Risk of food insecurity in undocumented migrant households in Birmingham, UK.

Andrew Jolly,Janice L Thompson

doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdab408

Andrew Jolly, Janice L Thompson

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdab408

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Abstract

This study aimed to understand the extent of household food insecurity amongst undocumented migrant families in Birmingham,UK. Cross-sectional survey of households (n=74) with dependent children using the USDA 18-item household food security (HFS) module. All households had an irregular immigration status and were accessing an immigration advice drop-in service (n=98 adults; n=138 children) in Birmingham. About 95.9% of households were food insecure, and 94.6% of children lived in households with low or very low food security. Food insecurity varied within households. Around 91.8% of adults were food insecure, compared to 75.6% of children. Spearman's rank-order correlation indicated a statistically significant positive correlation between household food insecurity level and number of children (rho=0.253, P=0.031). A Kruskal-Wallis H Test indicated no statistically significant difference (P=0.730) in HFS score between households supported by asylum support, children's social services or paid employment in the informal economy and those that had no regular income. Prevalence of HFS was higher in this sample of undocumented migrant households with dependent children in Birmingham, UK, than in the wider population, and larger households were more food insecure. Households without a regular income were no more likely to be food insecure than households with financial support.

Highlights

Over the past decade there has been renewed interest in food insecurity in the UK, with a small but growing academic literature on food insecurity and the rise of emergency food aid in both the UK1–3 and across Europe[4] since 2010
This paper presents the results of a study conducted as part of PhD research, which aimed to identify the level of household food security (HFS) in a cohort of undocumented migrant families accessing immigration advice services in Birmingham, UK
95.9% of households were food insecure, and 94.6% of children lived in households that were food insecure at a household level, with 63.5% living in households that had very low food security, defined by the USDA as a situation where: at times during the year, the food intake of household members was reduced and their normal eating patterns were disrupted because the household lacked money and other resources for food.[18]

Summary

Introduction

Over the past decade there has been renewed interest in food insecurity in the UK, with a small but growing academic literature on food insecurity and the rise of emergency food aid in both the UK1–3 and across Europe[4] since 2010. There is evidence that food aid is underutilized by religious and ethnic minorities in the UK12 and that lone parents and large families are at greater risk of food insecurity,[13] there has been less attention to the prevalence of food insecurity according to immigration status. This study aimed to understand the extent of household food insecurity amongst undocumented migrant families in Birmingham, UK. All households had an irregular immigration status and were accessing an immigration advice drop-in service (n = 98 adults; n = 138 children) in Birmingham. A Kruskal–Wallis H Test indicated no statistically significant difference (P = 0.730) in HFS score between households supported by asylum support, children’s social services or paid employment in the informal economy and those that had no regular income

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