Prevalence Of Hunger Research Articles

A review of the intersection between climate change, agriculture, health, and nutrition in Africa: costs and programmatic options

BackgroundClimate change adversely affects Africa’s agriculture which would worsen the widespread food insecurity and nutritional deficiencies. Vulnerable populations, especially female farmers, women, and children are disproportionately affected.MethodsThe paper synthesizes available peer-reviewed and grey literature on the intersections of climate change, food insecurity, agriculture, gender disparities, health, child nutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies in Africa. It explores the economic ramifications of these factors, particularly their impact on public health and economic stability. The work aggregates insights into the current and future challenges of agricultural sustainability and the expected human capital development and economic costs of climate variations.ResultsThe prevalence of hunger and undernourishment in Africa is notably higher compared to other regions. Climate change directly threatens agriculture, with anticipated reductions in crop and livestock yields, compounded by the negative impact of greenhouse emissions on the nutritional quality of staple foods. Female farmers contribute notably to agriculture, but their labor share is less dominant than previously assumed. Exposure to high temperatures, especially for outdoor workers and pregnant women, presents significant health risks, further impacting agricultural and economic output. These interdependencies are presented in a framework along with suggested interventions that could be contextualized to address the climate drivers and interconnectivity across agriculture, health, and livelihoods.ConclusionThe interdependence between food, agriculture, health, nutrition, and human productivity, all of which are exacerbated by the impacts of climate change in Africa, form a complex challenge with profound health and economic implications. A multifaceted strategy is needed, encompassing climate-resilient farming practices, gender-sensitive interventions, health-focused measures like micronutrient supplementation, and comprehensive economic policies.

Utilizing an Intersectional Approach to Examine Experiences of Hunger Among Adolescents During COVID-19: Considering Race/Ethnicity, Sexual Identity, and Employment Disparities in a Nationally Representative Sample.

This study examines correlates of experiences of hunger among adolescents in the United States (U.S) by the intersectionality of race/ethnicity with sociodemographic characteristics (gender, sexual identity, and adolescent/parent job loss) with the aim of identifying subgroups most at risk for hunger during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study uses nationally representative data from the Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey (ABES) collected from January to June 2021. The analytic sample was high school students aged 14-17 with complete data (n = 6023). Descriptive statistics, bivariate, and multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine associations between sociodemographic factors and hunger (1-item measure) among adolescents during the pandemic for the analytic sample and stratified by race/ethnicity. The prevalence of hunger was 24.1% for the analytic sample and was highest among American Indian/Alaskan Native/Other Pacific Islander youth (37.2%), followed by non-Hispanic Black (31.8%) and Hispanic (28.4%) youth, and lowest among Non-Hispanic White youth (18.6%). In the analytic sample, there were significant differences in experiences of hunger by race/ethnicity, sexual identity, and adolescent/parent job loss during the pandemic (p < 0.05). When stratified by race/ethnicity, there were differential associations of hunger with sexual identity, and adolescent/parent job loss. These findings provide evidence of differential experiences of hunger during the pandemic among adolescents by sociodemographic factors. Results highlight the need for taking an intersectional approach when examining issues such as hunger. Future policies and programs should be mindful of factors associated with hunger and should prioritize using an equity-informed approach when engaging with multiply-marginalized adolescents.

Appraising the Obligations of the Nigerian State in Achieving Zero Hunger

Nigeria as a Nation-State is saddled with certain obligations to her citizens, some are justiciable and others are not. The Nigerian-State being a member of the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September, 2015. There are 17 SDGs and one of which is SDG-2, Zero hunger. The primary targets of SDG-2 are aimed to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture worldwide, by the year 2030. Nigeria has not fared well under the recently published Global Hunger Index scores as it falls under the group of States faced with serious hunger, despite its efforts in domesticating and implementing the SDGs, particularly, SDG-2 through various policy and institutional frameworks. This paper, inter alia appraises the obligations of the Nigerian-State to her citizens, the various policy and institutional frameworks domesticated in Nigeria in order to achieve zero hunger by the year 2030. Being a paper that is situated within the right to food paradigm, it adopts the doctrinal and analytical approach, relying on primary data like the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and other conventions, secondary data like articles and opinions of jurists on the subject matter. It is the finding inter alia that it will be very difficult if not impossible for Nigeria to achieve zero hunger by the year 2030. The paper concludes inter alia that a well-coherent legal framework for right to food is vital in addressing the serious prevalence of hunger and looming food insecurity in Nigeria.

Sex for food: a transactional sex reaction to the COVID-19-induced rise in the prevalence of hunger among in-school female adolescents in Ogun State, Nigeria.

