Severe Food Research Articles

Cross-sectional analysis of the association between household food insecurity and mental health conditions in children aged 5–11 years in Canada

BackgroundChildren living in food insecure households have poorer mental health outcomes compared with their food-secure peers; however, the relationship between the severity of food insecurity and diagnosed mental health conditions...

Spatiotemporal modeling of household's food insecurity levels in Ethiopia

The state of moderate and severe food insecurity in Ethiopia has not been significantly reduced for a long time due to cultural, natural, and manmade shocks, which cover most part of the country with considerable magnitude and have adverse effects on the health and economy. This temporal evolution of the wider geographic distribution of the food insecurity levels has not been investigated for the feeding culture and shocks effect in Ethiopia, though previous studies have indicated significant geographic distribution and related factors. In addition, the longtime zone-specific comprehensive drivers were not assessed. Therefore, this study focused on investigating the feeding culture-adjusted food insecurity levels (FCSL) and their evolutional sustainability across zones by identifying the factors causing each level of household's food insecurity tailored to a specific zone.In this study, Ethiopian socio-economic longitudinal data from years 2012, 2014, and 2016 with a sample size of 3835 households were analyzed. An ordinal spatiotemporal model with different interactions under empirical Bayes estimation was adopted, and the type III interaction with Markov random field was selected to reveal the evolution of FCSL sustainability across zones and find-out the causing factors of households to each level of food insecurity tailored to zone-level by analyzing the effects of diverse factors and shocks. The result reveals that a greater portion (52.07 %) of households’ population is moderately and chronically food insecure. Basically, households living in neighboring zones have significantly similar food insecurity levels, and slight improvements were observed over time. This transition over time within neighboring zones, revealed that chronic food insecurity in neighboring zones has transited to moderate food insecurity, particularly in most of the northern and southwestern areas of Ethiopia. However, the interaction term showed that the change in food insecurity levels for households living in neighboring zones is similar at one time point, but the evolution is not sustainable. Therefore, working on major zone-specific factors, such as enhancing zone-level urbanization through improving market and road linkage to rural areas, education, employment, non-agricultural businesses, and promoting integrated farming by conserving soil with consideration of additional confounding factors, will bring change and can sustainably eradicate moderate and chronic food insecurity in zone households through controlling dependency ratios, shocks, and small land size farming. This study brings resilient, manageable, and zone-specific mitigation for households living in food-insecure and vulnerable zones.

Assessment of prevalence and severity of food insecurity among parents/guardians of students in Basrah Province, Southern Iraq

Background and Aim: An individual’s ability to obtain enough nutritious and healthy food to sustain a healthy lifestyle is a crucial indicator of food security. This study estimated food insecurity’s prevalence and levels among parents/guardians of secondary school students in Basrah and describe its consequences. Materials and Methods: The Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) was implemented through a questionnaire survey to evaluate food insecurity. The relationship between financial factors, attitudes, and psychological impacts regarding food accessibility and affordability was studied in detail. The eight food insecurity questions’ responses were measured using the Rasch model approach. Results: Two hundred and fifty-two parents/guardians took part in the survey. The prevalence of food insecurity was estimated as 24% (with a 95% confidence interval of 18.9%–29.8%). Around 50% of the parents/guardians stated that their typical income is middle-income. 28% of respondents reported having sufficient food but not their preferred choices, while 35% paired food shortage with financial instability, 32% could not afford nutritionally balanced meals, and 21% of the parents admitted to cut or skipped their meals to other family members. 21% of parents/guardians were affected by inadequate food supply during the COVID-19 pandemic. The level of food insecurity included that 50% of the respondents exhibited mild food insecurity, 19.4% had moderate food insecurity, and 4.3% were classified as having severe food insecurity. According to the Rasch analysis of the FIES data, the likelihood of experiencing severe food insecurity is linked to consuming unhealthy food, having food run out, and eating unbalanced meals. Conclusion: The study found that financial constraints, food safety concerns, and limited access to nutritious food explain the widespread food insecurity reported. Significant efforts are required to alleviate chronic food shortages in Basrah, including job creation, strengthening agricultural production, and implementing safety-net policies for affected families. Keywords: food accessibility, food insecurity, parents/guardians, Rasch model.

