Inadequate Food Supply Research Articles

The Retail Food Sector and Indigenous Peoples in High-Income Countries: A Systematic Scoping Review.

Indigenous Peoples in high-income countries experience higher burdens of food insecurity, obesity, and diet-related health conditions compared to national averages. The objective of this systematic scoping review is to synthesize information from the published literature on the methods/approaches, findings, and scope for research and interventions on the retail food sector servicing Indigenous Peoples in high-income countries. A structured literature search in two major international databases yielded 139 relevant peer-reviewed articles from nine countries. Most research was conducted in Oceania and North America, and in rural and remote regions. Several convergent issues were identified across global regions including limited grocery store availability/access, heightened exposure to unhealthy food environments, inadequate market food supplies (i.e., high prices, limited availability, and poor quality), and common underlying structural factors including socio-economic inequality and colonialism. A list of actions that can modify the nature and structure of retailing systems to enhance the availability, accessibility, and quality of healthful foods is identified. While continuing to (re)align research with community priorities, international collaboration may foster enhanced opportunities to strengthen the evidence base for policy and practice and contribute to the amelioration of diet quality and health at the population level.

The hunger-obesity paradox: Exploring food banking system characteristics and obesity inequities among food-insecure pantry clients.

PurposeHeightened obesity risk among food-insecure food pantry clients is a health equity issue because the co-occurrence of obesity and hunger is deeply-rooted in systematic social disadvantage and historical oppression. This qualitative study examined key stakeholders’ perspectives of the relationship between the U.S. food banking system and obesity disparities among food insecure clients.MethodsWe conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 10 key stakeholders (e.g., food bank director, food bank board member, advocate) who are familiar with food bank operations. Data were transcribed verbatim, coded in NVivo [v11], and analyzed using thematic analysis.ResultsMultiple themes emerged drawing linkages between structural characteristics of the food banking system and disparities in the dual burden of food insecurity and obesity: [a] access to unhealthy food from donors; [b] federal emergency food policy and programming; [c] state-level emergency food policy and programming; [d] geography-based risk profiles; and [e] inadequate food supply versus client need. Interviewees also identified social challenges between system leaders and clients that maintain disparities in obesity risk among individuals with very low food security including: [a] media representation and stereotypes about food pantry clients; [b] mistrust in communities of color; [c] lack of inclusion/representation among food bank system leaders; and [d] access to information.ConclusionFuture efforts to alleviate obesity inequities among clients chronically burdened by food insecurity, especially among certain subpopulations of clients, should prioritize policy, systems, and environmental strategies to overcome these structural and social challenges within the food banking system.

The impact of COVID-19 lockdown in a developing country: narratives of self-employed women in Ndola, Zambia

Women are normally self-employed in businesses involving buying and selling of goods. Such businesses were severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic lock-down. The researchers explored the impact the of COVID-19 lockdown on self-employed women. The researchers used a qualitative approach. Interviews were used to collect data. Forty participants took part in the study. The data was thematically analyzed. The researchers found that participants were affected by Inadequate food supplies, Hopelessness to revive business, Poor access to health services, Psychological trauma, Defaulting medications, and Challenges of keeping children indoors. There is need to provide social and economic support to self-employed women.

Acute Malnutrition in Children: Pathophysiology, Clinical Effects and Treatment.

Acute malnutrition is a nutritional deficiency resulting from either inadequate energy or protein intake. Children with primary acute malnutrition are common in developing countries as a result of inadequate food supply caused by social, economic, and environmental factors. Secondary acute malnutrition is usually due to an underlying disease causing abnormal nutrient loss, increased energy expenditure, or decreased food intake. Acute malnutrition leads to biochemical changes based on metabolic, hormonal, and glucoregulatory mechanisms. Most children with primary acute malnutrition can be managed at home with nutrition-specific interventions (i.e., counseling of parents, ensuring household food security, etc.). In case of severe acute malnutrition and complications, inpatient treatment is recommended. Secondary acute malnutrition should be managed by treating the underlying cause.