COVID-19 has doubled the proportion of people with acute hunger globally and Nigeria is categorized as having a "severe" form of hunger. Vulnerable groups responding more to hunger stressors include the female adolescents who transact sex for both survival and luxury purposes. This study assessed the engagement in transactional sex to obtain food among female adolescents in Ogun State, Nigeria. this descriptive cross-sectional research was conducted among 668 in-school female adolescents that were selected through a multistage sampling method. Data were collected with a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Food security was assessed using a standard tool while engagement in transactional sex was elicited through self-report. Data analysis was done using Statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 25. Logistic regression was used to find factors associated with transactional sex. P< 0.05 was taken as statistically significant. the mean age of the respondents was 15.18±1.35 years. More than two-fifths (41.5%) were staying in households without food security. Less than one-fifth (15.3%) were engaging in transactional sex. Having emotional stress (OR = 4.33; 95 CI: 1.37-13.63), mother´s education (OR =0.163; 95% CI: 0.057- 0.461), having sexual partner (OR = 0.132; 95% CI: 0.047-0.370 and missing classes (OR 3.35, 95% CI: 1.084-10.331) were significant predictors of engaging in transactional sex among female adolescents. transactional sex is commoner among female adolescents who were missing classes, had sexual partners, and were emotionally stressed. There is a need for intervention programs to protect the female adolescent, delay sexual debut and improve academic performance among them.

Young people and women as key drivers of agricultural transformation in Africa: transiting from rhetoric to action in Ghana

The prevalence of hunger, malnutrition and poverty in many African countries like Ghana is mainly due to low agricultural productivity and the sector's inability to attract educated young people and women (YPW). Ghana has not been able to leverage her abundant land and water resources as well as her youthful population to transform her agricultural sector, promote food and nutrition security, and improve the livelihoods of the rural people, especially in the transition and northern savannah ecological zones. Agricultural transformation constitutes the core element of this paper's conceptual framework. The findings of a comprehensive desk research informed the selection and conduct of field surveys in two local communities in two districts in the transition and northern savannah ecological zones of Ghana. The quantitative data were analysed using SPSS version 20 while the qualitative information was subjected to content analysis. The opportunities for transforming Ghana's agriculture into a productive sector and a major employer of educated young people and women include smart agricultural practices, widening access to resources, markets and social amenities in rural communities.

Counting the Cost: The Effect of COVID-19 Lockdown on Households in South East Nigeria

The present study measured household hunger in South-East Nigeria amidst the COVID-19 lockdown. A total of 1209 households (urban and rural locations) were sampled. Household hunger was determined using the Radimer–Cornel hunger scale. Results show that before the COVID-19 lockdown, hunger prevalence in the urban areas was 85.5%, whereas prevalence in the rural areas was significantly lower, at a prevalence of 79.9% (7.3% level of association—X2 = 6.499, p = 0.012). During the COVID-19 lockdown, the prevalence of hunger in the urban areas rose to 98.0% and 99.2% in the rural areas (4.9% level of association was X2 = 2.888, p = 0.089). It was also observed that the COVID-19 lockdown significantly affected food prices. The major coping strategy employed by households was relying on less expensive foods (81.14%). High household hunger was identified as a short-term cost of the COVID-19 lockdown in South-East Nigeria. Only a few households (16.3%) benefited from the food aid programs and 16.9% from the government palliative cash transfer. It is recommended that the government setup a formidable unit that will develop physical and digital plans for effective implementation during a COVID-19 lockdown situation or other emergencies.

Food Security Under The Era Of Climate Change Threat

Food Security Under The Era Of Climate Change Threat

Is Africa Ready for the SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) Target by 2030?

In recent time, the prevalence of hunger, malnutrition and food insecurity have increased in most African countries as the continent continued to experience rising number of people that are undernourished. This paper reveals the progress of African region in pursuit of SDG 2 target by 2030 considering both the global and Africa SDG threshold (rating) in 2019. The SDG2 target achievement in Africa is facing serious obstacles such as high level of poverty, unemployment, social exclusion, corruption, banditry, kidnapping, conflicts, and terrorism. With enormous challenges confronting Africa, can SDG 2 target be achieved in the continent by 2030?

