Suchergebnisse

To mitigate the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the federal government has implemented several financial assistance programs, including unprecedented funding to food charities. Using the Canadian Perspectives Survey Series 2, we examine the demographic, employment, and behavioural characteristics associated with food insecurity in April–May 2020. We find that one-quarter of job-insecure individuals experienced food insecurity that was strongly associated with pandemic-related disruptions to employment income, major financial hardship, and use of food charity, yet the vast majority of food-insecure households did not report receiving any charitable food assistance. Increased financial support for low-income households would reduce food insecurity and mitigate negative repercussions of the pandemic.

This article reflects on the insights afforded by the regular measurement and monitoring of household food insecurity in Canada juxtaposed against information on food bank usage in the population. We show that the number and characteristics of people using food banks suggest that this population is a non-representative subset of the food insecure population. We also highlight how the number of people using food banks is insensitive to the level of household food insecurity in the population. Who goes to food banks is a function of the nature of food bank operations and the severity of food insecurity. Representative data on household food insecurity should be regularly collected and utilised to make policy recommendations for interventions to address the problem of insecure food access.

Étant donné l'absence de politiques publiques précises face au problème de l'insécurité alimentaire des ménages au Canada, les banques alimentaires restent la solution la plus courante, malgré les questions qui se posent au sujet de leur efficacité. En effet, parmi 371 familles à faible revenu de Toronto que nous avons interviewées dans le cadre de cette étude, 75 % avaient vécu de l'insécurité alimentaire, mais seulement 23 % avaient eu recours à une banque alimentaire; et, pour la plupart des utilisateurs de banque alimentaire, l'insécurité alimentaire était un problème chronique grave. Parmi les raisons qui font que les familles vivant de l'insécurité alimentaire n'ont pas recours à une banque alimentaire, notons une certaine réticence à demander la charité, mais aussi un accès difficile à ces banques pour diverses raisons. Ces résultats remettent en question le rôle que les gouvernements fédéral, provinciaux et territoriaux semblent donner aux organismes caritatifs comme moyens de réduire l'insécurité alimentaire, et soulignent la nécessité de politiques publiques claires en cette matière.

In the absence of effective federal or provincial policies to address homelessness, community groups have initiated numerous programs to help people meet subsistence needs. In 2004, we undertook a study of food-provisioning efforts in Toronto, documenting 490 programs serving as many as 128,000 meals and snacks per week to homeless and housed individuals. Many programs struggled to manage demand. Program operators maintained that they were feeding people who otherwise would not eat, yet the assistance provided was limited, intermittent, and uncoordinated. The needs that underlie demands for food assistance reflect serious flaws in our current system of income assistance.

BACKGROUND: Levels of child malnutrition and hunger across the world have decreased substantially over the past century, and this has had an important role in reducing mortality and improving health. However, progress has stalled. We examined whether family policies (eg, cash transfers from governments that aim to support households with children) are associated with reduced food insecurity. METHODS: In this observational analysis, we used a dataset of individual-level data that captured experience-based measures of food insecurity and sociodemographic characteristics collected by the Gallup World Poll in 142 countries for 2014–17. We then combined this dataset with indicators of the type and generosity of family policies in these countries, taken from the University of California, Los Angeles' World Policy Analysis Center. We used multilevel regression models to examine the association between the presence of family policies for households with children and the probability of reporting moderate or severe food insecurity or severe food insecurity (moderate or severe food insecurity was defined as a "yes" response to at least four of eight questions on the Gallup Food Insecurity Experience Scale, and severe food insecurity was defined as a "yes" response to at least seven questions). We controlled for multiple covariates, including individual-level measures of social position and country-level measures, such as gross domestic product. We further examined whether this association varied by household income level. FINDINGS: Using data from 503 713 households, we found that, on average, moderate or severe food insecurity is 4·09 percentage points (95% CI 3·50–4·68) higher in households with at least one child younger than 15 years than in households with no children and severe food insecurity is 2·20 percentage points (1·76–2·63) higher. However, the additional risk of food insecurity among households with children is lower in countries that provide financial support (either means-tested or universal) for families ...

