COVID‐19 and Food Security in Fiji: The Reinforcement of Subsistence Farming Practices in Rural and Urban Areas

ObjectivesThe objective of the study was to measure food security among Syrian refugees residing in urban and rural areas in Florida. Women's education, English proficiency, and nutrition knowledge were assessed to indicate their effects on food security in this population.MethodsOne-on-one interview questionnaires were administered to Syrian refugee households residing in Florida (n=80: n=43 in rural areas and n=37 in urban areas). The main outcomes were food insecurity, nutrition knowledge, English adequacy, and women's education.ResultsThe main outcome of this study was the food security status among Syrian refugees residing in Florida. Among the total households, 80% were food insecure, and food insecurity was greater in rural areas (60.9%) than in urban areas (39.1%). The majority (57.5%) of participants scored fair nutrition knowledge. One-way frequency analysis showed that 75% of households had inadequate English. Around 23.7% of Syrian refugee women had a high school diploma or higher. Among these women, 68.4% were residing in urban areas. The chi-squared test showed significant differences in women's education in rural and urban areas (p=0.03). Nutrition knowledge was higher in urban areas compared to rural areas. The chi-squared test showed a significant difference in nutrition knowledge in urban and rural areas (p=0.04). The result of the multivariate logistic regression model indicated that the type of residence, rural vs urban areas, had an inverse significant effect on food security after controlling for our variables. Syrian refugees in rural areas had 79.9 greater odds of being food insecure compared with urban areas (odds ratio: 0.201, 95% CI: 0.053-0.758, p=0.01).ConclusionsNutrition knowledge, English adequacy, and women's education may be less important than types of residence. The type of residence is a contributing factor to food insecurity in Syrian refugees residing in Florida. A larger sample size would allow a clearer understanding of the relation of our variables with food insecurity.

ABSTRACTOBJECTIVE:To analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food insecurity (FI) among families living in rural and urban areas of Brazil.METHODS:Cross-sectional and descriptive study based on the analysis of two nationally representative surveys conducted using probabilistic sampling by clusters in urban and rural areas of Brazil (2020 and 2022). FI was measured using the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale. The households were classified as food secure, mild FI, or moderate/severe FI. Prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) and analyses were performed in Stata 16 considering the respective sample weights (svy). Variations between the two surveys were analyzed by urban and rural area, and associations with gender and race/skin color.RESULTS:The majority of households were located in urban areas (2020: 85.6% [n = 1,662]; 2022: 85.5% [n = 10,365]) compared to rural areas (2020: 14.5% [n = 518]; 2022: 85.5% [n = 2,382]). with regard to the characteristics of the household reference person, schooling level, being a formal worker and the per capita family income were higher among families from urban areas. Between 2020 and 2022, the proportion of severe levels of FI increased significantly more in households from rural areas. Despite the higher FI in rural areas, a variation of +54% was noted in urban areas, where the prevalence of moderate/severe FI increased from 19.4% (2020) to approximately 30% (2022). There were greater proportions of FI in households headed by men in urban areas (+75.1%) and mixed race/black people (+55.9%), while households headed by white people saw an improvement in FS.CONCLUSION:The FI increased unequally between the rural and urban areas of Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this study reinforce the need to plan equitable public policies that debate the different vulnerability profiles aggravated by disparities as a way of guaranteeing food and nutritional security in post pandemic in Brazil.