Toward Ending Violence Against Women: The Association of Intimate Partner Violence With Food Security Status Among Ever-Married Women in Cameroon.

Despite an extensive body of literature that explores potential mechanisms explaining the factors associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) experienced by women, very few studies have studied the association of food security status with women's experience of IPV in sub-Saharan Africa countries, including Cameroon. Using data from the 2018 Cameroon Demographic and Health Survey (n = 4,690), we explore the association between food security status and three distinct forms of IPV (i.e., emotional, sexual, and physical IPV) among ever-married women in Cameroon. Adjusting for socioeconomic, demographic, and attitudinal and behavioral characteristics, we found that women with severe (odds ratio [OR] = 2.09, p < .01), moderate (OR = 1.88, p < .05), and mild (OR = 1.76, p < .05) food insecurity were more likely to experience sexual IPV, compared to those without any food insecurity, whereas women with severe food insecurity were more likely to experience physical IPV (OR = 1.89, p < .001). Although women with severe (OR = 1.51, p < .01) and moderate (OR = 1.67, p < .001) food insecurity had a higher likelihood of experiencing emotional IPV at a bivariate level, we found that these associations became no longer significant in our adjusted model. These findings suggest that food insecurity is a critical risk factor for IPV among ever-married women in Cameroon. Addressing IPV requires a comprehensive strategy that places special emphasis on households experiencing food insecurity. There is also an urgent need to implement educational programs to increase awareness of the interconnection between food insecurity and IPV and to allocate resources to community-based initiatives that empower women both economically and socially.

Changes in HIV Internalized and Experienced Stigmas and Social Support After an Urban Gardens and Peer Nutritional Counseling Intervention Among People With HIV and Food Insecurity in the Dominican Republic.

Food insecurity and HIV-related stigma negatively affect HIV outcomes. Few studies have examined how food security interventions affect HIV-related stigma and social support. Two HIV clinics in the Dominican Republic. A pilot cluster randomized controlled trial of an urban gardens and peer nutritional counseling intervention was conducted to examine outcomes of HIV-related stigmas and social support. Adult patients (≥18 years of age) with moderate or severe household food insecurity and evidence of suboptimal ART adherence and/or a detectable viral load were enrolled; standard measures of internalized and experienced stigmas and social support were collected at baseline and at 6 and 12 months. Intervention clinic participants received training and materials from agronomists for a home garden, 3-4 sessions of nutritional counseling from the clinic's peer counselor, and a garden produce cooking workshop facilitated by professional nutritionists. Of 109 study participants (46 intervention and 63 control), 103 (94%) completed 12-month follow-up. Difference-in-differences multivariate longitudinal linear regressions adjusting for sociodemographic factors found that intervention participants had reduced internalized stigma by 3.04 points (scale 0-32) at 12 months (P = 0.002); reduced probability of experiencing HIV-related stigma or discrimination in the past 6 months (20 percentage points at 6 months, P = 0.05 and 25 percentage points at 12 months, P = 0.02); and modestly improved social support at 12 months (1.85 points on 30-pt scale, P = 0.093). A fully powered, larger trial is needed to establish the efficacy of the intervention and assess pathways by which the intervention may improve HIV stigma and social support.

Household food security and WASH practices in children with undernutrition: a case study in low middle income area in Semarang, Indonesia

Purpose: This study analyzed the correlation between household food security (HFS) and WASH practices toward nutritional status in children with undernutrition. Methods: This type of research was analytically observational with a cross-sectional design. The sample in this study was 55 mothers with children with a history of undernutrition aged 6 to 23 months. The Rank Spearman test was conducted to analyze this study. Results: The prevalence of stunted and severely stunted was 34.55%, respectively; underweight and severely underweight were 36.36%, respectively; and wasted and severely wasted were 30.91 and 16.36% respectively. The percentage of respondents with mild, moderate, and severe food insecurity were 23.6, 7.3, and 12.7% respectively. The average value of WASH practices was rated as good among all respondents. Household food security score was associated with WAZ (p=0.008 and r=0.352) and HAZ (p=0.027 and r=0.299) but was not associated with WHZ (p=0.067; r=0.248). WASH practice was associated with WAZ (p=0.000; r=0.504), HAZ (p=0.000; r=0.455), and WHZ (p=0.000; r=0.334). Conclusion: There were still conditions of severe food insecurity and undernutrition problems that need the focus of attention. There is a need for monitoring by looking at certain aspects, such as HFS and WASH practices in reducing undernutrition.

