Moderate Food Research Articles

Food Insecurity, Healthcare Utilization, and Healthcare Expenditures: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Objective: This study examines the longitudinal association between household food insecurity and healthcare utilization and expenditure. Methods: A multi-wave longitudinal cohort study was conducted using the 2008-2019 and 2021 waves of the Korean Welfare Panel Study. The baseline data included participants aged ≥19years with valid responses to the food insecurity and healthcare questionnaires in the 2008 wave (n = 12,166). Healthcare outcomes encompassed outpatient visits, inpatient admissions, days hospitalized, and personal healthcare expenditure. Random effects Poisson and linear regressions were estimated. Results: Severe food insecurity was associated with a higher incidence rate of outpatient visits (IRR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.12-1.17), days of hospitalization (IRR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.13-1.22), and inpatient admissions (IRR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.18-1.65). Moderate food insecurity was associated with 10.4% ( = -0.11; 95% CI, -0.14 to -0.07) or 238,276 KRW reductions in personal healthcare expenditures in the subsequent year. Conclusion: Household food insecurity was linked to increased healthcare utilization and reduced personal healthcare expenditure among Korean adults. Our findings present opportunities to identify target populations for healthcare policies and interventions.

The joint effect of female sex and food insecurity on self-reported mood disorder among Canadian adults: the Canadian community health survey

BackgroundFood insecurity is prevalent in Canada and may influence mental health, particularly among females. The present study examined the joint effect of female sex and food insecurity on mood disorders.MethodsThe study used data from 104,420 adults aged 18 years or older who participated in the 2017/2018 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS). Log-binomial models explored the independent and joint associations of female sex and food insecurity with the prevalence of self-reported mood disorder. Prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated. Relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion (AP), and synergy index (S) were used to assess the additive interaction of female sex and food insecurity. The complex survey design was taken into consideration.ResultsThe prevalence of mood disorder was 6.7% for males and 11.4% for females, with an adjusted prevalence ratio being 1.59 (95% CI 1.51, 1.68) for females versus males. Mood disorder was associated with moderate food insecurity (PR 2.06, 95% CI 1.91, 2.23) and severe food insecurity (PR 3.29, 95% CI 3.06, 3.55). There was a significant additive interaction between female sex and food insecurity in association with the prevalence of mood disorders among females aged 18 to 39 years (RERI 1.19, 95% CI 0.27,2.08).ConclusionFood insecurity was associated with an increased prevalence of mood disorders, especially in younger females. Interventions that facilitate access to food while being cognizant of the socioeconomic vulnerabilities of females may have substantial benefits for the prevention and management of mood disorders.

Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on food insecurity in Indonesian households

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected access to adequate and nutritious food, resulting in hunger, malnutrition and increased food insecurity. The purpose of this study was to identify the households in Indonesia that were most likely to experience the pandemic's effects.Design/methodology/approachUsing raw data from nationwide Indonesian household socioeconomic and expenditure surveys (SUSENAS 2020 and SUSENAS 2021), food insecurity was measured using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES). A multinomial logistic regression model was used to analyze the data.FindingsThe prevalence of mild, moderate and severe food insecurity increased from 20.61% to 21.67% and from 1.28% to 1.37%, respectively, between 2020 (the initial stage of the COVID-19 pandemic) and 2021 (the period during which the infection rapidly spread nationwide). The estimation results of the multinomial logistic regression analysis indicated that urban households, which may have had more difficulties with income generation and access to food due to behavioral constraints, were more likely to be affected by the pandemic. Additionally, economically vulnerable poor households, households with low levels of education or unemployed heads were more likely to be affected by the pandemic.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors knowledge, this is the first study to access the impact of economic downturn and social restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic on household food insecurity in Indonesia, using the nationwide household survey data.

Association of food insecurity and sleep difficulty among 189,619 school-going adolescents: a study from the global in-school students survey.

