Intersection of food insecurity and moral experiences of those involved in paediatric healthcare: A scoping review of child, caregiver and healthcare provider perspectives

Abstract

Food insecurity is a significant social and health issue for children in high-income countries and contributes to sub-optimal child outcomes. This scoping review examines how food insecurity intersects with the moral experiences of those involved in providing and receiving paediatric health care. Multiple databases were searched using a priori inclusion criteria, papers were screened by multiple reviewers. Searches yielded nine papers. Descriptive data was summarised and qualitative results extracted from included papers were analysed using inductive and deductive thematic analysis. Four main themes emerged: Food insecurity threatens caregiver and healthcare provider identity; is food insecurity the business of health? is screening for food insecurity surveillance or facilitating assistance? and the lived experience of navigating the tension of managing food insecurity and a child’s health condition. The moral experiences lens has magnified the countless everyday encounters in which values and beliefs about what is ‘right’ or ‘just’ can be realised or thwarted in the context of the intersection between healthcare and food insecurity. Review findings have implications relating to the inclusion of children’s voices in healthcare settings, healthcare practice and policy design, and the development and use of FI screening tools.