Food Supply in Bashkortostan during Great Patriotic War: Failures and Violations

This study examines the disruptions in the operations of state trade enterprises and consumer cooperatives in providing food to the population of Bashkortostan during the Great Patriotic War. The article is based on unpublished documents from the National Archives of the Republic of Bashkortostan, as well as materials from periodicals. It is revealed that the weakening of the state’s control functions led to an increase in embezzlement and theft in trade and public catering enterprises. The combination of reduced trade turnover and the rise in abuses within the supply system resulted in severe food shortages. Supply disruptions affected workers, officials, evacuated populations, children, and medical institutions. Various abuses are discussed, including food ration card counterfeiting, different forms of self-supply, and instances of double provisioning. Attention is given to violations in accounting for population groups and inflated supply norms. It is established that combating abuses in the supply system was complicated by the involvement of enterprise leaders, shop workers, accountants, and representatives of auditing bodies in criminal activities. The conclusion is drawn that despite numerous violations, the supply system only minimally provided essential food items to the population of Bashkortostan with interruptions and not in full.

Well-ordered Au@Ag NBPs/SiO2 nanoarray for sensitive detection of chloramphenicol via DNAzyme-assisted SERS sensing

Misuse of chloramphenicol (CAP) can lead to severe food safety issues. Therefore, the accurate and sensitive detection of CAP residues is important for public health. Herein, a convenient and reliable interfacial self-assembly technique was used to form a uniform Au@Ag nanobipyramids (NBPs) film on an ordered SiO2 nanosphere array (SiO2 NS), which served as a Raman-enhanced substrate. In conjunction with a deoxyribonucleic acid enzyme–induced signal amplification strategy, we developed a novel surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) biosensor for the selective and sensitive detection of CAP. The biosensor exhibited a detection limit of 6.42 × 10−13 mol·L−1 and a detection range of 1.0 × 10−12–1.0 × 10−6 mol·L−1. The biosensor could detect CAP in spiked milk samples with a high accuracy, and its recovery rates ranged from 97.88% to 107.86%. The as-developed biosensor with the advantages of high sensitivity and high selectivity offers a new strategy for the rapid, reliable and sensitive detection of CAP, rendering it applicable to food safety control.

Food insecurity and its contributing determinants among rural households in the south-western region of Bangladesh, 2021: A cross-sectional study

IntroductionThe onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted food access, resulting in substantial consequences for food insecurity and contributing to adverse individual and public health outcomes. To comprehensively evaluate these challenges and grasp their implications for food security, this study aimed to evaluate the contributing determinants of food insecurity among rural households in the southwestern region of Bangladesh. Study designA cross-sectional study was conducted using a validated questionnaire in selected 310 rural household respondents from the southwestern region of Bangladesh. MethodsHousehold food insecurity status was the outcome variable for the analysis. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to explore and predict risk factors correlated with food insecurity among southwestern Bangladeshi households. ResultsWe found that 59 % and 27.5 % of households were suffering from moderate food insecurity and severe food insecurity, respectively. The multinomial regression model revealed that respondents residing in Kusthia (RRR = 5.56 CI:2.67–8.4 and RRR = 6.65, CI:3.37–9.22) aged between 30 and 40 years (RRR = 2.32, 95 % CI:1.84–3.77 and RRR = 1.87, 95 % CI:1.48–3.97) and 40–50 years (RRR = 1.86 95 % CI:1.46–3.82 and RRR = 1.95, 95 % CI:1.75–3.26) were significantly associated with mild-to-moderate and severe food insecurity. Respondents with a monthly family income of <58.96 USD (3.38 times and 2.18 times), had ≥5 family members (2.68 times and 1.89 times), and had poor income during the pandemic (4.25 times and 2.75 times) more likely to be moderate and severe food insecure. ConclusionThe results emphasized that during the COVID-19 lockdown in Bangladesh, rural households faced diverse levels of food insecurity, ranging from moderate to severe. It suggests that efforts to raise awareness and implement support strategies for those at higher risk should not only focus on income but also consider additional factors such as family size, adults aged 30–40 years, and occupation.