Background: Levels of child malnutrition and hunger across the world have decreased substantially over the past century, and this has had an important role in reducing mortality and improving health. However, progress has stalled. We examined whether family policies (eg, cash transfers from governments that aim to support households with children) are associated with reduced food insecurity. Methods: In this observational analysis, we used a dataset of individual-level data that captured experience-based measures of food insecurity and sociodemographic characteristics collected by the Gallup World Poll in 142 countries for 2014–17. We then combined this dataset with indicators of the type and generosity of family policies in these countries, taken from the University of California, Los Angeles' World Policy Analysis Center. We used multilevel regression models to examine the association between the presence of family policies for households with children and the probability of reporting moderate or severe food insecurity or severe food insecurity (moderate or severe food insecurity was defined as a "yes" response to at least four of eight questions on the Gallup Food Insecurity Experience Scale, and severe food insecurity was defined as a "yes" response to at least seven questions). We controlled for multiple covariates, including individual-level measures of social position and country-level measures, such as gross domestic product. We further examined whether this association varied by household income level. Findings: Using data from 503 713 households, we found that, on average, moderate or severe food insecurity is 4·09 percentage points (95% CI 3·50–4·68) higher in households with at least one child younger than 15 years than in households with no children and severe food insecurity is 2·20 percentage points (1·76–2·63) higher. However, the additional risk of food insecurity among households with children is lower in countries that provide financial support (either means-tested or universal) for families than for countries with little or no financial assistance. These policies not only reduce food insecurity on average, but they also reduce inequalities in food insecurity by benefiting the poorest households most. Interpretation: In some countries, family policies have been cut back in the past decade and such retrenchment might expose low-income households to increased risk of food insecurity. By increasing investment in family policies, progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 2, zero hunger, might be accelerated and, in turn, improve health for all. Funding: Wellcome Trust.

From 2007 to 2011, the prevalence of household food insecurity in Newfoundland and Labrador fell from 15.7 to 10.6 percent. Using data from the Canadian Community Health Survey, we undertook exploratory analyses to identify potential drivers of this unprecedented decline. We found that the decrease could in part be attributed to shifts in household income, but it also reflected a dramatic decline in food insecurity among social assistance recipients. While food insecurity rose in the province overall in 2012, it continued to decline among households receiving social assistance, possibly reflecting the cumulative impact of changes introduced through the province's poverty reduction strategy.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence and severity of household food insecurity and examine household material circumstances related to food insecurity in a sample of renter households in government-subsidized housing. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from the 2010 Survey of Household Spending were used to determine the food insecurity status of 455 renter households living in the 10 provinces and receiving a government housing subsidy. Multivariable logistic regressions were conducted to examine the relationship between household characteristics describing material circumstances and food insecurity. RESULTS: One in two households was food insecure. Marginal, moderate and severe food insecurity affected 9.0%, 23.3% and 18.5% of households respectively. Household economic resources, as captured with after-tax income, after-rent income, or total expenditure, had an independent, inverse relationship with food insecurity. Among the other characteristics examined, more adults or children in the household, presence of a member with disability, and receipt of social assistance increased the odds of food insecurity, but receipt of social assistance lost statistical significance when controlling for total expenditure. Presence of a senior in the household was independently associated with lower odds of food insecurity. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that more effective income-based interventions are needed to address food insecurity among low-income households receiving government housing subsidies. A better integration of housing and income-based policies is necessary to support household food security among government-subsidized renter households.

Background : Eradicating food insecurity is necessary for achieving global health goals. Liberal trade policies might increase food supplies but how these policies influence individual-level food insecurity remains uncertain. We aimed to assess the association between liberal trade policies and food insecurity at the individual level, and whether this association varies across country-income and household-income groups. Methods : For this observational analysis, we combined individual-level data from the Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN with a country-level trade policy index from the Konjunkturforschungsstelle Swiss Economic Institute. We examined the association between a country's trade policy score and the probability of individuals reporting moderate-severe or severe food insecurity using regression models and algorithmic weighting procedures. We controlled for multiple covariates, including gross domestic product, democratisation level, and population size. Additionally, we examined heterogeneity by country and household income. Results : Our sample comprised 460 102 individuals in 132 countries for the period of 2014–17. Liberal trade policy was not significantly associated with moderate-severe or severe food insecurity after covariate adjustment. However, among households in high-income countries with incomes higher than US$25 430 per person per year (adjusted for purchasing power parity), a unit increase in the trade policy index (more liberal) corresponded to a 0·07% (95% CI −0·10 to −0·04) reduction in the predicted probability of reporting moderate-severe food insecurity. Among households in the lowest income decile (<$450 per person per year) in low-income countries, a unit increase in the trade policy index was associated with a 0·35% (0·06 to 0·60) increase in the predicted probability of reporting moderate-severe food insecurity. Interpretation : The relationship between liberal trade policy and food insecurity varied across countries and households. Liberal trade policy was predominantly associated with lower food insecurity in high-income countries but corresponded to increased food insecurity among the world's poorest households in low-income countries. Funding: Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Economic and Social Research Council.