Adolescents' sleep disturbances are associated with chronic and dramatic physical, emotional, and mental development and school performance consequences. Although food insecurity could significantly contribute to these effects, few studies have explored the effect of food insecurity on sleep disturbances among adolescents. The study aimed to examine the relationship between adolescents' food insecurity and sleep disturbance. Data on 189,619 adolescents were drawn from the cross-sectional global adolescent health surveys conducted between 2015 and 2018 in 35 countries and territories. Univariate and multivariable multinomial regression models were fitted to examine the hypothesized associations. Overall pooled prevalence of moderate [45.2% (95%CI = 43-47)] and severe [5.8% (95%CI = 5-6)] food insecurity levels were reported. About [52.6% (95%CI = 51-54)] moderate and [8.6% (95%CI = 8-9)] severe worry-induced sleep disturbances were found. Considering the fully adjusted multinomial logistic model, moderate food insecurity was significantly associated with moderate (AOR = 1.70 CI = 1.59-1.81; p < 0.0001) and severe (AOR = 1.63 CI = 1.42-1.87; p < 0.0001) sleep disturbances. Also, adolescents reporting severe levels of food insecurity had moderate (AOR = 1.88 CI = 1.68-2.11; p < 0.0001) and severe (AOR = 4.07 CI = 4.74-6.11; p < 0.0001) sleep disturbances. Females and those aged between 15 and 17 years and 18 or more were at higher risk of moderate and severe sleep disturbances in the context of food insecurity. Reducing food insecurity could be an effective policy strategy for enhancing adolescent sleep quality.

The Development and Validation of a Questionnaire to Investigate the Association Between Maternal Food Insecurity and Fetal Structural Anomalies: Delphi Procedure and Pilot Study

IntroductionFood insecurity represents a public health issue that has been associated with poor birth outcomes. We describe the methodological steps followed to structure and validate a questionnaire, which has the potential to contribute to the planning and conduction of future studies investigating the possible association between maternal food insecurity and fetal structural anomalies.MethodsWe first conducted a literature review to structure and validate the questionnaire. Subsequently, we drafted the questionnaire based on the results of this review, further refined through two focus groups. Afterward, the questionnaire was submitted using the Delphi Method to a panel of experts for validation. We conducted a pilot study prior to recruiting the final sample.ResultsThe questionnaire consisted of sections covering information about socio-demographic characteristics, women’s health and lifestyle, pregnancy, and food security status. After the first Delphi round, the Content Validity Index (CVI) for each section ranged 0.81–0.85, while after the second round all items had a CVI of 1. The final version of the questionnaire, consisting of 87 items, was pilot tested among 20 participants. Cronbach’s Alpha for each section resulted in values higher than 0.6. The response rate ranged from 78 to 100%. A situation of food security was present in 85% of the participants, while 5% were in a situation of mild food insecurity and 10% of moderate food insecurity.ConclusionThe questionnaire has appropriate measurement properties, and is an adequate instrument to evaluate the association between maternal food insecurity and fetal structural anomalies.

Household food insecurity and children dietary diversity during the COVID-19 outbreak

The COVID-19 pandemic raises the likelihood of food insecurity and affects the nutritional status of children. This study aims to examine the relationship between household food poverty and children's dietary diversity. The cross-sectional study has done at Lhokseumawe City and North Aceh District. A sample of 289 children aged 12–59 months participated in this study. The Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) was used to measure household food insecurity. Meanwhile, the Individual Dietary Diversity Score (IDDS) was done to assess children's dietary diversity. The Chi-square was employed to analyze the association between household food insecurity and children's dietary diversity. The prevalence of household food insecurity was 8,3%, consisting of 5,5% moderate food insecurity and 2,8% severe food insecurity. Most children had diverse food consumption (88,6%). However, 11,4% of children had low dietary diversity. Household food insecurity was significantly correlated with children's dietary diversity (p= 0,002). Conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic indirectly impacts household food insecurity, which can worsen the condition of food consumption for toddlers, especially regarding diversity in food consumption. A strategy is required to assist food-insecure households to maintain and increase children's dietary diversity.

