Vulnerability to Food Insecurity among Older People: The Role of Social Capital

Food insecurity is a public health issue in Western countries, including the UK. Being food-insecure means older adults may not access sufficient nutritious, safe, and socially acceptable food, leading to a higher risk of malnutrition. We conducted a qualitative study of 25 households with men and women aged 60-95 years to investigate how older adults access food and to explore social capital, which might contribute to food security or prevent malnutrition. We conducted participant-led kitchen tours, interviews, photo, and video elicitation across multiple household visits. In addition, we brought stakeholders together from a range of sectors in a workshop to explore how they might respond to our empirical findings, through playing a serious game based on scenarios drawn from our data. This was a successful way to engage a diverse audience to identify possible solutions to threats to food security in later life. Analysis of the data showed that older people's physical and mental health status and the local food environment often had a negative impact on food security. Older people leveraged social capital through reciprocal bonding and bridging social networks which supported the maintenance of food security. Data were collected before COVID-19, but the pandemic amplifies the utility of our study findings. Many social elements associated with food practices as well as how people shop have changed because of COVID-19 and other global and national events, including a cost-of-living crisis. To prevent ongoing adverse impacts on food security, focus and funding should be directed to re-establishment of social opportunities and rebuilding bridging social capital.

Digital Forms of Commensality in the 21st Century: A Scoping Review.

The social act of eating together has been influenced and mediated by technologies in recent decades. This phenomenon has been investigated in different academic fields, but the topic is still in an incipient dimension, and there is a lack of consensus regarding terminology and definitions. The study aimed to characterize the main scientific findings regarding digital forms of commensality in the 21st century and to identify possible relationships between these practices and public health. A scoping review was conducted to identify papers published in different languages between 2001 and 2021. A total of 104 publications that combined commensality and technology in all contexts were included. Most studies were qualitative; from the Design and Technology field; used social media and video platforms or prototypes/augmented reality gadgets; and used different terms to refer to digital forms of commensality, allowing the analysis of the construction of field definitions over time. The intersections with health were observed from impacts on family/community engagement, culinary skills development, and mental health and eating habits. These practices also structured specific social interactions, such as virtual food communities and commensality, during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper indicates the consistent growth of these practices and recommends the development of future research for theoretically and longitudinally deeper evaluations of the impacts of these new ways of eating together, especially regarding their effects on human health.

Meals on wheels services and the food security of older people.

In recent years, Meals on Wheels (MoW) services have been in a state of decline as austerity policies have become entrenched. However, this decline is occurring with little knowledge of the impact withdrawal of MoW services has on the health and well-being of those who use them. The pandemic has raised awareness of precarity and vulnerability in relation to food that affects many people in the UK and other Westernised countries and this provides further context for the analysis presented. This paper presents findings of a mixed methods ethnographic study drawing on qualitative interviews and visual methods underpinned by social practice theory to explore the household food practices of older people receiving MoW services. Interviews were conducted with 14 older people receiving MoW, eight MoW staff delivering MoW services in the east of England and one expert. The Covid-19 pandemic interrupted the study, and once the first lockdown began visits to the homes of older people were terminated and the remaining interviews were undertaken by telephone. The study found that a number of threats accumulated to change food practices and moved people towards vulnerability to food insecurity. Threats included difficulty accessing food and cooking due to sensory and physical challenges. The MoW service increased participants' coping capacity. As well as benefiting from the food provided, the relational aspect of the service was important. Brief encounters between MoW staff built caring relationships that developed over time to ensure older people felt valued and cared for. The study demonstrates how MoW services make a positive contribution to food practices, supporting vulnerable adults to continue living well in their own homes and protecting them from food insecurity and ill-being. Local authorities looking to make cost savings through ending MoW services should consider the impact this would have on the well-being of older residents.

The role of technology use in food practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the last three years, COVID-19, with its lockdowns, social restrictions, and work from home structures, had a significant influence on our daily lives. The resulting changes in technology practices are likely to be explored in the years ahead. We will contribute to this exploration by looking specifically at the impact of COVID-19 on everyday food practices and the role of involved technology. To explore food practices and technology use, we conducted a qualitative interview study with 16 interviewees and delved into the underlying influencing factors behind them. Thereby we can better understand potential behavioral changes and technology usage by people to design not only for future pandemics and exceptional situations but to also for non-pandemic times.

No social distancing from food: How the COVID-19 pandemic shaped student food-related activities in the Western Balkans.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced food preparation and consumption habits, as well as food wastage. The pandemic also affected the lives of university students worldwide; their learning and living environments changed, influencing their eating habits. AIM: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on students' food-related activities in four countries in the Western Balkans: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Montenegro. METHODS: The research draws upon an online survey gathered through the SurveyMonkey platform in four Balkan countries-viz. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Montenegro-and used a structured questionnaire. The information was collected during the second wave of COVID-19 in October-November 2020. A total of 1658 valid responses were received. Descriptive statistics and nonparametric tests were used to analyze the survey findings. RESULTS: The research results suggest that the pandemic influenced students' food purchase habits, diets, and food-related behaviors and practices such as food preparation, cooking, and food waste management at the household level. In particular, students have been eating healthier and shopping less frequently during the pandemic. Meanwhile, the pandemic improved their attitude toward food wastage. CONCLUSION: This study is the first to examine how students in the Balkan region perceive the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their eating habits, laying the groundwork for future studies into the disease's consequences. This and other studies will assist in preparing students and education institutions for future calamities and pandemics. The findings will also help develop evidence-based postpandemic recovery options targeting youth and students in the Western Balkans.