Is the modified household food security survey (HFSS) questionnaire a practical tool for screening food insecurity? Evidence from northwest of Iran

BackgroundAdequate supplies of food and food security (FS) are the fundamental aspects of human societies, and considered one of the pivotal factors of individual and social health. The aim of the present study was to assess the applicability of the short questionnaire for screening food insecurity (FI) and to evaluate the prevalence of FI in northwest of Iran.MethodsIn this study, 550 subjects aged ≥16 years were studied. Three-day dietary records and a short questionnaire were applied to estimate the prevalence of FI in terms of hunger and hidden hunger. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the short questionnaire were assessed. Moreover, the association between the results of the short questionnaire and the criteria that were theoretically related to FI were examined. Data were presented as mean (SD), median (min-max) for the numeric normal and non-normal variables, respectively, and frequency (percent) for categorical variables. The between-group comparisons of variables were done using independent samples t test. P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.ResultsThe prevalence of hunger and hidden hunger was 30.8 and 46.0%, respectively. Overall, 23.2% of the subjects were classified as “food secure”. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the short questionnaire in determining hunger were 92.8% (95% CI: 87.3–95.9), 84.2% (95% CI: 79.3–89.3), and 87% (95% CI: 84–90.2), respectively. These values for hidden hunger were 21.6% (95% CI: 15.7–29.9), 92.3% (95% CI: 88.7–99.4), and 53.4% (95% CI: 47.9–59.8), respectively. Our study showed a statistically significant association between FI and socio-economic status. FI significantly enhanced the risk of underweight, while it markedly reduced the risk of overweight and obesity. The average frequency of monthly consumption of meat, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and rice was significantly lower in food insecure group, while the median frequency of bread consumption was markedly higher in food insecure group. The participants of insecure group were less likely to consume fruits, vegetables, dairy products, rice and meat.ConclusionsFI was frequent in North-west of Iran. The findings indicated that the short questionnaire was a simple, low-cost and practical tool for screening FI in terms of hunger.Trial registrationIR.TBZMED.REC.1397.400.

Dietary pattern, household hunger, coping strategies and nutritional status of children in Sekhukhune district of Limpopo province, South Africa

Globally, approximately one out of every nine people do not get enough food to eat. The situation is more persistent in the sub-Saharan region of Africa with an estimated 23.2% of the population experiencing food deprivation. The aim of this study was to determine the dietary pattern, prevalence of hunger, the association between household hunger and nutritional status of children under 12 years, and the coping strategies that mothers use to adapt to periods of food deprivation in their households in Sekhukhune district. An analytical study design was used. A structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to survey mothers/caregivers and their children from 180 households selected from nine villages by means of systematic random sampling. Anthropometric measurements were used to determine caregivers and children’s nutritional status.Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 was used to analyse the collected data. Descriptive and inferential (Chi-square (χ2) test) statistics were used. The results indicated that the main food items consumed by most children were mealie/maize meal, sugar, tea, iodised salt, bread, and meat. The findings revealed that 44.4% of households were food insecure, whereas 33.9% were at risk of hunger, and only 21.7% were food secure. The main coping strategies used were borrowing food from neighbours, family or friends, and borrowing food from the local shops. Anthropometric indices were associated with food availability and the utilisation of coping strategies such as sending children to neighbours asking for food, credit from local shops, reducing food portions, or even sometimes sending children to bed hungry (p<0.05). About four to five out of ten children sometimes go to bed hungry. Households borrowing food from neighbours, family or friends, and credit from the local shop were the most common coping strategies. The need for nutrition education on low cost nutritious diets and sustainable food programmes intervention strategies are required in Sekhukhune District. In addition, positive response modes for coping with food deprivation, such as the use of wild foods and livestock should be encouraged. Key words: Household Hunger, Coping Strategies, Nutritional status of children, Dietary pattern

How Far Is Inclusivity of Financial Services Associated With Food Insecurity in Later Life? Implications for Health Policy and Sustainable Development Goals

This study investigates how financial services inclusion (FSI) may affect food insecurity among older Ghanaians and seeks to identify any modifying roles of age and gender in the associations. Data were analyzed for 1,200 adults aged 50+ years. Generalized linear models with a logit link function examined associations and interaction terms. Average FSI score was 1.9 (SD = 1.8), and the prevalence of hunger and breakfast skipping were 35.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: [32.9%, 38.4%]) and 28.8% (95% CI: [26.3%, 31.5%]) respectively. After full adjustment for potential confounders, FSI was associated with 0.459 (95% CI: [0.334, 0.629]) and 0.599 (95% CI: [0.434, 0.827]) times lower odds for hunger and breakfast skipping respectively. However, the corresponding interactions were statistically insignificant. The findings indicate the potentially important role of FSI in reducing food insecurity in later life. Development of policies to empower older people economically through increased financial literacy and easier access to financial services may help actualize the Sustainable Development Goal 2.

