the University of Waterloo from January to March 2019. Logistic regression assessed associations between co-op program enrolment and food insecurity.Results: Twenty-four percent of co-op and 39.3% of non-co-op students lived in moderately or severely food insecure households. Adjusting for confounders, the odds of living in moderately or severely food insecure households were lower among co-op students (adjusted odds ratio: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.27-0.97), though no association was observed when marginal food insecurity was included within the food insecure category. One-quarter (26.3%) of co-op students and 38.2% of non-co-op students reported financial insufficiency, which they tried to cope with by asking parents or friends for assistance or initiating paid work.Conclusions: Co-op program enrolment was weakly associated with lower odds of living in moderately or severely food insecure households, and food insecurity prevalence was high overall. Efforts are needed to alleviate food insecurity among postsecondary students.

Food Insecurity during the Pandemic in South Korea: The Effects of University Students' Perceived Food Insecurity on Psychological Well-Being, Self-Efficacy, and Life Satisfaction

This study examined the impact of university students' perceptions of food insecurity on psychological well-being, self-efficacy, and life satisfaction and observed that the students' gender plays a moderating role in this causal relationship, based on a total of 491 university students who participated in this empirical study. This study used SPSS (Version 22.0) and AMOS (Version 20.0) for the analyses. This study examines the structural relationship of this causal model. Our findings suggest that students' perceived food insecurity negatively affects the status of their psychological well-being and self-efficacy. However, contrary to expectations, perceived food insecurity has no negative effects on students' life satisfaction. In addition, the level of students' psychological well-being positively influences their life satisfaction, while self-efficacy does not. The moderating effects of gender differences in this research were also disclosed. Limitations and future research directions are also discussed.

Food-related worry and food bank use during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada: results from a nationally representative multi-round study

BACKGROUND

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly one in five adults in Canada worried about having enough food to meet their household's needs. Relatedly, throughout the pandemic, public messaging repeatedly urged Canadians to support food charities, including food banks. Yet few studies have examined food bank usage during the pandemic or whether food charities were widely used by Canadians worried about food access.

METHODS

This study draws on four rounds of nationally representative surveying conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic between May 2020 and December 2021 among adults 18 years and older living in Canada. Descriptive statistics were used to examine rates of food-related worry during all four survey rounds. Data from the fourth survey round, collected in December 2021, were used to explore use of food-based community programs since the onset of the pandemic, including food banks. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine differences in socio-demographic and health-related characteristics between adults who did and did not report accessing food banks before and after adjusting for household income.

RESULTS

Across survey rounds (n = 12,091), more than one in seven participants reported stress or worry related to having enough food to meet their household's basic needs in the previous two weeks. Yet, by December 2021, fewer than 4% of participants reported ever accessing a food bank during the pandemic. Younger age, living with a child, financial concerns due to the pandemic, two different measures of food worry, pre-existing mental health conditions, disability, LGBT2Q + identity, and racialized or Indigenous identity, were each statistically significantly associated with higher odds of using food banks even when controlling for household income.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite persistently high rates of food-related worry in 2020 and 2021 in Canada, relatively few adults reported accessing food banks or other charity-based community food programs. While respondents facing social, financial, and health-related inequities and reporting food worry were more likely to use food banks, most respondents did not report food bank use, regardless of financial or demographic circumstances or experiences of food worry. Findings align with previous research indicating that more adequate and comprehensive supports are needed to alleviate food-related-worry in Canada.

The Cost of a Nutritious Diet for Households Including People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nova Scotia: Findings and Lessons Learned by FoodNOW 2020 to 2022

Purpose: FoodNOW (Food to eNhance Our Wellness) engaged in assessment of simulated households that include a person living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Nova Scotia to determine if a basic nutritious diet is affordable.Methods: We used supermarket websites to cost food and beverage items listed in the National Nutritious Food Basket (NNFB) for simulated households, each with a PLWHA. Food costing methodologies were co-developed and adapted with community members in response to barriers presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.Results: We found that simulated households, each with one PLWHA, that had a potential deficit after monthly expenses were a household of four on Income Assistance (-$1,058.70), a lone mother with two children on Income Assistance (-$973.65), a lone man on Income Assistance (-$677.40), and a household of four with one minimum-wage earner (-$383.45).Conclusions: Nova Scotia households with a PLWHA living on Income Assistance or with a minimum-wage earner cannot reasonably afford a nutritious diet in addition to basic household expenses. Using these food costing data can allow dietitians to efficiently inform government action and policy change to improve the health and wellness of individuals and families.

