Food Insecurity: A Nutritional Outcome or a Predictor Variable?

Abstract

The phenomenon loosely labeled hunger in the 1980s is now being discussed as food security or insecurity. Food security is defined as access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life, and at a minimum includes the following: 1) the ready availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods and 2) the assured ability to acquire personally acceptable foods in a socially acceptable way. Food insecurity exists whenever food security is limited or uncertain. The measurement of food insecurity at the household or individual level involves the measurement of those quantitative, qualitative, psychological and social or normative constructs that are central to the experience of food insecurity, qualified by their involuntariness and periodicity. Risk factors for food insecurity include any factors that affect household resources and the proportion of those resources available for food acquisition. Potential consequences of food insecurity include hunger, malnutrition and (either directly or indirectly) negative effects on health and quality of life. The precise relationships between food insecurity and its risk factors and potential consequences need much more research now that there is an emerging consensus on the definition and measurement of food insecurity. Indicators of food security or insecurity are proposed as a necessary component of the core measures of the nutritional state of individuals, communities or nations.

The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Factors and Food Security in Pregnant Women

“…Food insecurity and hunger do not only affect physical health but also might have adverse social and psychological effects. Thus, provision of food security for the society is a major objective of socioeconomic development programs, and food insecurity is rooted in all political, economic, social, and geographical domains (8). Generally, macroeconomic and social policies influence price changes, income, occupation, and services.…”

Food insecurity is associated with dietary intake and body size of Korean children from low-income families in urban areas

“…Food insecurity is a complex, multidimensional phenomenon and varies through a continuum of successive stages as the condition becomes more severe (Bickel et al, 2000;Studdert et al, 2001). Food insecurity was proposed as a core variable for understanding the nutritional status of low-income populations (Campbell, 1991). In a set of studies, perceived adequacy of household food situations was linked with children's dietary intakes, weight status, and academic and psychosocial outcomes Alaimo et al, 2001;Kaiser et al, 2002;Matheson et al, 2002).…”

Factors related to household food insecurity in the Republic of Korea

“…In particular, limited food accessibility, which is known to be affected by physical, social and economic resources, has been a major concern among members of modern society (14)(15)(16)(17)(18) . Many studies have examined the association between food insecurity and factors related to food acquisition, including social and demographic characteristics and financial resources (3,(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24) . The effects of these factors on food insecurity have been varied across a number of countries, regions and specific populations (10,21,23,(25)(26)(27)(28)(29) .…”