Strong seasonality in diets and alarming levels of food insecurity and child malnutrition in south-eastern Madagascar

Rural areas of Madagascar face a tense food and nutrition security situation. The country reports some of the highest rates of undernourishment and malnutrition worldwide. Evidence is scant, however, about how the rural people’s diets vary over the course of the agricultural year, and how different household types deal with fluctuating food availability. This lack of detailed understanding of the food and nutrition security situation across time and social strata currently limits development stakeholders’ ability to tailor interventions to local needs. Using randomly sampled survey data from Farafangana District in south-eastern Madagascar, this study analyzes rural households’ diets across three time points within one year (minor lean period, major lean period, main post-harvest period). In addition, anthropometric data on children aged 6–59 months were collected during the major lean period to determine levels of chronic and acute child malnutrition. Overall, food insecurity stood at high levels at all times, but with substantial variation across the year. Shortly before the main rice harvest, the prevalence of moderate and severe food insecurity was 78%, twice as high as shortly after harvest. With 57% of children stunted and a 17% prevalence of wasting, the observed levels of chronic and acute child malnutrition exceed levels reported previously. By studying what households eat and how they source it (own production vs. purchases), we found distinct patterns of food acquisition between the three periods. Diminishing food security is reflected by substituting rice by cassava, unripe jackfruit (minor lean period), and local tuber tavolo (major lean period), as well as by lower diversity of side dishes. Our results underline the need for long-term agricultural development strategies that contribute to greater household food self-sufficiency especially during the lean periods. But the alarming level of acute child malnutrition also calls for more immediate humanitarian aid and public health interventions.

Food insecurity is associated with glycemic markers, and socioeconomic status and low-cost diets are associated with lipid metabolism in Mexican mothers

The association between socioeconomic status (SES) and chronic disease has recently become more evident in middle- and low-income countries. We hypothesized that poor socioeconomic conditions, such as food insecurity, low educational level, or low SES, may restrict access to a healthy diet and may be associated with cardiometabolic risk independently of body fat. This study examined the relation between socioeconomic indicators, body fat, and cardiometabolic disease risk markers in a random sample of mothers living in Queretaro, Mexico. Young and middle-aged mothers (n = 321) answered validated questionnaires to determine SES, food insecurity, and educational level and a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire to determine dietary patterns and the cost of individual diet. Clinical measurements included anthropometry, blood pressure, lipids profile, glucose, and insulin. Obesity was present in 29% of the participants. Women with moderate food insecurity had higher waist circumference, glucose, insulin, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance than women with food security. High triglyceride concentration and lower levels of high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were associated with lower SES and lower educational level. Women who consumed a lower carbohydrate diet had higher SES, higher education, and better cardiovascular risk markers. The higher carbohydrate diet profile was the least expensive diet. There was an inverse association between the cost and energy-density of foods. In conclusion, food insecurity was associated with glycemic control markers, and lower SES and education were related to a low-cost, higher carbohydrate diet and to a greater cardiovascular risk. The influence of the social environment on obesity and cardiovascular diseases needs to be further explored.

Cash Transfer versus Staple Food Subsidies: An Effective Factor on Food Security and Expenditure of Urban Households in Iran

Background: In 2010, food subsidy program implemented since 1979 was replaced by unconditional cash transfer (CT) in Iran. The present pre-and-post evaluation study aims to compare food security and expenditures of urban households during the implementation of food subsidy and CT programs.&#x0D; Methods: Using a stratified cluster sampling method, 266 households were selected from Tehran city. Data were collected in two phases: before (2009) and after (2012) implementing CT program using questionnaires including demographics; household expenditure; locally validated Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS); and three consecutive 24-hours diet recalls. Seven focus group discussions (FGDs) with women were also held.&#x0D; Results: After implementing CT program, the households' food and total expenditures increased and their family size decreased. Mild, moderate, and severe food insecurity increased from 19.3%, 13.3%, and 11% to 28.4%, 15.5%, and 12.5%, respectively (P&lt;0.001). There was a significant decrease in consumption of fat and oils and sugary food groups (time effect P&lt;0.05). The consumption of fruits, meat, and dairy products was lower in the food insecure women than in the food secure ones (group effect P&lt;0.05). However, the food secure and insecure households behaved differently in terms of only sugar consumption (time group effect P&lt;0.05). Based on the FGDs, relative deprivation and social gaps increased.&#x0D; Conclusion: Considering the reduction in welfare index, targeting poor/vulnerable groups, as well as conditional CT could be considered in Iran.