Background: Eradicating food insecurity is necessary for achieving global health goals. Liberal trade policies might increase food supplies but how these policies influence individual-level food insecurity remains uncertain. We aimed to assess the association between liberal trade policies and food insecurity at the individual level, and whether this association varies across country-income and household-income groups. Methods: For this observational analysis, we combined individual-level data from the Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN with a country-level trade policy index from the Konjunkturforschungsstelle Swiss Economic Institute. We examined the association between a country's trade policy score and the probability of individuals reporting moderate-severe or severe food insecurity using regression models and algorithmic weighting procedures. We controlled for multiple covariates, including gross domestic product, democratisation level, and population size. Additionally, we examined heterogeneity by country and household income. Results: Our sample comprised 460 102 individuals in 132 countries for the period of 2014–17. Liberal trade policy was not significantly associated with moderate-severe or severe food insecurity after covariate adjustment. However, among households in high-income countries with incomes higher than US$25 430 per person per year (adjusted for purchasing power parity), a unit increase in the trade policy index (more liberal) corresponded to a 0·07% (95% CI −0·10 to −0·04) reduction in the predicted probability of reporting moderate-severe food insecurity. Among households in the lowest income decile (<$450 per person per year) in low-income countries, a unit increase in the trade policy index was associated with a 0·35% (0·06 to 0·60) increase in the predicted probability of reporting moderate-severe food insecurity. Interpretation: The relationship between liberal trade policy and food insecurity varied across countries and households. Liberal trade policy was predominantly associated with lower food insecurity in high-income countries but corresponded to increased food insecurity among the world's poorest households in low-income countries. Funding: Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Economic and Social Research Council.

Using data from five cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey spanning 2005 to 2014, we assessed changes in household food insecurity in Ontario after the 2007 introduction of the Ontario Child Benefit and the 2008 implementation of the province's poverty reduction strategy. Although the provincial prevalence of food insecurity remained relatively stable, food insecurity declined significantly among families who received the Ontario Child Benefit in 2009–2010 and 2011–2012 compared with 2005. Our findings suggest that household food insecurity can be reduced by modest income supplements, but more deliberate intervention is required to have a substantial, sustained impact on food insecurity.

Objective: In 1998, the Canadian government mandated folic acid fortification of white flour and enriched grain products to lower the prevalence of neural tube defects. There is now growing concern over the potential harmful effects of too much folic acid on some segments of the population. Given that the actual amount of folate in Canadian foods is unknown, the objective of this study was to measure the folate content in selected fortified foods. Methods: Using data from the 2001 Food Expenditure Survey and the ACNielsen Company, 95 of the most commonly purchased folic acid-fortified foods in Canada were identified. Folate concentrations in these foods were determined using tri-enzyme digestion followed by microbiological assay. Analyzed values were compared to those in the Canadian Nutrient File (2007b, CNF) and to label values. Results: The analyzed folate content of foods was, on average, 151% ± 63 of the CNF values. Analyzed values as a percent of CNF values ranged from 116% in the "rolls and buns" category to 188% in "ready-to-eat cereals". Analyzed values were higher than label values for "breads", "rolls and buns" and "ready-to-eat cereals" (141%, 118% and 237%, respectively [p<0.05]). Conclusions: Ten years after folic acid fortification of the food supply, neither the CNF nor label values accurately reflect actual amounts of folate in foods. Further, overage differences by food category hinder the development of future strategies designed to strike the right balance between health benefits and risks; monitoring of fortified foods for their nutrient content is required.