ACCESS TO NUTRITION AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON RURAL HEALTH IN INDIA

Nutrition is considered to be an important component in the life of an individual. India is still a home for considerable number of vulnerable people who do not have access to proper nutrition which in turn gives birth to number of health problems. The issue has not been dealt elaborately in the public life because of its apparent invisible nature. The lack of access to proper food containing micronutrient lead to the difficulties like stunted growth, Wasting and underweight. The prevalence of hunger in India is not found uniformly. It is the rural population which suffers the burden of hunger more than their urban counterparts as the fruits of the development registered in the last few decades have not been equitably distributed. This article is an attempt to discuss the different aspects of nutrition in the context of rural health.

Do voluntary associations reduce hunger? An empirical exploration of the social capital- food security nexus among food impoverished households in western Nepal

Using involvement in voluntary associations and the density of community groups as measures of social capital, the paper empirically examines its potential interlink with food security. To account for the potentially endogenous nature of individual social capital, we used a multi-equation recursive modeling framework allowing for contemporaneous correlation across equations. We demonstrate that strengthening social capital can be an effective way of combatting extreme food insecurity. However, our empirical findings also highlight a cautionary note, that lumping all forms of social capital into one unit to force a uniform narrative about its impacts can be misleading. Using cross sectional household data from food-impoverished western Nepal, we show that participation in finance-related associations has a direct impact on hunger mitigation, whereas associations that have informational or other roles do not have such an impact. Our findings suggest that community level social capital may have “environmental” effects that can lead to positive food security outcomes. On the other hand, while involvement in informational associations has no direct significant impact on the prevalence of hunger, we found that they help to improve the nutritional quality of diets, thereby circuitously leading to improvements in the food security status of women in Nepal.

Prevalence of Hunger and Status of Food Security in Puruliya District, West Bengal: A Micro Level Analysis

Prevalence of Hunger and Status of Food Security in Puruliya District, West Bengal: A Micro Level Analysis

Under Nutrition and Childhood Mortality: A Public Health Problem among Rural Under Five Children of South Karnataka, India

Infant and under five mortality rates are reliable indicators of health status of the children. Despite accelerated growth, prevalence of hunger, under nutrition and mortality in rural part of the country is still persists. While under nutrition among children is very pervasive child mortality is rather high in rural India. The current study is conducted in Two remote villages of Hassan and Kodagu districts of South Karnataka-India. Study was conducted on (Boys 160, Girls 140) preschool children, selected through stratified sampling design technique. This study was found that stunting in 75.0%, wasting in 81.7% and underweight in 87.6% of both Boys and Girls of pre-school children. In case of Anemia, 48% of Girls and 56% of Boys were severely affected while 47% of Girls and 41% of Boys were modestly affected. 10% of Boys and 28% Girls were observed mildly affected. It is also found that clinical sign of Anemia among 62% of the studied children. Next, 21% children found Vitamin A deficiency and 22% children found vitamin B complex deficiency. Study also found that only 67% children were put on breast feeding within Three hours after the birth. It is also noted that income poverty, bad personal habits, changing health seeking behavior, cultural practices regarding delivery, childrearing and breast feeding also plays a vital role in case of mortality problem where Government and NGO should focus on these issues immediately.

PREVALENCE OF UNDER-NUTRITION AND ANEMIA AMONG UNDER FIVE RURAL CHILDREN OF SOUTH KARNATAKA, INDIA

AbstractInfant and under five mortality rates are reliable indicators of health status of the children of any country. Despite accelerated growth, the prevalence of hunger, poor health status, under nutrition and mortality in rural part of the country are still persisting in India. While under nutrition among children is pervasive; child mortality is rather high in rural parts of India. The current study conducted in two remote villages of Hassan and Kodagu districts of South Karnataka-India. Study conducted on ( Boys 160, Girls 140) preschool children, selected through stratified sampling design technique. Through this study stunting in 75.0 %, wasting in 81.7% and underweight in 87.6% of both Boys and Girls of pre-school children were found. In case of Anemia, 48% of Girls and 56% of Boys were severely affected; while 47 % of Girls and 41% of the Boys were modestly affected and 10% of the Boys and 28% Girls observed mildly affected. It is also found that clinical sign of Anemia among 62% of the studied children. Next, 21% children found Vitamin A deficiency and 22% children found vitamin B complex deficiency. The Study also found that only 67% children put on breastfeeding within Three hours after the birth in the studied village. It is also noted that income poverty, bad personal habits, changing health seeking behavior, cultural practices regarding delivery, child rearing and breastfeeding also plays a vital role in case of mortality problem where Government and NGO (Non- Gov. Organizations) should focus on these issues immediately.