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health & wellbeing among home-quarantined Bangladeshi students: A cross-sectional pilot study

BackgroundCOVID-19 is imposing threat both on physical and mental health since its outbreak. Bangladesh adopted lockdown strategy with potential consequences on day to day life, mental and physical health and this study aims to explore the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and wellbeing among Bangladeshi students. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted between 9th and 23rd April 2020 among 505 college and university students. Data was collected by using online questionnaire including DASS 21 and IES. Descriptive analysis and bivariate linear regression were performed to examine the association of variables. Results28.5 % of the respondents had stress, 33.3% anxiety, 46.92% depression from mild to extremely severe, according to DASS 21 and 69.31% had event-specific distress from mild to severe in terms of severity according to IES. Perceiving physical symptoms as COVID-19 was significantly associated with DASS stress subscale (B = 3.71, 95% CI: 1.01 to 6.40), DASS anxiety subscale (B = 3.95, 95% CI: 1.95 to 5.96), DASS depression subscale (B = 3.82, 95% CI: 0.97 to 6.67) and IES scale (B = 7.52, 95% CI: 3.58 to 11.45). Additionally, fear of infection, financial uncertainty, inadequate food supply, absence of physical exercise and limited or no recreational activity had significant association with stress, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic symptoms. ConclusionThis COVID-19 outbreak imposes psychological consequences on people to a great extent which requires attention from the concerned authorities to cope with this situation mentally. The perception about the outbreak can also play a big role in psychological impact.

Genetic variability, genotype × environment interaction and correlation analysis for grain iron and zinc contents in recombinant inbred line population of pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L). R.

Micronutrient malnutrition is one of the major health problem, especially iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) deficiencies that are widespread coupled with inadequate food supply in the developing world. Pearl millet grains are a good source of Fe and Zn elements making it a potential staple crop for overcoming hidden-hunger and micronutrient deficiencies. Breeding pearl millet with high levels of grain Zn and Fe contents represents a major opportunity to enhance the intake of these minerals for poor and malnourished people. A precise understanding of the genetic variability, correlation of mineral nutrients, genotype × environment (G × E) interaction is important for developing improved lines with high Fe and Zn content. To get fair estimates, we used a bi-parental recombinant inbred lines (RIL) mapping population representing F2 phenotypic variance. A total of 317 RILs were evaluated for grain iron and zinc content in two seasons, Summer 2016 (E1) and Summer 2017 (E2). The result from the analysis of variance exhibited a large variability for grain Fe and Zn content across the two environments. The G × E for high grain Fe were significant at P 0.01. The mean performance across the two environments data for grain Fe ranged from 22.9 to 154.5 mg kg-1 (ppm) and Zn content ranged from 19.3 to 121 mg kg-1. The correlation coefficient for grain Fe and Zn was 0.9, and 0.8 and across the two (E1 and E2) environments. The value of correlation coefficient (0.9) was found to be highly significant at P 0.01 level, that indicated good opportunities for simultaneous genetic improvement of both iron and zinc contents in pearl millet.

The potential role of IDA‐1 and neuromodulatory signaling in GLR‐1 regulation

In organisms, behavior can be a reflection of environment and nervous system activity. Previous studies have shown that the DAF‐7 signaling pathway in C. elegans is affected by the environment, such as inadequate food supply or high temperature. The DAF‐7 signaling pathway also regulates the glutamate receptor GLR‐1, and increased amounts of GLR‐1 occur in C. elegans strains with mutations in the genes of the DAF‐7 signaling pathway. Additionally, spontaneous reversal behavior depends on GLR‐1 and increased reversals are evident in the daf‐7 mutants. The mechanism by which the DAF‐7 pathway affects GLR‐1 levels is currently unknown. Our research focuses on understanding this mechanism by investigating the role of the candidate gene ida‐1. IDA‐1 was identified because of its involvement in regulating presynaptic neurotransmission and its presence in neurons along the ventral nerve cord (VNC) that express GLR‐1. To test if IDA‐1 was involved in the DAF‐7 pathway regulation of GLR‐1 an assessment of spontaneous reversals in single and double mutants was performed along with fluorescence imaging. Results supported the idea that IDA‐1 plays a role in the DAF‐7 pathway regulation of GLR‐1. To follow up on IDA‐1's potential regulation of GLR‐1 levels, the involvement of IDA‐1 in neuromodulatory signaling was examined. IDA‐1 is normally found on the surface of dense core vesicles (DCV's) and is involved in normal neuropeptide and DCV signaling. To investigate if IDA‐1 is working through the DCV pathway to regulate GLR‐1 levels several strains will be obtained with mutations in various places in the DCV pathway. Future directions will include analysis of these mutants using fluorescence imaging as well as direct protein level analysis through immunoblotting.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Food Insecurity Among Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Individuals in the Southeast United States: A Qualitative Study.

