The assessment of food security in homeless individuals: a comparison of the Food Security Survey Module and the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale

Abstract

Objective: To compare the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), the US Food Security Survey Module (US FSSM) and a modified version of the US FSSM in which references to buying food were changed to references to getting food, in terms of their classification of food security levels among homeless individuals, and to determine which of these instruments was most preferred by homeless individuals. Design: A cross-sectional survey. Setting: Recruitment of participants took place at seven shelters and from three drop-in programmes that serve homeless individuals in Toronto, Canada. Subjects: Fifty individuals who were $18 years of age, able to communicate in English and currently homeless. Results: The modified US FSSM assigned 20 % of participants to a lower ordinal food security category compared with the US FSSM, and only 8 % to a higher food security category. The HFIAS assigned 30 % of participants to a lower food security category compared with either the US FSSM or the modified US FSSM, and only 10-16 % of participants to a higher food security category. When asked to compare all three instruments, the majority of respondents (62 %) selected the HFIAS as the best instrument for people who are homeless. Conclusions: A majority of homeless individuals selected the HFIAS as the best food security instrument for people who are homeless. Our findings suggest that the HFIAS is a more appropriate instrument than the US FSSM for measuring food security in the homeless population.

Household food insecurity in the Islamic Republic of Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…The relevance of each of these instruments for use in the Islamic Republic of Iran has not yet been investigated. However, other studies indicate that the choice of instrument for a particular population group may be important (56). This study had some limitations.…”

Food insecurity among women of reproductive age in Nepal: prevalence and correlates

“…When launching the scale in developing countries, a one-year recall accounts for the harvests of various crops. Multiple studies in developed and developing countries have validated the HFIAS [45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52]. In the current study, the HFIAS assesses the household head's experience of food insecurity in the twelve months before the survey interview.…”

Prevalence and covariates of food insecurity among residents of single-room occupancy housing in Chicago, IL, USA

“…Research conducted in Canada indicates that the HFIAS is an appropriate measure of food insecurity among North American homeless populations, as this measure was preferred by homeless respondents to other instruments (36) . Scores on the HFIAS range from 0 to 27, depending on the frequency (never, rarely, sometimes or often) with which the respondent answers questions such as 'Did you have to eat fewer meals in a day because there was not enough food?…”