How Much Food Loss and Waste Do Countries with Problems with Food Security Generate?

Worldwide, the number of people suffering from hunger is around 702 and 828 million, and 2.3 billion people have moderate or severe food insecurity. This situation is striking, considering that the vast amount of food discarded globally equals 1.3 billion tons annually. For this reason, in 2015, world leaders agreed to a global agenda for 2030, adopting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Among its objectives, are to fight against poverty, hunger, and gender inequality worldwide and achieve environmental sustainability. With this framework, this article uses a top-down mass balance approach to calculate food loss and waste (FLW) by country’s food security level. In addition, it explores the causes of FLW and its impacts on natural resources, climate change, food security, and the SDGs in countries with a weak and moderate level of food security. The estimated global FLW was 1498 million tons of food in 2017. The most food discarded was concentrated in countries with good food security, 894.3 million tons. In contrast, the lowest food discard occurred in countries with a weak level of food security, 11.4 million tons. The primary outcome of this paper is to establish a link between the levels of food security and food loss in different countries, which may serve as a guide for the design of specific public policies.

Does Organic Farming Ensure Food Security? An Analysis of Developing Countries

Food insecurity is a major challenge in front of developing countries. Food and Agricultural Organization of the United States (FAO) [1] reported that 2 billion people face moderate or severe food insecurity, of which 1.02 billion are found in Asia, 674.5 million in Africa, and 205.3 million in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2019. Inadequate food creates serious health issues among people, especially children worst affected by it. The situation further deteriorates in developing countries where poverty and population rates are high. The overconsumption of fertilizers in agriculture leads to environmental degradation and severe human illness. The unsustainability of the current agriculture model has raised many concerns about the future demand for food for an ever-growing population. The alternative method as suggested by many experts is Organic farming. The positive externalities attached to organic farming have enormous potential and it plays a very significant role in protecting the environment, providing safe food, and eventually sustainability. Further, linking the goal of food security with organic farming can help developing countries provide nutritious food and help in protecting the environment. The paper explores the situation of food insecurity worldwide and the current agriculture model performance and failure to achieve food security in many developing countries. The paper also analyses the role of organic farming to attain food security and elaborate on the limitations of organic farming to ensure food security and provides alternative models for improvement in current situations. For this purpose, study uses secondary data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for analysis of the food production in these two regions and reviews various research articles, FAO documents, and reports based on conventional and organic farming. The literature was accessed using Google Scholar, Institutions and Government Websites. The conventional farming put developing countries into the dilemma, to ensure food security for its population or protect environment, due to its unsustainability in long run. However, the current status of organic agriculture production is still meagre compared to conventional food production. The low yield in organic farming does not ensure the food security for the distant future but in long run organic farming can ensure the food security. The study recommended policy makers to formulate such policies which ensure sustainable food production without compromising food security in developing countries.

How Does the Frequency of Eating-Alone among Older People in Korea Affect Their Health and Dietary Behavior?