Food Insecurity and COVID-19 Infection: Findings From the 2020-2021 National Health Interview Survey

Introduction

The purpose of this study was to examine the sociodemographic and health-related factors associated with food insecurity and the association between food insecurity and COVID-19 infection using a nationally representative sample in the U.S.

Methods

Cross-sectional data of 61,050 adults (aged ≥18 years) from the 2020 and 2021 National Health Interview Survey were analyzed. Food insecurity was measured by the 10-item U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Security Survey Module. Weighted multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate associations with food insecurity.

Results

A total of 6.8% of the National Health Interview Survey participants lived in food-insecure households, and 18.9% tested positive for COVID-19 infection. Young (aged 18-34 years) or middle (aged 35-64 years) age, female sex, minor race/ethnicity (Hispanic/non-Hispanic Black/non-Hispanic Asian/others), education level less than high school, unmarried status, unemployment, poverty (below the federal poverty level), having no health insurance, a larger number of adults and children in the household, poorer self-reported health status, and the presence of chronic conditions were significantly associated with food insecurity (AOR ranged from 1.20 to 3.15, all p<0.0001). Food insecurity was independently associated with positive COVID-19 infection (AOR=1.25, 95% CI=1.11, 1.40), controlling for sociodemographic and health-related factors. The greatest magnitude of the association was observed for the non-Hispanic Black participants (AOR=1.47, 95% CI=1.15, 1.88), female participants (AOR=1.44, 95% CI=1.20, 1.71), and those below the federal poverty level (AOR=1.39, 95% CI=1.12, 1.73) across all the subgroups.

Conclusions

Food insecurity disproportionately affected vulnerable subgroups such as young adults, female individuals, minority race/ethnicity groups, and those with lower socioeconomic status, and was associated with positive COVID-19 infection. Policies addressing food insecurity may help to reduce the likelihood of COVID-19 infection, especially for those vulnerable subgroups.

Employment Insurance may mitigate impact of unemployment on food security: Analysis on a propensity-score matched sample from the Canadian Income Survey

Food insecurity, the inadequate access to food due to financial constraints, affects one-sixth of Canadian households, with substantial health implications. We examine the impact of unemployment and the mitigating effect of Employment Insurance (EI) on household food insecurity in Canada. Using the Canadian Income Survey 2018-2019, we sampled 28,650 households with adult workers 18-64 years old. We used propensity score matching to pair the 4085 households with unemployed workers with 3390 households with only continuously employed workers on their propensity towards unemployment. Among unemployed households, we also matched 2195 EI recipients with 950 nonrecipients. We applied adjusted logistic regression to the two matched samples. Food insecurity affected 15.1% of the households without unemployed workers and 24.6% of their unemployed counterparts, including 22.2% of EI recipients and 27.5% of nonrecipients. Unemployment was associated with 48% (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.48, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.32-1.66; 5.67 percentage points) higher likelihood of food insecurity. This association was significant and similar across income levels, full-time and part-time workers, and household compositions. EI receipt was associated with 23% (aOR 0.77, 95% CI 0.66-0.90; 4.02 percentage points) lower likelihood of food insecurity, but this association was only significant among households with lower income, full-time workers, and children under 18. The findings suggest a broad impact of unemployment on working adults' food insecurity and a substantial mitigating effect by EI on select unemployed workers. Making EI more generous and accessible for part-time workers may help alleviate food insecurity.

The relational agency of plants in produce supply chains during COVID-19: "Mother nature takes her course"

The Ontario Food Terminal is a central node in the North American food system, the third largest wholesale produce market on the continent. During the first 20 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, qualitative research was conducted with food system actors to understand the impact of the public health crisis on produce supply chains. This paper contributes to the study of nonhumans in agri-food networks and rural spaces, specifically human-plant relations. Employing a posthumanist lens to investigate why produce supply chains continued to flow during the pandemic, it is argued that plants helped to keep supply chains moving at the Terminal in the face of crisis. Plant agency in this case is found to be the product of relationships with humans as well as nonhuman systems. This agency is collective in nature and is rooted in the plants' relationships with humans as perishable foods and commodities as well as ecosystem relationships. Further, the paper demonstrates how plant agency, that had political effects during the pandemic, is normalizing. This underlines the importance of considering the nature of the relationship in the context of relational agency, and highlights that it cannot be assumed that plants are allies in food system change.

