Private transfers, public transfers, and food insecurity during the time of COVID-19: Evidence from Bangladesh

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, interest has grown in what kinds of assistance protect household food security during shocks. We study rural and urban Bangladesh from 2018 to 2019 to late 2021, assessing how pre-pandemic access to social safety net programs and private remittances relate to household food insecurity during the pandemic. Using longitudinal data and estimating differences-in-differences models with household fixed effects, we find that pre-pandemic access to social protection is associated with significant reductions in food insecurity in all rounds collected during the pandemic, particularly in our urban sample. However, pre-pandemic access to remittances shows no similar protective effect.

Children's engagement in self-learning modules (SLMs) amid the pandemic: a predictive analysis on the role of internet access, household food security, and parental involvement to modular classes

This study examines essential factors that affect children' quality of response towards a non-traditional learning platform specifically, self-learning modules (SLMs) as Philippine public school's mode of service-learning delivery. Our objective is to determine the predictive power of access to internet, household food security, and parental involvement on the level of students' engagement in these modular classes amid the health crisis. Drawing online responses from parents of public-school students (n=359), our regression analysis confirms the viability of our model F(3,355) = 19.2, p<.001. While we found that food security and parental involvement are predictors of students' satisfactory engagement in their SLMs, internet access is not. Therefore, our model suggests that children with parents who take time to be involved in their studies and who reside in households with enough food are more likely to engage positively in their modular classes, whether or not the household has access to the internet.

Prevalence and Severity of Food Insecurity Before and During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic Among Adults and Youth in Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

BACKGROUND: Disruptions from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic potentially exacerbated food insecurity among adults and youth. OBJECTIVES: The objective was to examine changes in the prevalence and severity of food insecurity among adults and youth from before (2019) to during (2020) the pandemic in multiple countries. METHODS: Repeated cross-sectional data were collected among adults aged 18-100 y (n = 63,278) in 5 countries in November to December in 2018-2020 and among youth aged 10-17 y (n = 23,107) in 6 countries in November to December in 2019 and 2020. Food insecurity in the past year was captured using the Household Food Security Survey Module and the Child Food Insecurity Experiences Scale. Changes in the prevalence and severity of food insecurity were examined using logistic and generalized logit regression models, respectively. Models included age, gender, racial-ethnic identity, and other sociodemographic characteristics associated with food insecurity to adjust for possible sample differences across waves. Models were weighted to reflect each country's population. RESULTS: Adults [adjusted OR (AOR): 1.15; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.31] and youth (AOR: 1.43; 95% CI: 1.19, 1.71) in Mexico were more likely to live in food-insecure households in 2020 compared to 2019. Adults in Australia (AOR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.72, 0.92) and Canada (AOR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.77, 0.99) were less likely to live in food-insecure households in 2020. Trends in severity aligned with changes in prevalence, with some exceptions. Youth in Australia (AOR: 2.24; 95% CI: 1.65, 3.02) and the United States (AOR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.86) were more likely to have many compared with no experiences of food insecurity in 2020 compared to 2019. There was no evidence of change among adults and youth in the remaining countries. CONCLUSIONS: Except for Mexico, few changes in food insecurity among adults and youth were observed from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic. Action is needed to support households at risk of food insecurity.

HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY, DIETARY PATTERNS AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF YOUNG CHILDREN IN A NIGERIAN COMMUNITY: SITUATION OF POST-COVID-19 LOCKDOWN

The emergence of the novel Coronavirus in late 2019 led to disruptions in the food, economic and health systems. There are projections that the pandemic will worsen hunger and malnutrition in families with young children and women of reproductive age in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Therefore, this study investigated household food security status, dietary patterns and nutritional status of children in a Nigerian community during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total sample of 200 mother-child pairs was selected from a Nigerian community using a multistage sampling technique. A semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire, which had four sections, was used for data collection. A food security survey questionnaire was used to assess household food security, and a food frequency questionnaire was used to capture child food patterns. Dietary diversity was assessed using 24-hour dietary recall, and nutritional status was measured using anthropometric parameters. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The level of significance was set at p<0.05. Almost half (48.5%) of the mothers were aged between 24 and 35 years, with a mean age of 31.63 +6.3 years. The majority of the children (69%) were between 24 and 60 months-old, with a mean age of 29.80 +15.48 months. Most participants (73.7%) were food insecure. Cereals, roots and tubers (79.5%), and sugar and junk (61.4 %) were the most frequently consumed food groups by children, while dairy products (15.8 %), vegetables (18.1%), and fruits (19.3 %) were the least frequently consumed. The majority had a low dietary diversity score (61.4%), and the prevalence of stunting, wasting and underweight was 41.3%, 27.2% and 3.3%, respectively. There was a statistically significant (p=0.013) relationship between maternal age and child dietary diversity. This study reveals that most households with mothers and children 6-59 months-old were food insecure. More than half of the children had low dietary diversity, and the consequences of poor diet quality are becoming evident as wasting and stunting are high. Therefore, an urgent public health intervention is needed to improve food security in vulnerable households. [ FROM AUTHOR]

Household Food Security as a Complex System—Contributions to the Social Sciences from the Cuban Perspective during a Pandemic

The food crisis caused by the rise in grocery prices affects many countries. Added to this complex panorama is the current health situation generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Its impact on the productive sector will be detrimental to many household incomes and food practices. The social sciences need to adopt a complex understanding of household food security (HFS) as a dynamic process of building collective nutritional knowledge and eating habits. In the case of Cuba, the burden on the agrifood system is the result of external and internal factors that affect household food sustainability. This paper, therefore, seeks to assess the social construction of HFS as a complex system in the current pandemic scenario using the municipality of Santiago de Cuba as a case study. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used. The main results obtained focus on the role played by women in food use and distribution, and the effect of food vulnerability on HFS. These results provide an analytical model for the study of the new and diverse household-food-security configurations that are emerging.