This study aims to measure food security and the levels of food insecurity among Syrian refugee households. It also aimed to determine the association between food security status and types of households including the number of employed members of the households and children in households. Semi-structured interview questionnaires were administered to 80 households of Syrian refugees residing in Florida. Participants were Syrian refugees who have resettled in Florida since 2011 and were interviewed in one-on-one 45-minute sessions. Included cities were Miami, West Palm Beach, Orlando, and Tampa. The main outcomes were food security, levels of food insecurity, the number of employed individuals in households, and the structure of households with and without children. The mean food security score was 4.7± 2.6 among participating households when a score of 3-7indicates food insecurity without hunger. There were significant differences (p = 0.02) between the levels of food insecurity in rural and urban areas. Households in rural areas experienced higher levels of food insecurity compared to households in urban areas. We found a significant relationship (p = 0.04) between food security and the number of employed individuals in households in rural areas. The logistic regression model comparing food security status in rural and urban areas showed that households in rural areas had 80.2 % less odds of being food secure than those in urban areas with the adjustment of the variable of number of employed individuals(odds ratio = 0.198; 95% CI: 0.055-0.712; p = 0.01). Another logistic regression model showed that Miami was four times and West Palm Beach was 11.8 times more likely to be food secure than Tampa when the number of employees was adjusted. Among allthe households, there were significant differences (p = 0.01) in the levels of food insecurity between households with and without children. When the typeof residence was introduced into the corresponding model, households in rural areas were 79.3% less likely to be food secure than households in urban areas(odds ratio: 0.207; CI: 0.06-0.70; p = 0.01). Another logistic regression showed that West Palm Beach had a significant positive effect (p = 0.005) on food security. Households in this city had 9.95 greater odds of being food secure than households in Tampa. The effect in Miami was marginally positive (p = 0.07) in this model. Households in Miami might have had 3.8 greater probabilities of being food secure than the households in Tampa when the variable of households with and without children was adjusted. Food insecurity was frequent among n = 64 (80.0%) of Syrian refugee households residing in Florida. Households with at least two employed individuals were more likely to experience food security than households with only one member employed. The number of employees in households may have a greater impact on food security in urban areas than in rural areas. Food insecurity was more frequent in households with children than in households without children. Adults in food-insecure households with children might have experienced greater levels of food insecurity compared to their food-insecure children.

Food security is a critical issue in Nigeria today as the country struggles with high rates of food prices and poverty. This study analysed the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of Household Heads (HHH) and classified them according to food security status. Household level data from the cross-sectional survey was employed in November 2006 to February 2007through a well-structured questionnaire to 396 HHH with a multi-stage sampling procedure. Data were analysed through a descriptive statistics and Rasch model. Average age of the HHH was 42.45years with Standard Deviation (SD) of 9.57 years in Rural Areas (RA) against 43.29 years and SD of 9.83 years in Urban Areas (UA). The HHH level of education was much higher in UA compared to RA. The Household Size (HSZ) was 5.88 with SD of 2.29 in RA against 5.91 and SD of 2.17 in UA, and monthly income of N9, 244.86 with SD of N11, 071.77 in RA against N10, 194.15 and SD of N14, 936.30 in UA. The results from Rasch Model for classifying households according to food security status show that differences exist between households’ food security status in rural and urban areas of Kwara and Kogi States. While 15.6% HHH were food secure (FS) in RA of Kogi State, only 11.1% were FS in the RA of Kwara State. On the other hand, 20.7% HHH were FS in UA of Kogi State compared to 17.1% in UA of Kwara State. Disaggregating food security status of adults and children in households separately revealed that, 25.8% adults in RA of Kogi State were FS compared to 19.2% in Kwara, while 24.4% urban adults were FS in Kogi against 23.2% in Kwara. In addition, 40.6% children in RA of Kogi State were FS against 32.3% in Kwara, while only 29.9% Kogi urban children were FS against 46.3% in Kwara. In general, households were more FS in Kogi State compared to Kwara and more FS in UA compared to RA. The rural children in Kogi State were also more FS compared to the urban, while urban children in Kwara were more FS when compared to rural children. In order to improve households’ food security status in both rural and urban areas, there is the need to take into account some significant variables such as reduction in household size through birth control, and increase in household heads’ participation in agricultural activities especially those residing in urban areas through urban agriculture.

Temporal Trends in Rural vs Urban Sepsis-Related Mortality in the United States, 2010-2019

Nutrition Knowledge, English Adequacy, Women’s Education and Food Insecurity Among Syrian Refugees in Florida

Introduction: Poverty is one of the key factors influencing food security in both urban and rural areas. This condition affects the decision-making of poor households regarding the implementation of food coping strategies. The objective of this study is to systematically analyze the level of food security among poor households in rural and urban. Methods: This study employs a systematic review approach following the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). Relevant articles were sourced from seven databases: Publish or Perish 8, PubMed, MDPI, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Semantic Scholar. The selected articles were published between 2015 and 2025, covering both Indonesian and international publications. Results: Total of 12 articles met the inclusion criteria, revealing differences in food security levels between poor households in urban and rural areas. Rural poor households tend to have greater food security compared to their urban counterparts. The food coping strategies adopted by poor households in rural areas are generally more effective in ensuring food security than those implemented in urban. Conclusion: This study identifies disparities in food security between poor households in urban and rural areas. Poor households in rural areas tend to be more food secure due to greater access to food resources, while those in urban areas are more dependent on income and market conditions, making them more vulnerable. Poor households address food insecurity through various food coping strategies, including reducing food consumption, purchasing cheaper food, or relying on assistance. These strategies vary depending on regional conditions. Keywords: Food coping strategy, Food security, Rural, Urban