This study examined the relationship between general population characteristics and diet-related factors pertaining to eating alone for older adults (65 years and older) in Korea. This study used the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), 2016–2020, and the target population was 7037 Koreans aged 65 years or older who participated in the nutritional survey and health interview. Eating alone variables were classified as follows. Eating together all day means “eating together”, eating only one meal a day means “1/day”, eating two meals a day alone means “2/day”, and “3/day” means eating three meals a day alone. The main results are as follows. The rate of moderate or severe food insecurity was 3.41% in the “eating together” group to 7.86% in the “3/day” group, which was 4.45% higher in the “3/day” group. Fruit + vegetable intake among food intake lowered by about 35 g from 301.2 g in the “eating together” group to 266.2 g in the “3 day” group. In addition, as a result of analyzing the prevalence of depression using the PHQ-9 score, the “3/day” group had a 1.775 to 2.464 times higher risk of depression than the “eating together” group. Finally, EQ-5D variables and quality of life scores were significantly lowered from the “eating together” group to the “3/day” group. Overall, higher frequency of eating alone was associated with food safety, essential food intake, and quality of life. Based on these results, it is thought that a dietary life support program such as the eating together program is necessary to improve the quality of life of the older people who eat alone.

Institutional Entropy

Latin American and Caribbean countries’ per capita GDP increased 700% from 1900 to 2020. Yet, by this same year, nearly four out of ten people in the region went through moderate or severe food insecurity. If institutions are the fabric of society, molding the organization of social provisioning, some serious aggravation to Latin America’s already disharmonic institutions must be taking place. High levels of institutional discord is not news in the region, of course. But the coming to office of progressive governments, in a “Pink Tide,” raised hopes that functional adjustments were possible. Part of those hopes derived from the absorption of human-rights and environmental concerns from post-industrial societies. These additions to the development agenda, however, also inflamed a reaction that made the levels of institutional dissension skyrocket. Already fragile development conventions were hit hard. Two large institutional sets that shape underdevelopment—reminiscent colonial institutions and consumption propensities that emulate industrial societies—are now impinged by those new ongoing concerns from developed countries. What could possibly go wrong?

Does the female-headed household suffer more than the male-headed from Covid-19 impact on food security? Evidence from Ethiopia

Covid-19 pandemic and accompanying policy measures affected women's economic and social lives differently from men. However, its effect on the food security situation of women and men remains unclear. This study investigated whether female-headed households suffer more from covid 19 impact on food security than male-headed households in Ethiopia using the World Bank High Frequency Phone Survey data. Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) is applied to measure food insecurity and multilevel-mixed effect random intercept linear model is used to analyze the determinants. The survey data show that, during the pandemic in 2020, nearly 27% of households face moderate or severe food insecurity and close to 6% face severe food insecurity. Regression results revealed that the pandemic and accompanying policy measures affected food security of female-headed households differently from male-headed households. The likelihood of female-headed households experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity is significantly higher by 5.7% points than male-headed households. Education level of the household head is the critical determinant of women's food insecurity. Every additional year of education of female heads has a significantly higher impact in reducing the likelihood of experiencing food insecurity than that of male-headed households. It is also found that having access to basic food items reduces the likelihood of facing moderate or severe food insecurity by 7.4% points. Besides, education level of the household head, income change and family size are critical determinants for food insecurity of the sample households. It is recommended that stakeholders and policy makers focus in the gender aspect while designing policy measures to control pandemics and fucus on improving accessibility of basic needs such as food items to all.

Creating Teams of Family Medicine Residents and High School Culinary Students Reduces Some Barriers to Implementing a Culinary Medicine Hands-On Workshop.

Barriers to implementation of culinary medicine in resident training include lack of facilities, administrative support, and community engagement. Twenty-five family medicine residents were teamed with 17 high school culinary arts students to prepare recipes aligned with the Mediterranean diet (MED) and the USDA low, moderate, and liberal cost food plans. The workshop took place in the high school teaching kitchens. A pre-survey informed the planning committee's design of a 4-h hands-on workshop that was considered a success. Post-surveys documented improved resident confidence and skills in recommending MED to their patients and interaction with their own peers and high school students, as well as enjoyment by all participants of this hands-on approach.

Household food insecurity and hunger status in Debre Berhan town, Central Ethiopia: Community-based cross-sectional study.