Seasonal Variations in Food Insecurity Prevalence of Mother-Child Dyads in Seme Sub-County, Kisumu, Kenya

Food insecurity remains a major impediment to the attainment of adequate health outcomes among the population. This is attributable to the adverse implications that food insecurity poses on the nutritional status of the populations. Globally, in the year 2021, an estimated population of 3.1 billion people (42%) faced unprecedented food crisis evident by inability to afford a healthy meal. Meanwhile, global rates of stunting attributable to food insecurity among children under the age of sixty months was 22.3%. In Kenya, close to 32% of the populations are acutely food insecure and require urgent food insecurity interventions. Kisumu County is a food import county; hence, decline in food supplies in the counties depends on for food supply results in food crisis amongst its populace. Women and children are disproportionately affected by food insecurity due to gender and age-related factors. Rural populations are often worse affected by food insecurity as evident by high rates of stunting experienced in rural areas when compared to overweight rates that are more in urban areas. It is on this basis that we sought to assess the prevalence of food insecurity among mother-child dyads drawn from Seme Sub-County, a rural area in the County of Kisumu, Kenya. We used a longitudinal study design adopting repeated cross-sectional measures to assess food security status of a sample of 201 mother-child pairs during planting and harvesting seasons. Food security status of mothers was assessed quantitatively using Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. Children’s food security status was assessed using Prevalence of Undernourishment as indicated by the anthropometric measurements. Qualitative data were further synthesized using Key Informant Interviews and Focus Group Discussions to complement quantitative data on prevalence of food insecurity among mother-child dyads. Data was analysed descriptively to indicate proportions of mothers and children depicting various food insecurity classifications. The mean HFIAS score for season I; 11.22 (± 5.36 SD) was statistically significantly different (higher) than mean HFIAS score for season II; 9.63 (± 5.18 SD) at α ≤ 0.05 (t-test: p=0.003). During planting season, a majority of the mothers; 134 (70.9%) experienced severe food insecurity prevalence and during harvesting season, a majority of the mothers; 117 (61.9%) experienced severe food insecurity prevalence. In planting season, almost three-quarters of the children; 137 (72.5%) were food secure as they had normal weight-for-age Z score (were not underweight). On the other hand, slightly higher than average; 102 (54.0%) of the children were food secure during harvesting season. These findings demonstrate suboptimal variations in prevalence of food insecurity across the two seasons. Mothers were more likely to experience severe food insecurity prevalence than children. Thus, there is a need to develop adequate interventions aimed at optimizing intra-household food distribution dynamics as means of ensuring adequate food security for both mothers and children in the study area

Food Insecurity in Greece and across the Globe: A Narrative Literature Review.

Food insecurity comprises a major global public health threat, as its effects are detrimental to the mental, physical, and social aspects of the health and well-being of those experiencing it. We performed a narrative literature review on the magnitude of global food insecurity with a special emphasis on Greece and analyzed the major factors driving food insecurity, taking into consideration also the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. An electronic search of international literature was conducted in three databases. More than 900 million people worldwide experience severe food insecurity, with future projections showing increasing trends. Within Europe, Eastern and Southern European countries display the highest food insecurity prevalence rates, with Greece reporting a prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity ranging between 6.6% and 8% for the period 2019-2022. Climate change, war, armed conflicts and economic crises are major underlying drivers of food insecurity. Amidst these drivers, the COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on food insecurity levels around the globe, through halting economic growth, disrupting food supply chains and increasing unemployment and poverty. Tackling food insecurity through addressing its key drivers is essential to any progress towards succeeding the Sustainable Development Goal of "Zero Hunger".