Food insecurity and health is turning out to be one of the biggest issues of the world especially in the pandemic. Developing countries are particularly affected badly from the problem of food insecurity and malnutrition. Food and nutrition (macro and micro nutrition) status was assessed by using the calories and nutrition intake method in the rural and urban areas of district Faisalabad and food security index was used to estimate the absolute food security status. Primary data set about 500 households were collected from the rural and urban areas. The results show that calories and macronutrient’s security status was better in the urban areas while the situation of micro nutrients was better in rural areas. It was found 49 percent households in rural areas and 43 percent households in urban areas were food and nutrition secure. The impact of covid-19 was evident in urban areas especially in low-income households and people who earn daily wages. The regression analysis showed that prevalence of disease, Education, household income, family size, number daily intake meals, age of household head and land size were significant impact on the food and nutrition security status in both rural and urban areas.

219: Factors In Recruiting and Retaining Emergency Physicians to Rural Emergency Departments

PurposeIn our world, nearly nine million people die every year from hunger, losing one person to hunger every few seconds. Ethiopia is among the leading countries in the total number of people facing hunger. Several actions have been taken to achieve food security globally and at the household level. However, the problem of food insecurity is still high in many parts of the world. Why are we failing to achieve food security? And where should we start? This study aims to answer these main questions.Design/methodology/approachRelevant quantitative and qualitative data were duly used to describe food insecurity and associated climate factors globally and nationally. For this, PRISMA review methodology was used to help the systematic review. More than 90 relevant empirical and theoretical literature in the field were reviewed in an integrated way with practical evidence from Ethiopia. Governmental technical reports, NGOs reviews and other relevant empirical data referring to Ethiopia are thematically analyzed.FindingsThe subjectivity, dynamism and complexity of the concept of food security are found to be some of the issues challenging the practice of achieving food security. The unresolved issues in the combination and interaction of the four pillars of food security (food availability, access to food, food utilization and stability) are affecting its measurement. In this study, it is emphasized that food insecurity in rural and urban areas should be treated differently, as food insecurity in rural areas is directly related to food production which depends on rainfall patterns. In rural Ethiopia, rainfall variability was among the main causes of food insecurity. More importantly, it is indicated that rainfall variability does not affect all pillars of food security equally; its effect is more pronounced on food availability and stability aspects. Deconstructing the concept of food security to make it more pragmatic, and understanding the factors behind the rainfall variability should be the starting tasks in achieving food security. Further, even though food aid is preferred to react to transitory food insecurity, focusing on long-lasting preventive measures that address the root causes of the recurring food insecurity in rural areas of Ethiopia would be an effective way of addressing the problem.Practical implicationsPolicy makers and other governmental and humanitarian agencies working on food security can make an evidence-based decision, shape policies and programs if they have clear information about the features of food insecurity, the nature of rainfall variability and critiques of the reacting mechanisms to food insecurity. Shortages of food in some place and food price crises in the other places have been both referring to food insecurity. This makes the understanding of food security situations more difficult to explain and communicate.Originality/valueThis study primarily clarifies the conceptual complexity surrounding food security as it currently exists. Further, it provides a comprehensive and quantitative description of the state of global to national food security, along with the associated variability of rainfall patterns that are related to it. It also provides a brief overview of the intervention mechanisms for addressing food security, with a specific focus on Ethiopia. This study has set a clear demarcation to assess food security in rural and urban areas.

The Effects of Types of Residence and Nutrition Knowledge on Food Insecurity Status Among Syrian Refugees Residing in the State of Florida

The paper makes an attempt to analyze the food consumption pattern, food security status, and factors influencing food security. The study revealed that, among different items of consumption, the use of cereals was higher among the households across the gradients. Rural households derived most of their calorie from cereals. Across rural–urban interface, total consumption was relatively higher in urban area (38.44 kg/CU/month) followed by transition and rural areas. The total energy derived from the consumption of different food items was the highest in urban area (2491.90 Kcal/capita/day) followed by transition (2415.82 Kcal/capita/day) and rural area (2383.28 Kcal/capita/day). The households residing in urban area showed higher Simpson Index of Dietary Diversity (0.81) followed by transition (0.80) and rural (0.77) areas. The percentage of food secure households was highest in urban areas (76.25%) followed by transition (63.75%) and rural (58.75%) areas. Regression analysis revealed that education, monthly income of the sample households, and their localization in urban area were significant determinants of food security. The study concludes the prevalence of food insecurity and suggested the need for strengthening existing food security programmes, besides creating awareness among households to move toward balanced diet by diversifying their production, income, and consumption pattern.

