Food Insecurity Is Associated with Dietary Consumption during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2019–2020

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a pandemic and has affected people’s dietary behaviors, including food insecurity. This study aimed to ascertain whether COVID-19 may alter the prevalence of food insecurity, and if such food security status may be associated with dietary intake among Koreans. The general characteristics, dietary intake and food security status data in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VIII (2019~2020) were analyzed. The prevalence of food insecurity and food group and nutrient consumption by food security status were analyzed before (2019) and after the start of the pandemic (2020). Findings suggested 4.3% of Koreans experienced food insecurity during the first year of the pandemic, yet it did not differ from that in the year before the pandemic. Before COVID-19, there was no significant difference in food group or nutrition consumption by food security status. However, in 2020, the fruit and vitamin C intake of the food-insecure group was significantly lower than that of the food-secure group. Additionally, the food-insecure group’s ratio of subjects who did not meet the recommended level of fruits and the vitamin was higher compared to that of the secure group. In conclusion, COVID-19 did not affect food insecurity status, but did have a negative influence on dietary intake for food-insecure Koreans.

Food insecurity indicators of 14 OECD countries in a health economics aspect: A comparative analysis

“…Warr (9) stated that the GDP growth rate reduces food insecurity and that GDP per capita is even more effective in doing so. Beckman et al (10) found that in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, the 7.2% decrease in GDP per capita during the COVID-19 period caused a 27.8% increase in the number of people affected by food insecurity and a 9% decrease in the income of crop producers. Moreover, responses to crises also pose an additional threat to groups experiencing food insecurity.…”

“…Moreover, responses to crises also pose an additional threat to groups experiencing food insecurity. For example, in a study conducted in Korea comparing the food insecurity situation before the pandemic in 2019 and after the pandemic in 2020, the vitamin C intake and fruit consumption of individuals in insecure situations remained significantly lower compared to the changes observed in the group with secure food status ( 11 ).…”

Changes in food sufficiency among Korean adults in urban and rural areas during the COVID-19 pandemic: an analysis of the 7th and 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

“…However, a previous study comparing the dietary habits of individuals who were and were not experiencing food insufficiency found that the group facing food insufficiency exhibited greater nutritional imbalances (15). Thus, the pandemic may have exacerbated issues of food insufficiency and nutritional imbalances, particularly in socioeconomically disadvantaged groups.…”

Investigating the Association between Nutrient Intake and Food Insecurity among Children and Adolescents in Palestine Using Machine Learning Techniques

“…Similarly, extensive research has explored the association between nutrient-specific intake and food insecurity [ 4 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]. The findings show that a lack of variety in foods consumed, overconsumption of low-nutrient foods, and insufficient food intake all contribute to the prevalence of food insecurity in households [ 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Furthermore, the studies have found that significant gaps in specific nutrients are present among food-insecure children and adolescents [ 13 ].…”