Purpose: Transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) people experience high rates of poverty, joblessness, and homelessness, which drive risk for food insecurity. TGNC people also face discrimination due to transphobia and cissexism, which may contribute to these drivers. Minimal empirical evidence describes experiences with food insecurity among TGNC people. This project investigated food insecurity among TGNC people and how these experiences relate to their physical and mental health.Methods: Semistructured telephone interviews were conducted with 20 TGNC people residing in the Southeast United States (U.S.), recruited through social media. Interviews were transcribed and qualitatively coded.Results: TGNC people reported living in extreme poverty. They described how the conservative sociopolitical climate of the Southeast United States made it difficult to find and maintain employment, which was a primary driver of food insecurity. Participants experienced discomfort seeking food assistance due to discrimination and concern for reducing emergency food availability for people in greater need. Stress from unemployment and underemployment, inadequate food supplies, and discrimination was reported as a contributor to poor physical and mental health, and weakened support systems.Conclusion: Poverty and food insecurity erode TGNC people's physical and mental health and support systems. TGNC people faced substantial barriers—including unemployment and underemployment and multilevel discrimination—which prevented them from affording adequate food. Public health solutions include implementing employment nondiscrimination policy to protect TGNC people in the workplace and building relationships between local food pantries and LGBT organizations to create safer environments for all persons in need of food assistance.

Community Experiences on Prevention, Preparedness and Recovery of The Flood Disaster in Cultural and Local Wisdom Context

Objective: This qualitative descriptive study, underpinned by the naturalistic inquiry, explored the experiences of each level of households during and after the devastating flood disaster occurred in Kelantan, based on their cultural and local wisdom context. Methods: Three most affected districts were selected in this research: Gua Musang, Kuala Krai and Kota Bharu. Data gathered in this study was the researcher himself, in-depth interview guides, tape and video recording of interviews and a diary of the study for the duration of four months. Individuals from each level of the household were taken as a key informant. Results: Based on the data gathered from key informants, the prominent features of this research are: community preparedness in dealing with floods, uneven distribution of rains, unpredictable flood water level, inadequate food supply and preparation, the proper salvation of community in self-rescue, effectiveness of communication during evacuation, inappropriate manner, water rise indication at a certain area and signs of nature. Conclusion: These findings were reflected in the experiences together understanding the value of local wisdom and cultural faced by key informants dealing with the flood disaster and it would be used in creating appropriate programs on preparation in dealing with such disaster in the future.

What Determines the Purchase Intention of Liquid Milk during a Food Security Crisis? The Role of Perceived Trust, Knowledge, and Risk

Until today, inadequate food supply, malnutrition, food adulteration, etc., are still the key concern in developing economies. In order to address these issues of food security crisis, and to stimulate a sustainable supply of liquid milk (LM), a consumer behavior model was created, in which consumers’ perceived knowledge, trust and risk were the major catalysts. To shed light on this context, the study examined the effect of consumers’ perceived knowledge (PK) on their perceived risk (PR) and trust (in information sources and in the product). Further, the influence of consumers’ perceived knowledge, risk, and trust on their attitude and purchase intention (PI) were investigated via an exclusive survey design. The survey was conducted in the urban area of Dhaka and Chittagong, Bangladesh. The sample of 712 households was selected randomly and interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed employing descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modelling. The results show that during a food security crisis, consumers’ perceived knowledge amplifies their perceived risk and their trust in information sources (ISs). During such a period, their perceived knowledge does not induce purchase intention but trust in ISs does. Again, consumers’ perceived risk leads to reduced trust in products, and hence in LM, but not reduced trust in ISs. Moreover, a paradoxical influence was found, where consumers’ perceived risks had no significant effect on the PI, meaning that they underestimate the risk of purchasing LM. The results also show that when explaining the purchase intention of LM, the effect of ‘trust in ISs’ was higher than that of their perceived ‘trust in the product (LM)’ and perceived knowledge.

Urban farming: people preference towards verticulture model in small housing type-settlements in Malang as sustainable landscape movement

The rapid growths of Malang city as education and tourism city makes a higher demand for housing and increases land prices. The number of small housing type-settlement development with no adequate garden or open space is always increase. Housing that lack of greenery has led to many problems such as bad quality of fresh air, lack of playing area for kids and mental problem. On the other side, the widespread of city development has resulted in reduced agricultural space which has led to inadequate domestic food supplies and the declining quality of food crops availability. In the wake of various issues on food and energy security, urban farming by Food Oriented Development (FOD) is a concept of urban development that can make the city as a food provider for its own citizens on an ongoing basis. This concept considers aspects of food security as well as socio-economic considerations in urban physical development. The objective of this research is to get the information of people preference of verticulture model as urban farming method in small housing type-settlement. The questionnaire survey using Likert scale is conducted to measure people perception and preference. This study explores factor analysis for decision-making process. The result indicate that people tend to choose simple and smart system of verticulture model as a vertical garden in private residential. Giving recommendation of the verticulture model, hopefully this study can be implemented in small housing-type settlement in Malang city in order to be self-sufficient in food supply.