The association between chronic conditions, COVID-19 infection, and food insecurity among the older US adults: findings from the 2020-2021 National Health Interview Survey

BACKGROUND

This study aims to examine how the presence of chronic conditions or positive COVID-19 infection (as exposures) is related to food insecurity (as an outcome) in the older population and whether there is a dose-response relationship between the number of chronic conditions and the severity of food insecurity.

METHODS

Cross-sectional data of 17,977 older adults (≥ 65 years) from the 2020-2021 National Health Interview Survey were analyzed. Chronic conditions included physical health conditions (i.e., arthritis, coronary heart diseases, hypertension, stroke, prediabetes, diabetes, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and disability) and mental health conditions (i.e., anxiety and depression disorder). COVID-19 infection status was determined by a self-reported diagnosis of COVID-19. Household food insecurity was measured using the 10-item US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Security Survey Module with a 30-day look-back window. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to examine the association between health conditions and food insecurity controlling for socio-demographic factors.

RESULTS

Our results indicated that 4.0% of the older adults lived in food-insecure households. The presence of chronic conditions was significantly associated with higher odds of being food insecure independent of socio-demographic factors (AOR ranged from 1.17 to 3.58, all p < 0.0001). Compared with participants with 0-1 chronic condition, the odds of being (low or very low) food insecure was 1.09 to 4.07 times higher for those with 2, or ≥ 3 chronic conditions (all p < 0.0001). The severity of food insecurity significantly increased as the number of chronic conditions increased (p for trend < 0.0001). Besides, COVID-infected participants were 82% more likely to be very low food secure than the non-infected participants (AOR = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.80, 1.84).

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of chronic conditions or positive COVID-infection is independently associated with household food insecurity. Clinical health professionals may help identify and assist individuals at risk of food insecurity. Management and improvement of health conditions may help reduce the prevalence and severity of food insecurity in the older population.

Prevalence and Severity of Food Insecurity Before and During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic Among Adults and Youth in Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States

BACKGROUND

Disruptions from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic potentially exacerbated food insecurity among adults and youth.

OBJECTIVES

The objective was to examine changes in the prevalence and severity of food insecurity among adults and youth from before (2019) to during (2020) the pandemic in multiple countries.

METHODS

Repeated cross-sectional data were collected among adults aged 18-100 y (n = 63,278) in 5 countries in November to December in 2018-2020 and among youth aged 10-17 y (n = 23,107) in 6 countries in November to December in 2019 and 2020. Food insecurity in the past year was captured using the Household Food Security Survey Module and the Child Food Insecurity Experiences Scale. Changes in the prevalence and severity of food insecurity were examined using logistic and generalized logit regression models, respectively. Models included age, gender, racial-ethnic identity, and other sociodemographic characteristics associated with food insecurity to adjust for possible sample differences across waves. Models were weighted to reflect each country's population.

RESULTS

Adults [adjusted OR (AOR): 1.15; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.31] and youth (AOR: 1.43; 95% CI: 1.19, 1.71) in Mexico were more likely to live in food-insecure households in 2020 compared to 2019. Adults in Australia (AOR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.72, 0.92) and Canada (AOR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.77, 0.99) were less likely to live in food-insecure households in 2020. Trends in severity aligned with changes in prevalence, with some exceptions. Youth in Australia (AOR: 2.24; 95% CI: 1.65, 3.02) and the United States (AOR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.86) were more likely to have many compared with no experiences of food insecurity in 2020 compared to 2019. There was no evidence of change among adults and youth in the remaining countries.

CONCLUSIONS

Except for Mexico, few changes in food insecurity among adults and youth were observed from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic. Action is needed to support households at risk of food insecurity. J Nutr 20XX;xx:xx-xx.