Unveiling the emerging role of curcumin to alleviate ochratoxin A-induced muscle toxicity in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella): in vitro and in vivo studies

BackgroundOchratoxin A (OTA), a globally abundant and extremely hazardous pollutant, is a significant source of contamination in aquafeeds and is responsible for severe food pollution. The developmental toxicity of OTA and the potential relieving strategy of natural products remain unclear. This study screened the substance curcumin (Cur), which had the best effect in alleviating OTA inhibition of myoblast proliferation, from 96 natural products and investigated its effect and mechanism in reducing OTA myotoxicity in vivo and in vitro.MethodsA total of 720 healthy juvenile grass carp, with an initial average body weight of 11.06 ± 0.05 g, were randomly assigned into 4 groups: the control group (without OTA and Cur), 1.2 mg/kg OTA group, 400 mg/kg Cur group, and 1.2 mg/kg OTA + 400 mg/kg Cur group. Each treatment consisted of 3 replicates (180 fish) for 60 d.ResultsFirstly, we cultured, purified, and identified myoblasts using the tissue block culture method. Through preliminary screening and re-screening of 96 substances, we examined cell proliferation-related indicators such as cell viability and ultimately found that Cur had the best effect. Secondly, Cur could alleviate OTA-inhibited myoblast differentiation and myofibrillar development-related proteins (MyoG and MYHC) in vivo and in vitro and improve the growth performance of grass carp. Then, Cur could also promote the expression of OTA-inhibited protein synthesis-related proteins (S6K1 and TOR), which was related to the activation of the AKT/TOR signaling pathway. Finally, Cur could downregulate the expression of OTA-enhanced protein degradation-related genes (murf1, foxo3a, and ub), which was related to the inhibition of the FoxO3a signaling pathway.ConclusionsIn summary, our data demonstrated the effectiveness of Cur in alleviating OTA myotoxicity in vivo and in vitro. This study confirms the rapidity, feasibility, and effectiveness of establishing a natural product screening method targeting myoblasts to alleviate fungal toxin toxicity.Graphical

A surge in food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic in a cohort in Mexico City.

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only caused tremendous loss of life and health but has also greatly disrupted the world economy. The impact of this disruption has been especially harsh in urban settings of developing countries. We estimated the impact of the pandemic on the occurrence of food insecurity in a cohort of women living in Mexico City, and the socioeconomic characteristics associated with food insecurity severity. We analyzed data longitudinally from 685 women in the Mexico City-based ELEMENT cohort. Food insecurity at the household level was gathered using the Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale and measured in-person during 2015 to 2019 before the pandemic and by telephone during 2020-2021, in the midst of the pandemic. Fluctuations in the average of food insecurity as a function of calendar time were modeled using kernel-weighted local polynomial regression. Fixed and random-effects ordinal logistic regression models of food insecurity were fitted, with timing of data collection (pre-pandemic vs. during pandemic) as the main predictor. Food insecurity (at any level) increased from 41.6% during the pre-pandemic period to 53.8% in the pandemic stage. This increase was higher in the combined severe-moderate food insecurity levels: from 1.6% pre-pandemic to 16.8% during the pandemic. The odds of severe food insecurity were 3.4 times higher during the pandemic relative to pre-pandemic levels (p<0.01). Socioeconomic status quintile (Q) was significantly related to food insecurity (Q2 OR = 0.35 p<0.1, Q3 OR = 0.48 p = 0.014, Q4 OR = 0.24 p<0.01, and Q5 OR = 0.17 p<0.01), as well as lack of access to social security (OR = 1.69, p = 0.01), and schooling (OR = 0.37, p<0.01). Food insecurity increased in Mexico City households in the ELEMENT cohort as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. These results contribute to the body of evidence suggesting that governments should implement well-designed, focalized programs in the context of economic crisis such as the one caused by COVID-19 to prevent families from the expected adverse health and well-being consequences associated to food insecurity, especially for the most vulnerable.

