Abstract
Food insecurity continues to persist among vulnerable groups in Canada, including newcomer families. This mixed-methods study uses an exploratory sequential design to characterize the food security status of newcomer families with children aged 3–13 years. Parents completed food security and 24-hour dietary recall questionnaires, and parents and service providers were interviewed to explore their food insecurity experiences. Fifty percent of participant households experienced food insecurity, while 41% of children were food insecure. More recent newcomer families, and families with parents that had completed high school or some years of postsecondary training, more commonly experienced household food insecurity, compared to families with parents without high school diplomas or those with university degrees. Food-insecure children aged 4–8 years were at higher risk of consuming a lower proportion of energy from protein, lower servings of milk products, and inadequate intakes of vitamin B12 and calcium. Participants identified changes in food buying habits due to low income, using food budgets to purchase prescription drugs and to repay transportation loans, while the school food environment impacted children’s food security. Food security initiatives targeting newcomers may benefit from building on the strengths of newcomers, including traditional dietary practices and willingness to engage in capacity-building programming.
Highlights
Food is a human right according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights [1], the InternationalCovenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights [2], and the Convention of the Rights of the Child [3].Canada is a signatory to all of these international agreements; Canada has a questionable track record with regards to upholding economic rights, such as the right to food [4]
Across Canada, newcomers who have been in Canada for less than five years more commonly experienced food insecurity (15.2%), as compared to newcomers who have been in Canada longer (12.0%), and the Canadian-born (11.8%) [6]. These findings indicate that recent newcomers are at increased risk for food insecurity; the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)
79% of all participants were in the low- or middle-income categories, a higher proportion of refugees (92%) were in these categories compared to immigrants
Summary
Food is a human right according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights [1], the InternationalCovenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights [2], and the Convention of the Rights of the Child [3].Canada is a signatory to all of these international agreements; Canada has a questionable track record with regards to upholding economic rights, such as the right to food [4]. Food is a human right according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights [1], the International. Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights [2], and the Convention of the Rights of the Child [3]. Canada is a signatory to all of these international agreements; Canada has a questionable track record with regards to upholding economic rights, such as the right to food [4]. 12th according to global human development indicators [5], meaning it is not among the states that prioritize economic rights. It is not acceptable that food insecurity exists in Canada—a high-income country. Food insecurity continues to persist, especially among vulnerable population groups, such as newcomers. The 2014 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) Household Food Security Module found that
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