The second year of pandemic in the Arctic: examining spatiotemporal dynamics of the COVID-19 "Delta wave" in Arctic regions in 2021

The second year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Arctic was dominated by the Delta wave that primarily lasted between July and December 2021 with varied epidemiological outcomes. An analysis of the Arctic’s subnational COVID-19 data revealed a massive increase in cases and deaths across all its jurisdictions but at varying time periods. However, the case fatality ratio (CFR) in most Arctic regions did not rise dramatically and was below national levels (except in Northern Russia). Based on the spatiotemporal patterns of the Delta outbreak, we identified four types of pandemic waves across Arctic regions: Tsunami (Greenland, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Northern Norway, Northern Finland, and Northern Canada), Superstorm (Alaska), Tidal wave (Northern Russia), and Protracted Wave (Northern Sweden). These regionally varied COVID-19 epidemiological dynamics are likely attributable to the inconsistency in implementing public health prevention measures, geographical isolation, and varying vaccination rates. A lesson remote and Indigenous communities can learn from the Arctic is that the three-prong (delay-prepare-respond) approach could be a tool in curtailing the impact of COVID-19 or future pandemics. This article is motivated by previous research that examined the first and second waves of the pandemic in the Arctic. Data are available at https://arctic.uni.edu/arctic-covid-19.

Integrating Gender-Based Analysis Plus into Policy Responses to COVID-19: Lived Experiences of Lockdown in British Columbia, Canada

Recognition of the differential effects of COVID-19 on women has led to calls for greater application of gender-based analysis within policy responses. Beyond pointing out where such policies are implemented, there is little analysis of the effects of efforts to integrate gender-based analysis into the COVID-19 response. Drawing on interviews informing a lived experienced approach to policy analysis, this article asks if, how, and to what effect gender-based analysis was implemented within social and economic policy responses during the initial lockdown, in British Columbia, Canada. It finds that, despite a rhetorical commitment to gender-based analysis, policies failed to address everyday inequalities.

Photo elicitation to explore health and social exclusion with rooming house residents in Ottawa, Canada

Little is known about how rooming house residents perceive how housing influences their health, despite higher morbidity and premature death compared to other Canadians. The social exclusion framework of the Social Knowledge Exchange Network (SEKN) conceptualized by Popay et al. (2008) was used to investigate how rooming houses are linked to health among ten rooming house residents from six rooming houses in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Study activities included taking photos to show how living in a rooming house affects health, a community walk-about with the principal investigator, a focus group, and individual interviews. Thematic analysis revealed two broad themes: Housing is Health Care, and Just Managing Today. Findings suggest that structural inequalities and siloed care contribute to the health of rooming house residents, including the balance between poverty and desire to maintain housing, and how residents cope with this stress. If health care providers want to help alleviate the disparities in rooming house residents' health, they need to broaden the lens through which health is conceptualized.

Cumulative lifetime violence severity, social determinants and anxiety in a national sample of Canadian men

BACKGROUND

Despite anxiety disorders being the ninth leading cause of disability and associated with social inequities, little attention has been given to how intersections among social determinants of health and chronic stressors such as cumulative lifetime violence affect the likelihood of experiencing anxiety disorders. Our purpose was to explore the relationships among cumulative lifetime violence severity as target and perpetrator, social determinants of health and generalized anxiety disorder in Canadian men.

METHODS

Using a community sample of 592 Canadian men who self-identified as having experienced violence, we developed and tested an evidence-based model of generalized anxiety disorder including indicators of cumulative lifetime violence, gender, social location, socio-economic disparity, personal resources and other chronic stressors using logistic regression.

RESULTS

Most men (76.4%, n = 452) reported experiences as both target and perpetrator. The model accounted for 50.8% of the variance in anxiety severity χ2 (8) = 264.43, p = .000). The prevalence of probable generalized anxiety disorder was 30.9%, a rate higher than that found among Canadian men in general in the same period. Remarkably, the likelihood of generalized anxiety disorder increased by a factor of 5.30 for each increase of 1 in cumulative lifetime violence severity, and six-fold for feeling overwhelmed by demands of everyday life (aOR = 6.26). Masculine discrepancy stress, having been born in Canada, unemployment, and food insecurity also contributed significantly to increasing the likelihood of generalized anxiety disorder. Both social support and mastery had significant aORs < 1, suggesting possible protective effects. Together these findings delineate characteristics and social determinants that may heighten vulnerability to generalized anxiety disorder and influence its progression among men who have experienced lifetime violence.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings are the first evidence that Canadian men with lifetime violence histories are a sub-group disproportionately affected by chronic stressors and socio-economic disparities and that together the presence and/or severity of these factors increases their vulnerability to generalized anxiety disorder. Our results highlight the importance of strengths-based trauma- and violence-informed approaches to care, including practical resources to reduce the stress of everyday life, improve social support, and reinforce personal control and choice.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Rural Food Security in High Income Countries: A Systematic Literature Review