Has winter body condition varied with population size in a long-distance migrant, the Bewick’s Swan (Cygnus columbianus bewickii)?

Assessments of body condition can provide useful information on changes in the state of individuals within a population, which may in turn help to inform conservation efforts. For example, decreases in body condition over time can indicate reduced food resources. Mass and skull length measures recorded for 195 adult and 467 first winter (cygnets) Bewick’s Swans (Cygnus columbianus bewickii) at wintering sites in the UK between winters 1966/1967 and 2017/2018 therefore were analysed to determine whether a ca. 40% decline in numbers in the Northwest European Bewick’s Swan population between 1995 and 2010 corresponded with poorer body condition from the mid-1990s onwards. Parents and siblings were known for all individuals, allowing us to account for shared genetic factors and rearing environment in our analysis. We used linear mixed-effects models and an information-theoretic approach to test different models of temporal variation in scaled body mass index (SBMI). Within our study population, although SBMI values varied both within and between years, we found no evidence of any directional trends in body condition. Of our competing time models of swan SBMI, a model in which age-specific body condition was constant over time received the greatest support in the data. Body condition was greater for adults than cygnets, but did not vary between sexes or wintering sites. Our findings suggest no connection between the recent declines in population size and body condition. Population decline is therefore unlikely to be caused by inadequate food supplies.

Iron Encapsulation in Water-in-Oil Emulsions: Effect of Ferrous Sulfate Concentration and Fat Crystal Formation on Oxidative Stability.

Water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions may be used to encapsulate, protect, and deliver water-soluble bioactive compounds or nutrients into food products. In this study, W/O emulsions stabilized using an oil-soluble surfactant (polyglycerol polyricinoleate, PGPR) and fat crystal network (rice bran stearin) were shown to be useful for encapsulation and delivery of iron into foods. This strategy may be a promising approach to reduce iron deficiency, a major nutritional deficiency for people with inadequate food supplies.

Domestic carnivore interactions with wildlife in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, Chile: husbandry and perceptions of impact from a community perspective.

BackgroundHundreds of millions of domestic carnivores worldwide have diverse positive affiliations with humans, but can provoke serious socio-ecological impacts when free-roaming. Unconfined dogs (Canis familiaris) and cats (Felis catus) interact with wildlife as predators, competitors, and disease-transmitters; their access to wildlife depends on husbandry, perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors of pet owners and non-owners.MethodsTo better understand husbandry and perceptions of impacts by unconfined, domestic carnivores, we administered questionnaires (n = 244) to pet owners and non-owners living in one of the last wilderness areas of the world, the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, located in southern Chile. We used descriptive statistics to provide demographic pet and husbandry information, quantify free-roaming dogs and cats, map their sightings in nature, and report experiences and perceptions of the impact of free-roaming dogs and cats on wildlife. We corroborated our results with an analysis of prey remains in dog feces (n = 53). With generalized linear models, we examined which factors (i.e., food provisioning, reproductive state, rural/village households, sex, and size) predicted that owned dogs and cats bring wildlife prey home.ResultsThirty-one percent of village dogs (n = 121) and 60% of dogs in rural areas (n = 47) roamed freely day and/or night. Free-roaming dog packs were frequently observed (64% of participants) in the wild, including a feral dog population on Navarino Island. Dogs (31 of 168) brought home invasive muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus) and avian prey, and over half of all cats (27 of 51) brought home mainly avian prey. Birds were also the most harassed wildlife category, affected by one third of all dogs and cats. Nevertheless, dog-wildlife conflicts were hardly recognized (<9% of observed conflicts and suspected problems), and only 34% of the participants thought that cats might impact birds. Diet analysis revealed that dogs consumed livestock (64% of 59 prey occurrences), beavers (Castor canadensis, 14%), and birds (10%). The probability that dogs brought prey to owners’ homes was higher in rural locations and with larger dogs. There was also evidence that cats from rural households and with an inadequate food supply brought more prey home than village cats.DiscussionAlthough muskrat, beavers, and birds were brought home, harassed, or found in dog feces, free-roaming dogs and, to a lesser extent, cats are perceived predominantly in an anthropogenic context (i.e., as pets) and not as carnivores interacting with wildlife. Therefore, technical and legal measures should be applied to encourage neutering, increase confinement, particularly in rural areas, and stimulate social change via environmental education that draws attention to the possibility and consequences of unconfined pet interaction with wildlife in the southernmost protected forest ecoregion of the globe.