Too Little, Not Enough: Impact of Safety Nets on Food Security Among Households with Disabled Members in Nigeria

ABSTRACT This study assessed the impact of safety nets on food insecurity in households with people with disabilities (PWD) in Nigeria. Using data from the 2019 Nigeria General Household Survey, we assessed the risk of experiencing food insecurity among households and the moderating role of safety nets using households without PWDs as a reference. PWD households were three times more likely to experience severe food insecurity compared to households without PWDs. The impact of the safety net program on the risk of food insecurity showed that receiving social benefits had little effect among households with disabled members experiencing severe food insecurity.

Challenges to achieving zero hunger by 2030: the impact of armed conflict on global food security with a focus on the Russo-Ukrainian War

Objective: This study examines the impact of armed conflicts, particularly the Russo-Ukrainian War, on achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger. The analysis explores how escalating conflicts post-2015 have undermined global efforts toward ending hunger and ensuring food security by 2030. Method: The research employs a qualitative approach, analyzing data on global armed conflicts and food insecurity rates from 2015 to 2023. It particularly focuses on the escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War and its implications for global food supply chains. The study integrates reports from the United Nations, various NGOs, and other authoritative sources to assess the broader impacts of armed conflicts on food security. Results: Since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, the number of armed conflicts has significantly increased, correlating with heightened global food insecurity. Specifically, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has directly resulted in 1.7 billion people experiencing hunger and 276 million facing severe food insecurity worldwide. This conflict has disrupted agricultural production and global food supply chains, exacerbating the food crisis. Conclusions: The findings highlight the severe challenges that armed conflicts pose to achieving global food security. With less than a decade remaining until the 2030 deadline, it is imperative to intensify diplomatic efforts to mitigate conflicts, thereby safeguarding progress toward Zero Hunger. The study underscores the necessity of integrating peace-building strategies into the broader framework of sustainable development.

Data-driven analysis of chemicals, proteins and pathways associated with peanut allergy: from molecular networking to biological interpretation

Peanut allergy is majorly related to severe food induced allergic reactions. Several food including cow’s milk, hen’s eggs, soy, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, pecans and pistachios), fish and shellfish are responsible for more than 90 % of food allergies. Here, we provide promising insights using a large-scale data-driven analysis, comparing the mechanistic feature and biological relevance of different ingredients presents in peanuts, tree nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews, pecans and pistachios) and soybean. Additionally, we have analysed the chemical compositions of peanuts in different processed form raw, boiled and dry-roasted. Using the data-driven approach we are able to generate new hypotheses to explain why nuclear receptors like the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) and its isoform and their interaction with dietary lipids may have significant effect on allergic response. The results obtained from this study will direct future experimental and clinical studies to understand the role of dietary lipids and PPAR-isoforms to exert pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory functions on cells of the innate immunity and influence antigen presentation to the cells of the adaptive immunity.

Alpha-gal syndrome: when treatment of hypovolemic shock can lead to anaphylaxis.

Delayed anaphylaxis after ingestion of red meat because of galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal) syndrome has increased in recent years. The mechanism involves an immunoglobulin E reaction to alpha-gal, a molecule found in mammalian meat, dairy products, medications and excipients containing mammalian-derived components, and tick salivary glycans. Sensitization occurs due to the bite of a lone star tick and the transmission of alpha-gal molecules into person's bloodstream. We describe a case of alpha-gal syndrome with severe food, drug, and perioperative allergy in which anaphylaxis with hypovolemic shock occurred immediately after an emergency surgical procedure, when a gelatin-containing drug was injected. This case study confirms that the clinical manifestations of alpha-gal syndrome could be different depending on the route of administration, with immediate reactions if an alpha-gal-containing drug is injected and delayed type allergic manifestations occurring several hours after oral intake. The purpose of this report is to highlight the importance of risk communication in case of exposure to medical products and surgical procedures of patients with alpha-gal syndrome and to encourage drug manufacturers to indicate clearly the origin of excipients in product literature.