Background: Child malnutrition is a significant factor contributing to infant and under-five mortality in developing countries including Nepal, making it a serious public health concern. Child nutritional status varies between urban and rural areas due to differences in educational status, socio-economic conditions, and healthcare services. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the differences in the nutritional status of children in rural and urban areas of Kaski district and identify the factors associated with nutritional status in both rural and urban areas. Methods: A community-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in the Kaski district. A random sample of 195 children from both urban and rural communities was included in the study. Information was collected through interviews with mothers using a structured questionnaire along with anthropometric measurements of the weight of children. Data was entered into EpiData version 3.1 and analysed using IBM SPSS version 20. Results: A total of 390 children aged 6- 23 months were included in this study for analysis. The prevalence of stunting, wasting, and underweight was 33.3%, 8.2%, and 13.8% in rural areas, and 23.1%, 4.6%, and 5.1% in urban areas, respectively. More than four-fifths of the children (84%) in urban areas and three-fourths of the children (73.3%) in rural areas were fed meals more than three times per day. Families with food insecurity were 2.77 times more likely to have underweight children (95%CI: 1.01-7.35) in comparison to families that are food secure. Children aged 12-23 months were more likely to be stunted than younger children in rural areas. Conclusion: This study found significant associations between age, sex, food insecurity, minimum dietary diversity, and food frequency, and the nutritional status of children in both rural and urban area. In rural areas, male children had a higher likelihood of being stunted compared to female children. Additionally, households experiencing food insecurity were more prone to having stunted and underweight children. To improve these conditions, enhanced nutrition education and targeted interventions, including proper counselling, are necessary to address poor dietary diversity and inadequate food frequency across both rural and urban areas.

Background Few studies investigate long-term effects of food donation programs on food insecurity, diet, social integration or health. We describe household food insecurity (HFI), health, social integration and sociodemographic characteristics of 1003 new food banks users in rural, suburban and urban areas in Quebec, Canada. Methods Adults requesting food aid for the first time in the past 6 months were recruited in 117 food aid organizations (32 in rural, 35 in suburban, 50 in urban areas) using a nested sampling technique. Baseline data were collected from Sept 2018 to Jan 2020 in computer-assisted face-to-face interviews. Participants will be followed biennially. HFI was assessed with the 18-item Household Food Security Survey Module. Perceived physical and mental health scores were assessed with the SF12V2 module. Psychological distress and social integration were assessed with the Kessler scale K6+ and a modified version of MSPSS Scale. Differences across groups were tested with Chi square, ANOVA and post-hoc tests. Results Most participants reported high levels of materiel deprivation, with some variability across settings. Severe HFI was more prevalent in rural (51%) and urban (47%) areas than in suburbs (38%). More urban participants reported <20000 CAN$/yr (79% vs 74% in suburbs and 69% in rural) although low education level was more prevalent in rural areas (82% reported <12th grade education vs. 67% in suburban and 64% in urban areas). Psychological distress was higher in the suburbs (28%) compared to urban (21%) or rural areas (22%). No differences were detected across settings in social integration or physical or mental health scores. Conclusions New users of food banks report markedly high levels of material, social and health-related deprivation. In-depth analyses will permit more meaningful interpretation of these differences. The Pathways Study will permit better understanding of the life experience of persons requesting food assistance. Key messages People demanding food aid for the first time reported high levels of materiel deprivation, with some variability across settings. Severe housefold insecurity is around 50% among new food aid demanders in rural and urban settings.

The quest for improved livelihoods and better education among the broader reasons cause individuals and sometimes a whole nuclear family to migrate from rural areas to urban areas. Migration presents with its concerns including food security, nutrition and health. This paper reviews exclusively, though not exhaustive, studies conducted in Africa from 2010 to 2019. Google Scholar and PubMed Central were searched for studies on rural-urban migration and food (in) security and/or health and/or nutrition. Movement of humans is a cause of food insecurity. This food insecurity affects both rural households and urban households, but in different ways. Improvement in food security in the rural areas and urban areas should be done differently and not a one-fit-all approach. The population growth should be checked and significant improvements made in agriculture, in the urban and rural areas.