Advances in Wheat Genomics and its Potential in Ensuring Food Security in the Scenario of Climate Change

Prevalence of hunger and under-nutrition among the world population at alarming rates challenges the food security. Further, the instability in global wheat production in past two years and the projection of continuing decrease in wheat inventories predominantly due to climate change add-up to food insecurity. The global climate change imposing biotic and abiotic stress made the crop improvement more challenging. However, the timely release of wheat genome sequence holds the promise of evading these tribulations, provided the researchers and breeders pertinently utilize the genome information. In view of this, this short-review highlights the intact insights for the wheat research community on how to implement the genome sequence data in breeding and engineering transgenic wheat with enhanced biotic and abiotic stress tolerance.

Prevalence of Under-Nutrition and Anemia among Under Five Rural School Children in South Karnataka, India

Infant and under five mortality rates are reliable indicators of health status of the children of any country. Despite accelerated growth, the prevalence of hunger, poor health status, under nutrition and mortality in rural part of the country are still persisting in India. While under nutrition among children is pervasive; child mortality is rather high in rural parts of India. The current study conducted in Two remote villages of Hassan and Kodagu districts of South Karnataka-India. Study conducted on (Boys 160, Girls 140) preschool children, selected through stratified sampling design technique. Through this study stunting in 75.0 %, wasting in 81.7% and underweight in 87.6% of both Boys and Girls of pre- school children were found. In case of Anemia, 48% of Girls and 56% of Boys were severely affected; while 47 % of Girls and 41% of the Boys were modestly affected and 10% of the Boys and 28% Girls observed mildly affected. It is also found that clinical sign of Anemia among 62% of the studied children. Next, 21% children found Vitamin A deficiency and 22% children found vitamin B complex deficiency. The Study also found that only 67% children put on breastfeeding within Three hours after the birth in the studied village. It is also noted that income poverty, bad personal habits, changing health seeking behavior, cultural practices regarding delivery, child rearing and breastfeeding also plays a vital role in case of mortality problem where Government and NGO (Non-Gov. Organizations) should focus on these issues immediately. Keywords: Anaemia, Under nutrition, Under five children, Rural children.

Why Tribal Children Look Differently? An Empirical Analysis of Health and Nutritional Status of Tribal Children in Kerala

Prevalence of hunger and malnutrition among the tribal children children below age group five are always there in their hamlets for years together because of the forest habitats, extreme poverty and taboos. `The study was conducted during 2013–14 in the forest belt of Thirunelli Panchayath in Wayanad District in Kerala where 203 children belongs to 100 households below the age of 5 years from four major tribal groups. A sample survey was conducted for collecting their anthropometric measurement, diet, health checkup and family history and also a medical camp was organized to get clear cut measurement of basic chronic and communicable health problems and also to measure the hemoglobin level of the children. The study shows that health and nutrition status of tribal children is very poor and it is mainly due to lack of nutritional and health awareness, bad perception about health followed by them, non-availability of health services, worst infrastructure facilities in the existing health centers.

What economic theory tells us about the impacts of reducing food losses and/or waste: implications for research, policy and practice

Whereas the prevalence of hunger and food insecurity is often cited as a motivation for reducing losses and waste in agriculture and food systems, the impacts of such reduction on food security and the wider economy have not yet been investigated. This paper gives insights into these effects, the factors of influence, and derives implications for applied research, policy and practice. We used economic theory to analyse the impacts of food loss reductions on the supply side and food waste reductions on the demand side. The analysis is graphical and uses intuitive low-dimension diagrams. The impacts of tackling food losses and waste differ from the size of food losses and waste and depend, in addition, on the extent to which they are avoidable, factors that cause them to arise (notably food prices) and the costs associated with measures to reduce them. Interactions within the food supply chain and the broader economy also affect the impacts. Trade-offs occur on the demand side where a reallocation of spending on previously wasted foods causes some producers to be worse off and some to be better off. Over time, producers tackling losses may have to incur welfare losses in the short run with gains in terms of increased revenues, if any, occurring later. Similarly, consumers may delay spending savings on previously wasted foods. As a consequence, the impacts, notably on food security and welfare, are ambiguous. Further research should quantify the factors that play a role and carry out economy-wide impact analyses, employing a combination of macro, meso and micro-level tools, and presenting a comprehensive set of indicators that adequately capture broader societal impacts of tackling food losses and waste. This allows policy makers to better target policy and resources, identify complementary policies, and move beyond target-setting to addressing the underlying causes, whereby it is important to consider the whole food supply chain. Supply chain actors could contribute in terms of practical and innovative solutions where they matter most, and feed research and policy makers on the bottlenecks that explain why food losses and waste occur, and their relative importance.