Food security occurs when all people have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that fits their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life at all times. There is limited evidence on this topic and not well studied in Ethiopia. This study aimed to investigate food insecurity and hunger status among households (HHs) in Debre Berhan town, Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was undertaken from 1 January 2017 to 30 January 2017. A simple random sampling technique was used to enroll 395 HHs for the study. An interviewer-administered, structured, and pretested questionnaire was used to collect data through a face-to-face interview. The household food security and hunger status were assessed by using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale and the Household Hunger Scale, respectively. Data were entered and cleaned using Epiata 3.1 and exported to SPSS software version 20 for statistical analysis. Logistic regression was fitted, and an odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval (CI) and a value of p of less than 0.05 were used to identify factors associated with food insecurity. A total of 377 HHs participated in the study with a response rate of 95.4%. The proportion of households with food insecurity was 32.4%, among which mild, moderate, and severe food insecurity accounted for 10.3, 18.8, and 3.2%, respectively. The mean score of the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale was 1.88 ± 3.5. Hunger occurred among 3.2% of households. The mean score of the Household Hunger Scale was 2.17 ± 1.03. Husband or male cohabitant's occupation (AOR = 2.68; 95% CI: 1.31-5.48) and wife or female cohabitant's literacy (AOR = 3.10; 95% CI: 1.01- 9.55) were the only factors associated with HH food insecurity. HH food insecurity and hunger in Debre Berhan town were unacceptably high, which can hamper achieving national targets for food security, nutrition, and health. Intensified efforts are further needed to accelerate the decline in food insecurity and hunger prevalence. Therefore, interventions need to target self-employed merchants in small businesses and women who are uneducated.

Polyphenols and Antioxidant Activity of Thunbergia laurifolia Infused Tea under Drying Conditions

Thunbergia laurifolia leaf is used in Thai herbal medicine to moderate alcohol, food poisoning, and other health-related diseases mainly due to its overwhelming phytochemical compounds which exert several biological functions such as antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, among others. This study investigated the potential effects of hot air-drying conditions (TL-D80°C, TL-D90°C, and TL -D100°C) of T. laurifolia tea leaves on phenolic compounds, total flavonoid content (TFC), total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant activities (AOA) of the infused teas. The results show that an increase in drying temperature significantly p &lt; 0.05 improved TPC (709.7 ± 1.36–744.8 ± 5.79 mg GAE/) and TFC (198.98 ± 7.59–207.16 ± 4.10 mg RE/L) of infused teas. TL-D80°C (69.9 ± 0.95%) and TL-D90°C (69.3 ± 0.7%) infused teas showed significantly p &lt; 0.05 higher DPPH inhibitory effect compared to TL-D100°C. Treatment had no effects p &gt; 0.05 on ABTS.+ scavenging activity. The phenolic compounds detected in infused teas were rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid, gallic acid, catechin, rutin, and quercetin. Regarding, the cumulative phenolic compounds TL-D100°C infused teas were significantly higher p &lt; 0.05 compared to TL-D90°C and TL-D80°C. The results suggest that drying conditions (i.e., TL-D100°C within 30 min) could be used to achieve appropriate moisture content of T. laurifolia tea leaves without compromising the phytochemical compositions and antioxidant potentials of the resulting infused teas.

Pooled analysis of the association between food insecurity and violence against women: Evidence from low- and middle-income settings.