QTL Mapping of Grain Zn and Fe Concentrations in Two Hexaploid Wheat RIL Populations with Ample Transgressive Segregation.

More than 50% of undernourished children live in Asia and more than 25% live in Africa. Coupled with an inadequate food supply, mineral deficiencies are widespread in these populations; particularly zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) deficiencies that lead to retarded growth, adverse effects on both the immune system and an individual's cognitive abilities. Biofortification is one solution aimed at reducing the incidence of these deficiencies. To efficiently breed a biofortified wheat variety, it is important to generate knowledge of the genomic regions associated with grain Zn (GZn) and Fe (GFe) concentration. This allows for the introgression of favorable alleles into elite germplasm. In this study we evaluated two bi-parental populations of 188 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) displaying a significant range of transgressive segregation for GZn and GFe during three crop cycles in CIMMYT, Mexico. Parents of the RILs were derived from Triticum spelta L. and synthetic hexaploid wheat crosses. QTL analysis identified a number of significant QTL with a region denominated as QGZn.cimmyt-7B_1P2 on chromosome 7B explaining the largest (32.7%) proportion of phenotypic variance (PVE) for GZn and leading to an average additive effect of −1.3. The QTL with the largest average additive effect for GFe (−0.161) was found on chromosome 4A (QGFe.cimmyt-4A_P2), with 21.14% of the PVE. The region QGZn.cimmyt-7B_1P2 co-localized closest to the region QGZn.cimmyt-7B_1P1 in a consensus map built from the linkage maps of both populations. Pleiotropic or tightly linked QTL were also found on chromosome 3B, however of minor effects and PVE between 4.3 and 10.9%. Further efforts are required to utilize the QTL information in marker assisted backcrossing schemes for wheat biofortification. A strategy to follow is to intercross the transgressive individuals from both populations and then utilize them as sources in biofortification breeding pipelines.

Individual and combined effects of the generalist Forficula auricularia and the specialist Episyrphus balteatus on Dysaphis plantaginea – are two predators better than one?

AbstractThe interactions between specialist and generalist natural enemies could affect the success of biological pest control, especially in augmentation programmes. The aim of this laboratory study was to quantitate the individual and combined effects of the generalist predator Forficula auricularia L. (Dermaptera: Forficulidae) and the specialist Episyrphus balteatus De Geer (Diptera: Syrphidae) on the population growth of the rosy apple aphid (RAA), Dysaphis plantaginea Passerini (Hemiptera: Aphididae). The experiment was carried out using apple seedlings with five levels of initial RAA infestation. In most cases, both predator species (alone and in combination) were able to reduce RAA densities or to keep them at their initial level. This suppression effect was greater when RAA densities were low and resulted in near‐complete mortality of the RAA colony after 4–6 days. Without predators, RAA population size almost doubled within 10 days, whereas with predators, RAA population size was reduced by about 20 (alone) and 50% (in combination). Although RAA numbers in the two‐predators treatment were ca. 81% of RAA numbers in the one‐predator treatment for pooled numbers across dates and densities, the difference between the two treatments was not significant. Some predator mortality occurred with first and second instars of the syrphid larvae and only at the two lowest initial RAA infestation levels. This mortality may be explained by inadequate food supply, intraguild predation (IGP) (in 13.3% of the possible cases), or both. However, the incidence of IGP under natural conditions could be even less frequent, as both predators were never observed on the same leaf.