Urban daily lives and out-of-home food consumption among the urban poor in Nigeria: A practice-based approach

Understanding the interaction between urban daily lives and patterns of food consumption in the Global South is important for informing health and sustainability transitions. In recent years, the lives of poor urban dwellers have undergone significant transformations which have been associated with shifts in patterns of daily food consumption from household-based towards primarily out-of-home. However, as of yet, little research has explored how changing everyday contexts of consumers' lives interrelate with their food vending-consumption practices. This study seeks to understand the interrelations between everyday urban lives and out-of-home food consumption practices among the urban poor in Ibadan, Nigeria. A situated social practice approach is employed to understand how everyday contexts shape practices of out-of-home food vending consumption. Multiple methods were employed, including GIS mapping of food vending outlets, quantitative consumer surveys, in-depth consumer interviews, and participant observation. The study provides an overview of food vending-consumption practices in terms of the socio-demographic situation of consumers and the embeddedness of food vending in the practice arrangements making up their daily lives. The findings reveal three key daily life practices that interlock with their ready-to-eat foods consumption practices: daily mobility practices, working arrangements, and domestic engagements These three categories of daily urban practices that have undergone rapid transformation in line with socio-economic change and urbanisation and emerged as particularly important in shaping out-of-home food consumption. The paper concludes by considering the importance of understanding the embeddedness of food vending practices in the daily lives of the urban poor for sustainable food systems transitions in the Global South.

Pakistani migrant workers’ social practices to deal with food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

This qualitative research investigates the impact of the lockdowns (which started in March 2020) and other factors on Pakistani migrant workers’ food access and consumption practices in Kuala Lumpur. It also explores how they managed food supply. The article drives data from 14 in-depth informal interviews conducted through WhatsApp messenger and face to face. The qualitative interviews were categorized into themes and were analyzed. It used the concepts of social practices and the more proximate structural layers to assert that marginalized groups used their rationale and choices to access food and survived in intense social pressure or returned to their home country. The migrant workers’ narratives revealed that they did not have work for around seven months;thus, they had no wages. However, as a rule, many of the migrant workers’ one month's wages were still not paid by their employers, which the workers were received through weekly installments for food during the lockdowns. As a result, most of the workers’ wages and savings were exhausted. Thus, they started seeking help for food from their community groups, friends, and the local Malaysians in their neighborhood and other cities. Most workers complained that once their wages were exhausted, they did not receive support from their employers. Thus, the workers had abandoned beverages and sweets dishes;and rarely cooked fish and beef. However, almost all respondents in this research had received food support from their community members. The study found that android mobile phones, cheap internet, social media, and close networking enabled the migrant workers to navigate financial and food supply during the pandemic. The study concludes that during a health crisis like the pandemic and consequent strict measures by the governments, the food security of the migrant workers (the vulnerable groups) at the grassroots level could easily be ensured with the community's help, networking, and cheap mobile technology.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Young Australian Adults' Food Practices.

Background: Young Australian adults exhibit poor food behaviors. These include increased consumption of Energy-Dense, Nutrient-Poor (EDNP) foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, and low consumption of fruit and vegetables. However, little is known about how the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected young Australian adults' pre-existing adverse food behaviors. Objectives: The present study aimed to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food practices by exploring views of young adults living in Australia. Methods: Through qualitative descriptive methods, data gathered through individual interviews were thematically analyzed. Participants included 38 young adults aged 18-30 y with a mean age of 24.1 y (76% female). Results: Five themes emerged: 1) disruption of routines, 2) increased flexibility, 3) changes in food practices, 4) heightened psychological distress, and 5) impact on future behaviors. Disruption of routines and increased flexibility associated with working/learning from home resulted in both positive and negative changes in food practices. Negative changes included increased consumption of EDNP foods, increased consumption of foods prepared outside of home, decreased purchases and consumption of fresh foods, meal skipping, and a lack of meal planning. Positive changes included an increase in home cooking; consistent weekly eating patterns; decreased consumption of EDNP foods; smaller, more frequent meals; and decreased consumption of foods prepared outside of home. Conclusions: Young Australian adults reported more negative and fewer positive changes in food practices. The observed negative changes in food practices are likely to have accentuated young Australian adults' previously known poor food behaviors. This study adds to the international literature by reporting ways that young adults implemented positive changes during the pandemic and future directions of their food practices.

Changes in Consumers' Food Practices during the COVID-19 Lockdown, Implications for Diet Quality and the Food System: A Cross-Continental Comparison.

COVID-19 has led to dramatic societal changes. Differing movement restrictions across countries have affected changes in consumers' food practices, with a potentially detrimental impact on their health and food systems. To investigate this, this research explored changes in consumers' food practices during the initial COVID-19 phase and assessed the impact of location on these changes. A sample of 2360 adults from three continents (Island of Ireland (IOI), Great Britain (GB), United States (USA), and New Zealand (NZ)) were recruited for a cross-sectional online survey (May-June 2020). Participants completed questions in relation to their cooking and food practices, diet quality, and COVID-19 food-related practices. Significant changes in consumers' food practices during the pandemic were seen within and between regions, with fewer cooking practices changes found in the USA. Food practices, which may put added pressure on the food system, such as bulk buying, were seen across all regions. To prevent this, organisational food practices, including planning ahead, should be emphasized. Additionally, while positive cooking-related practices and increases in fruit and vegetable intake were found, an increase in saturated fat intake was also seen. With the additional pressure on individuals' physical and mental health, the essentiality of maintaining a balanced diet should be promoted.