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, rural-dwelling people in high-income countries were known to have greater challenges accessing healthy food than their urban counterparts. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted food supplies across the world, and public health restrictions have changed the way people shop for food, potentially exacerbating food insecurity. This systematic literature review aimed to synthesize the available evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aspects of food insecurity in rural populations residing in high-income countries. Five electronic databases were searched, identifying 22 articles that assessed food insecurity prevalence or data on food availability, access, utilization and the stability of the food supply in rural populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ten studies examined the prevalence of food insecurity in rural populations, with the reported prevalence ranging from 15% to 95%. Where rural/urban comparisons were presented, most studies (n = 5; 71%) reported that food insecurity was significantly higher in rural regions. Five studies examined the availability of food and eight studies examined access to food, identifying that rural populations often had lower food availability and access to food during the pandemic. In contrast, two studies identified positive effects such as more gardening and increased online access to food. Rural populations experienced multiple changes to food utilization, such as reduced diet quality and food safety observed in eight studies, but this was not shown to be different from urban populations. Additionally, the food supply in rural regions was perceived to be affected in two studies. The results of this review may be used to inform region-specific mitigation strategies to decrease the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic and future global events on food security. However, the lack of consistency in study outcomes in research on rural populations limits the identification of priority areas for intervention at a global-scale.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on food security in Australia: A scoping review

Aim

The COVID‐19 pandemic has disrupted the Australian food supply with potential ramifications on food security. This scoping review aimed to synthesise current evidence on the prevalence of food insecurity and changes to factors related to food insecurity during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Australia.

Methods

A comprehensive search strategy was used to search seven databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Global Health, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PsycINFO, Informit Online) and Google Scholar. Included studies were written in English, published in 2020–2021 and examined food security status in Australia during the COVID‐19 pandemic and/or factors associated with food insecurity in free‐living Australian residents. Articles with participants residing in institutional settings, where meals were supplied, were excluded.

Results

A total of 700 records were identified from database, grey literature and hand searching, and nine articles were included. All studies indicated that the prevalence of food insecurity had increased due to negative changes to food availability, accessibility, usability and stability. The downturn in employment and economic circumstances following the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic appeared to create a new group of food‐insecure Australians consisting of newly unemployed, and international students.

Conclusion

COVID‐19 has exacerbated vulnerabilities in the Australian food supply and food security. Suggested actions include ongoing data collection on the long‐term impact of COVID‐19 on food supply and security in addition to coordinated national and community responses that improve the stability of the local food supply and address underlying determinants of food insecurity.

Pain-driven emergency department visits and food insecurity: a cross-sectional study linking Canadian survey and health administrative data

BACKGROUND

As the leading cause of emergency department visits in Canada, pain disproportionately affects socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. We examine the association between household food insecurity and individuals' pain-driven emergency department visits.

METHODS

We designed a cross-sectional study linking the Canadian Community Health Survey 2005-2017 to the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System 2003-2017. Food insecurity was measured using a validated questionnaire. We excluded individuals with missing food insecurity status, individuals younger than 12 years and jurisdiction-years with partial emergency department records. We assessed emergency department visits driven by pain at different sites (migraine, other headaches, chest-throat pain, abdomen-pelvis pain, dorsalgia, joint pain, limb pain, other pain) and their characteristics (frequency, cause, acuity and time of emergency department visit) in Ontario and Alberta. We adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle and prior non-pain-driven emergency department visits in the models.

RESULTS

The sample contained 212 300 individuals aged 12 years and older. Compared with food-secure individuals, marginally, moderately and severely food-insecure people had 1.42 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.20-1.68), 1.64 (95% CI 1.37-1.96) and 1.99 (95% CI 1.61-2.46) times higher adjusted incidence rates of pain-driven emergency department visits, respectively. The association was similar across sexes and significant among adults but not adolescents. Food insecurity was further associated with site-specific pain, with severely food-insecure individuals having significantly higher pain incidence than food-secure individuals. Severe food insecurity predicted more frequent, multicause, high-acuity and after-hours emergency department visits.