Foraging behaviour of a declining population of Brown Boobies (Sula leucogaster) breeding in the Swain Reefs, Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef supports significant breeding populations of tropical seabirds; however, recent evidence has indicated declines in seabird populations across some of the most important breeding sites. Evidence for the cause of these significant declines is lacking but is generally thought to result from inadequate food supplies caused by warmer sea surface temperatures associated with climate change. This paper provides the first detailed investigation into the foraging behaviour of Brown Boobies (Sula leucogaster,) a species considered to be more susceptible to climate change impacts due to reduced foraging ranges. Fifteen complete foraging trips were recorded from five individuals (three males, two females). Adults typically foraged in shallow inshore reef waters and the mean foraging trip duration was 6.8 ± 2.8 h with a mean foraging range of 14.5 ± 10.1 km and the total distance travelled being 49.5 ± 30.3 km per trip. While most foraging trips occurred during daylight hours, five (33%) trips recorded periods spent at sea at night. The preliminary results presented here suggest that further research across widely dispersed breeding sites and different species investigating the potential drivers of seabird declines in the Great Barrier Reef is warranted.

Influence of environmental variability and age on the body condition of small pelagic fish in the Gulf of Lions

Endogenous and environmental variables are fundamental in explaining variations in fish condition. Based on more than 20 yr of fish weight and length data, relative condition indices were computed for anchovy and sardine caught in the Gulf of Lions. Classification and regression trees (CART) were used to identify endogenous factors affecting fish condition, and to group years of similar condition. Both species showed a similar annual cycle with condition being minimal in February and maximal in July. CART identified 3 groups of years where the fish populations generally showed poor, average and good condition and within which condition differed between age classes but not according to sex. In particular, during the period of poor condition (mostly recent years), sardines older than 1 yr appeared to be more strongly affected than younger individuals. Time-series were analyzed using generalized linear models (GLMs) to examine the effects of oceanographic abiotic (temperature, Western Mediterranean Oscillation [WeMO] and Rhone outflow) and biotic (chlorophyll a and 6 plankton classes) factors on fish condition. The selected models explained 48 and 35% of the variance of anchovy and sardine condition, respectively. Sardine condition was negatively related to temperature but positively related to the WeMO and mesozooplankton and diatom concentrations. A positive effect of mesozooplankton and Rhone runoff on anchovy condition was detected. The importance of increasing temperatures and reduced water mixing in the NW Mediterranean Sea, affecting planktonic productivity and thus fish condition by bottom-up control processes, was highlighted by these results. Changes in plankton quality, quantity and phenology could lead to insufficient or inadequate food supply for both species.

Beyond nutrition: hunger and its impact on the health of young Canadians.

ObjectivesIn a large Canadian study, we examined: (1) the prevalence of hunger due to an inadequate food supply at home; (2) relations between this hunger and a range of health outcomes, and; (3) contextual explanations for any observed associations.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted of 25,912 students aged 11–15 years from 436 Canadian schools. Analyses were descriptive and also involved hierarchical logistic regression models.ResultsHunger was reported by 25 % of participants, with 4 % reporting this experience “often” or “always”. Its prevalence was associated with socio-economic disadvantage and family-related factors, but not with whether or not a student had access to school-based food and nutrition programs. The consistency of hunger’s associations with the health outcomes was remarkable. Relations between hunger and health were partially explained when models controlled for family practices, but not the socio-economic or school measures.ConclusionsSocietal responses to hunger certainly require the provision of food, but may also consider family contexts and basic essential elements of care that children need to thrive.

Malnutrition in South Asia—A Critical Reappraisal

Malnutrition continues to be a major public health challenge especially in South Asian developing countries. The aim of the present review is to spotlight the magnitude of the prevalence of malnutrition and its dynamics in South Asian region and to suggest potential approaches for the prevention and control of this issue of public health significance. An extensive review of literature, covering malnutrition and its determinants, health and economic consequences and pragmatic preventive strategies was performed on computer based bibliographic databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Medline and Sciencedirect.com) to retrieve abstracts and full texts for India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. All relevant titles and abstracts were examined and evaluated for malnutrition and its prevalence in South Asia. The results revealed malnutrition to be a major public health problem and a potential cause of high disease burden and mortality in South Asia. Compelling evidence suggests malnutrition to be the leading cause of stunting, wasting and underweight with drastic economic consequences among vulnerable populations. Reduced cognitive performance and low productivity have also been associated with micronutrients malnutrition. Suboptimal breastfeeding, inadequate food supply, micronutrient deficiencies, low household income, poor health care system, increased healthcare costs, illiteracy, unhygienic and substandard living, inappropriate child's care and the caregiver, food insecurity and on top of that vicious cycle of poverty, have been recognized as principal indicators for growing malnutrition prevalence in South Asia. Global organizations, local governments, program managers, NGOs, academia, industry in particular and the society at large need to take up the challenge to completely confiscate malnutrition from the region for economic prosperity and a healthier future.