Intimate partner violence impacts relationships across the socioeconomic spectrum, nonetheless its prevalence is reported to be highest in areas that are most socio-economically deprived. Poverty has direct and indirect impacts on intimate partner violence (IPV) risk, however, one of the postulated pathways is through food insecurity. The aim of this paper is to describe the association between food insecurity (household hunger) and women's experiences, and men's perpetration, of intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence in data from Africa and Asia. We conducted a pooled analysis of data from baseline interviews with men and women participating in six Violence Against Women prevention intervention evaluations and present a meta-analysis using mixed-effects Poisson regression models. Data were from South Africa (two studies), Ghana, Rwanda (two data sets), and Afghanistan and comprised interviews with 6545 adult women and 8104 adult men. We assessed food insecurity with the Household Hunger Scale. Overall, 27.9% of women experienced moderate food insecurity (range from 11.1% to 44.4%), while 28.8% of women reported severe food insecurity (range from 7.1 to 54.7%). Overall food insecurity was associated with an increased likelihood of women experiencing physical intimate partner violence, adjusted incidence rate ratio (aIRR) = 1.40 (95% CI = 1.23 to 1.60) for moderate food insecurity and aIRR = 1.73 (95% CI = 1.41 to 2.12) for severe food insecurity. It was also associated with an increased likelihood of men reporting perpetration of physical IPV, with aIRR = 1.24 (95% CI = 1.11 to 1.39) for moderate food insecurity and aIRR = 1.18 (95% CI = 1.02 to 1.37) for severe food insecurity. Food insecurity was not significantly associated with women's experience of non-partner sexual violence, aIRR = 1.27 (95% CI = 0.93 to 1.74) for moderate or severe food insecurity vs none, nor men's perpetration of non-partner sexual violence aIRR = 1.02 (95% CI = 0.90 to 1.15). Food insecurity is associated with increased physical intimate partner violence perpetration and experience reported by men and women. It was not associated with non-partner sexual violence perpetration, although there was some evidence to suggest an elevated risk of non-partner sexual violence among food-insecure women. Prevention programming needs to embrace food insecurity as a driver of intimate partner violence perpetration, however, non-partner sexual violence prevention needs to be shaped around a separate understanding of its drivers.

Effect of Consumers’ Acceptance of Indigenous Leafy Vegetables and Their Contribution to Household Food Security

In the past decades, indigenous leafy vegetables (ILVs) have played a significant role in household food security, especially in poor rural households. However, ILVs have been replaced by exotic cash crops in the contemporary world. This study was conducted to assess the consumption of indigenous leafy vegetables and their contribution to household food security of households in Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces. The study used secondary data collected by the South African Vulnerability Assessment Committee in 2016. A total of 1520 respondents were selected using a multistage sampling method. The results from descriptive statistics revealed that most consumers did not produce ILVs but consumed them. Meanwhile, a small number of people produced ILVs yet did not consume them. The results from the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) showed that a large proportion of the population experienced moderate food security while some of the individuals within the population experienced severe food insecurity. An endogenous switching regression model (ESRM) was employed to analyze the impact of the consumption of ILVs on household food security. The results revealed that only a few variables of the consumption of ILVs were significant and positive (household size, wealth index, and ‘if the disabled person receives grants’). As a result, the consumption of ILVs had a minimal impact on the household food security of the Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces. The findings further revealed that age, gender, and education variables negatively influenced the consumption of ILVs. Thus, the recommended programs must be established to educate people about the importance of consuming ILVs. Agricultural extension services must equally promote the consumption of exotic cash crops and ILVs. Lastly, policies can contribute by increasing the diversity of ILVs left at retail outlets through diverse production.

Fuel–food nexus in urban areas: evidence from Burkina Faso

ABSTRACT This study examines the transmission of fuel prices to food security among households with motorcycles in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, combining quantitative and behavioural analyses. The results indicate that approximately 61.3% of households were affected by food insecurity between 2018 and 2019. This share comprises those experiencing meagre forms of food insecurity (24.8%), moderate food insecurity (28.3%), and the most severely affected (8.2%). One of the chief reasons for food insecurity is households’ high reliance on motorcycles as a primary means of transportation. Low-income levels and unproductive rides can reinforce exposure to such vulnerability. Besides, households react differently and asymmetrically to fuel price changes. Reactions to hypothetical fluctuations in fuel prices suggest a positive association between gradual increases in fuel prices and food insecurity. Households’ exposure to food insecurity is further bolstered when the head is a female, non-salaried, less educated, of low income, or from a large household.