Food insecurity and dietary diversity among food aid recipients in urban and rural areas at the covid‐19 outbreak: An exploratory study

AbstractThe covid‐19 pandemic has affected food aid. This paper reports an exploratory study to estimate the prevalence and degree of food insecurity, household dietary diversity score (HDDS), and the association with demographic, social, and economic characteristics of health status in a sample of food aid recipients in urban and rural areas of Catalonia, Spain. Cross‐sectional data on food insecurity, dietary diversity, household income, health, and sociodemographic characteristics were obtained from the survey taken at seven different food aid distribution points from urban and rural locations. Sixty‐six percent of the participants identified as new users since the covid‐19 crisis. Only 12.5% of the sample lived in households where all adults were unemployed, and 44.8% were employed. Almost a third of the sample (32.3%) reported having someone in their household who suffered from a diet‐related illness or disease. The prevalence of severe food insecurity was 52.1%, followed by 28.1% suffering moderate food insecurity. New food aid users due to covid‐19 pandemic showed a significantly higher prevalence of food insecurity. No significant differences were found in terms of HDDS. This paper provides evidence that much of the gap in food insecurity is related to dietary diversity and children in households considering different urban or rural areas.

DOCK8 and STAT3 cooperate to restrain IgE-inducing T follicular helper cells.

Abstract DOCK8 deficient patients have elevated food specific IgE and severe food allergy. In Dock8-/- mice, we showed that T cell intrinsic DOCK8 restrains the development of IL-13 expressing T follicular helper (Tfh13) cells that drive anaphylactic IgE production. Oral exposure to food results in tolerance, yet T cell intrinsic loss of DOCK8 (T-Dock8-/-) is sufficient to drive Tfh13 differentiation and peanut specific IgE. How DOCK8 prevents Tfh13 differentiation is unknown. In human T cells, DOCK8 promotes STAT3 phosphorylation, an inhibitor of GATA3. We show that mouse DOCK8 promotes STAT3 activity in T cells and STAT3-/- T cells differentiate into Tfh13-like cells in vitro. Yet, T cell specific loss of STAT3 (T-Stat3-/-) did not drive peanut specific IgE or Tfh13 differentiation in vivo after oral peanut. STAT3 patients have high IgE, but not severe food allergies and we found elevated levels of Tfh13s in donors with DOCK8 but not STAT3 mutations, suggesting additional mechanisms to inhibit Tfh13 differentiation. DOCK8 promotes Tregs and we show that the analogous regulatory population for Tfh cells, T follicular regulatory (Tfr) cells were reduced in T-Dock8-/- but not T-Stat3-/- mice. To overcome tolerance, we used oral peanut with cholera toxin; levels of Tfh13s and peanut specific IgE where higher in T-Stat3-/- mice than controls. We propose that DOCK8 and STAT3 cooperate in CD4+ T cells to prevent Tfh13 differentiation.

Association of Food Security With Breastfeeding Practices: A Scoping Review.

Breastfeeding is the fundamental, physiological, and psychosocial process by which the mother feeds the newborn. Early initiation of breastfeeding is recommended within the first hour of life and exclusive breastfeeding up to six months of age due to its optimal contribution of nutrients for the development of the newborn. Despite this, there are factors that affect this process which involve the nutritional, physical, and psychological state of the mother, such as food security or food insecurity, however, it is unknown if it will have a decisive impact on these factors concerning the cessation of breastfeeding or total duration of breastfeeding. This study is an in-depth review of the available information related to food security as a determinant in breastfeeding practices.We did a scoping review between December 2022 - January 2023. The principal inclusion criteria were: the use of the English language, qualitative and quantitative methods, and analytical studies. All the articles were available in full text and the manuscripts ranged from 1997 and 2022. Twelve studies were included: eight quantitative, two qualitative, and two mixed. In the quantitative studies, significant positive and negative associations were found between food insecurity, exclusive breastfeeding, early initiation of breastfeeding, cessation of breastfeeding, and total duration of breastfeeding. For their part, qualitative and mixed studies describe that women with severe food insecurity tend to feel weak and may have a poor perception of their diet and, consequently, their breastfeeding practices are lower. Moreover, there are qualitative studies that mention that the higher the food insecurity, the more frequently breastfeeding occurs. The inconsistency in the results may be due to factors involving the characteristics of each population, the instrument used to measure food security, and the variables by which the models were adjusted. It is necessary to carry out more studies on the subject since it is obvious that the relationship between the variables needs to be clarified.