INTERPRETATION

Household food insecurity status is significantly associated with pain-driven emergency department visits in the Canadian population. Policies targeting food insecurity may reduce pain and emergency department utilization.

Food insecurity associated with higher COVID-19 infection in households with older adults

OBJECTIVES

As a well-documented social determinant of health, food insecurity may be associated with COVID-19 infection in households with older adults. We examined whether older adults were vulnerable to COVID-19 infection during the early pandemic if they were food insecure versus food secure.

STUDY DESIGN

A cross-sectional study using a nationally representative population-based survey of US older adults.

METHODS

We used a random subsample of Health and Retirement Study (HRS) drawn in June 2020 (N = 3212). We compared the odds of reporting COVID-19 infection in a household, COVID-19 infection and mortality among acquaintances, and respondent's perceived fair or poor health across household food insecurity status resulted from financial or non-financial barriers. Baseline health and socioeconomic circumstances were adjusted in the models.

RESULTS

Results showed a higher COVID-19 infection rate among food-insecure households than among their food-secure counterparts during the pandemic. Food insecurity due to non-financial obstacles was associated with greater likelihood of COVID-19 infection both within respondents' households (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.73, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-2.90) and among their acquaintances (aOR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.05-1.65). Food insecurity caused by both non-financial and financial constraints was associated with twice the likelihood of knowing someone who died from COVID-19 than their food-secure counterparts (aOR = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.27-3.61).

CONCLUSIONS

Food insecurity driven by non-financial constraints played an important role in the ongoing pandemic among US older adults. Policies addressing COVID-19 need to recognize the vulnerability of food-insecure older adults beyond lack of monetary resources.

Examining the associations between food worry and mental health during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada

OBJECTIVE

Little is known about the association between mental health and diminished food worry during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper examines worry about having enough food to meet household needs and its association with mental health during the early months of the pandemic in Canada.

METHODS

Data are drawn from the first round of a multi-round mental health monitoring survey. Online surveys were administered between May 14 and 29, 2020, to a nationally representative sample of Canadian adults (n = 3000). Logistic regression models were used to examine associations between food worry and mental health indicators (anxious/worried, depressed, worse mental health compared with pre-pandemic, and suicidal thoughts/feelings), after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics and pre-existing mental health conditions. Fully adjusted models explored the impact of controlling for financial worry due to the pandemic in the previous 2 weeks.

RESULTS

Overall, 17.3% of the sample reported food worry due to the pandemic in the previous 2 weeks, with the highest prevalence found among those with a reported disability (29.3%), Indigenous identity (27.1%), or pre-existing mental health condition (25.3%). Compared with participants who did not report food worry, those who did had higher odds of reporting feeling anxious/worried (OR=1.36, 95% CI: 1.08-1.71) and suicidal thoughts/feelings (OR=1.87, 95% CI: 1.24-2.80) when controlling for socio-demographics, pre-existing mental health conditions, and financial worry.

CONCLUSION

This paper provides insights about the associations between food worry and mental health in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic and indicates the need for improved policies and social supports to mitigate food worry and associated mental health outcomes.

Examining the relationship between food insecurity and causes of injury in Canadian adults and adolescents

BACKGROUND

Food insecurity, as an indicator of socioeconomic disadvantages and a determinant of health, may be associated with injury by increasing risk exposure and hampering risk mitigation. We examined the association between food insecurity and common causes of injury in the general population.

METHODS

Linking the Canadian Community Health Survey 2005-2017 to National Ambulatory Care Reporting System 2003-2017, this retrospective cohort study estimated incidence of injury-related emergency department (ED) visits by food insecurity status among 212,300 individuals 12 years and above in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Alberta, adjusting for prior ED visits, lifestyle, and sociodemographic characteristics including income.

RESULTS

Compared to those in food-secure households, individuals from moderately and severely food-insecure households had 1.16 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07-1.25) and 1.35 (95% CI 1.24-1.48) times higher incidence rate of ED visits due to injury, respectively, after confounders adjustment. The association was observed across sex and age groups. Severe food insecurity was associated with intentional injuries (adjusted rate ratio [aRR] 1.81; 95% CI 1.29-2.53) including self-harm (aRR 1.87; 95% CI 1.03-3.40) and violence (aRR 1.79; 95% CI 1.19-2.67) as well as non-intentional injuries (aRR 1.34; 95% CI 1.22-1.46) including fall (aRR 1.43; 95% CI 1.24-1.65), medical complication (aRR 1.39; 95% CI 1.06-1.82), being struck by objects (aRR 1.43; 95% CI 1.07-1.91), overexertion (aRR 1.31; 95% CI 1.04-1.66), animal bite or sting (aRR 1.60; 95% CI 1.08-2.36), skin piercing (aRR 1.80; 95% CI 1.21-2.66), and poisoning (aRR 1.65; 95% CI 1.05-2.59). Moderate food insecurity was associated with more injuries from violence (aRR 1.56; 95% CI 1.09-2.21), falls (aRR 1.22; 95% CI 1.08-1.37), being struck (aRR 1.20; 95% CI 1.01-1.43), and overexertion (aRR 1.25; 95% CI 1.04-1.50). Moderate and severe food insecurity were associated with falls on stairs and being struck in non-sports settings but not with falls on same level or being struck during sports. Food insecurity was not related to transport injuries.

CONCLUSIONS

Health inequity by food insecurity status extends beyond diseases into differential risk of injury, warranting policy intervention. Researchers and policymakers need to address food insecurity as a social determinant of injury to improve health equity.

The role of provincial social policies and economic environments in shaping food insecurity among Canadian families with children

Food insecurity, inadequate access to food due to financial constraints, affects 17.3% of Canadian children, with serious health repercussions. Capitalizing on the geo-temporal variation in social policies and economic environments across Canadian provinces between 2005 and 2018, we examined the association between provincial policies and economic environments and likelihood of experiencing food insecurity among households with children. Drawn from 13 years of the Canadian Community Health Survey, our sample comprised 123,300 households with below-median income with children under 18 in the ten provinces. We applied generalized ordered logit models on the overall sample and subsamples stratified by Low-Income Measure (LIM). Higher minimum wage, lower income tax, and lower unemployment rate were associated with lower odds of food insecurity in the overall sample. A hypothetical one-dollar increase in minimum wage was associated with 0.8 to 1.0-percentage-point decrease in probability of food insecurity. The probability of food security increased by 1.2 to 1.6 percentage points following a one-percentage-point drop in bottom-bracket income tax rate. One-percentage-point lower unemployment rate corresponded to 0.6 to 0.8-percentage-point higher probability of food security. Higher welfare income and lower housing price predicted lower likelihood of severe food insecurity in the below-LIM subsample. Higher sales tax and median wage predicted higher likelihood of food insecurity among above-LIM households. Income support policies, favorable labor market conditions, and affordable living costs were all related to reduced food insecurity among Canadian households with children. Policies that increase minimum wage, reduce taxes, and create jobs may help alleviate food insecurity.

Food insecurity, chronic pain, and use of prescription opioids

Chronic pain has been on the rise in recent decades in Canada. Accordingly, the use of prescription opioids (PO) in Canada increased drastically between 2005 and 2014, only starting to decrease in 2015. Both pain and PO use have serious public health repercussions, disproporionately affecting select socially disadvantaged populations. Food insecurity is a strong risk factor for mental disorders and suicidal outcomes, yet its relationship to chronic pain and PO use is largely unknown. Using two recent cycles from the population representative Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), we examined the association of household food insecurity status with chronic pain and PO use among Canadians 12 years and older, adjusting for health and sociodemographic characteristics. Compared to food-secure individuals, marginally, moderately, and severely food-insecure individuals had 1.31 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15-1.48), 1.89 (95% CI 1.71-2.08), and 3.29 (95% CI 2.90-3.74) times higher odds of experiencing chronic pain and 1.55 (95% CI 1.30-1.85), 1.77 (95% CI 1.54-2.04), and 2.65 (95% CI 2.27-3.09) times higher odds of using PO in the past year, respectively. The graded association with food insecurity severity was also found in severe pain experience and pain-induced activity limitations among chronic pain patients and, less consistently, in intensive, excess, and alternative use of PO and its acquisition through means other than medical prescription among past-year PO users. Food insecurity was a much more powerful predictor of chronic pain and PO use than other well-established social determinants of health like income and education. Policies reducing food insecurity may lower incidence of chronic pain and help contain the opioid crisis.