Impact of lockdown due to COVID-19 on nutrition and food security of the selected low-income households in Bangladesh.

This study aims to explore the impact of COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on household food security and the nutritional status of the children and identify the risk factors associated with it. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 220 households having at least one under 5 children of Narayanganj district in Bangladesh. Household food insecurity, coping strategies and nutritional status of children were the main outcome variables. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the significant determinants. A total of 93.2 % of households were food insecure, with 32.3% experiencing mild, 18.6% facing moderate, and 42.3% undergoing severe food insecurity. Forty seven percent households used high coping strategies and 93.2% of households consumed less expensive/preferable food as the common coping technique. Logistic regression analysis showed the variables significantly associated with moderate to severe food insecurity were low household income before COVID-19 (AOR = 46.07, CI: 13.68-155.10), more reduction of family income (AOR = 32.47, 95% CI: 9.29-113.41), maternal occupation as housewife (AOR = 7.73, CI: 2.59-23.07), losses of job (AOR = 4.28, CI: 1.31-13.98) and higher family members (AOR = 3.39, CI: 1.07-10.71). The prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting in children under 5 years of age were 29.0%, 23.4% and 15.6%, respectively. Significantly the independent predictors of stunting were maternal occupation, education, age, household head occupation, child age, and the coping strategy score. Household dietary diversity score was an important independent predictor of underweight and wasting. In conclusion, social safety net initiatives for vulnerable households along with maternal education and employment should be strengthened to reduce hunger and malnutrition.

Household Characteristics, Consumption Pattern And Household Food Security Before And During Covid-19 In Banten Province

Households that are accustomed to food insecurity will find a more difficult situation at this time, exacerbated by Covid-19 as fewer resources to comply with social distancing recommendations. Food insecure individuals may also be less flexible in their jobs to enable them to earn income while staying at home, or may be at higher risk of losing their jobs altogether, thereby reducing (or eliminating) their incomes. Design of this study is a crosssectional study using purposive sampling, where 218 households were obtained as respondents. These factors can put food insecure households at a higher risk of contracting Covid-19 and greater food insecurity due to the economic effects of Covid-19 mitigation efforts. The characteristics of the head of the family in this study as a whole were between the ages of 26-35 years with a high school education level, working as private employees with an income level of more than regional wages.The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of the family, consumption patterns and food security before and during Covid-19 occurred in the province of Banten. The results showed that there were differences in family consumption patterns before and during Covid-19 with values (p=0.001) and there were differences in the average score of family food security before and during Covid-19 with values (p=0.001). The covid-19 pandemic conditions affect the consumption pattern and food security of the family, therefore it is necessary to modify various diets so that the family can survive. © 2021, Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine. All rights reserved

Factors Correlated with Home Gardening in Gauteng Province, South Africa.

BACKGROUND: In addition to increasing access to fresh and affordable produce, home gardening enhances food security. This notwithstanding, there is no evidence of studies that have investigated factors correlated with home gardening in Gauteng Province (GP), South Africa. The present study investigated home gardening across the GP. METHODS: Retrospective data of residents of GP (n = 30002) collected by the Gauteng City Region Observatory were used. A binary logistic regression was employed to determine factors correlated with home gardening. RESULTS: Overall participation in home gardening was low (12.37%). If a respondent was a resident of the poorest areas, resided in a house received under the Rural Development Programme, had a borehole/well as the main source of water, belonged to a social club, received a social grant, was >65 years, and rated his/her health as poor, then they were more likely to participate in home gardening. Factors that were negatively correlated with home gardening included if the respondent rented from private individuals and if the respondent's health status prevented him/her from doing daily work. CONCLUSION: The low participation levels in home gardening observed suggest the failure of the current policies geared at fostering home gardening in the province. Policy makers and relevant authorities should target identified groups to improve participation in home gardening.

Determinants of household food security and dietary diversity during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh.

OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to determine the associated factors of household food security (HFS) and household dietary diversity (HDD) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. DESIGN: Both online survey and face-to-face interviews were employed in this cross-sectional study. The Household Food Security Scale and Household Dietary Diversity Score were used to access HFS and HDD, respectively. The HDD scores were derived from a 24-h recall of food intake from 12 groups. SETTING: Bangladesh. PARTICIPANTS: A total sample of 1876 households were recruited. RESULTS: The overall mean scores of HFS and HDD were 31·86 (sd 2·52) and 6·22 (sd 5·49), respectively. Being a rural resident, having no formal education, occupation of household head other than government job and low monthly income were potential determinants of lower HFS and HDD. Approximately 45 % and 61 % of Bangladeshi households did not get the same quantity and same type of food, respectively, as they got before the pandemic. Over 10 % of respondents reported that they lost their job or had to close their businesses, and income reduction was reported by over 70 % of household income earners during the COVID-19 pandemic, which in turn was negatively associated with HFS and HDD. CONCLUSION: Household socio-economic variables and COVID-19 effects on occupation and income are potential predictors of lower HFS and HDD scores. HFS and HDD deserve more attention during this pandemic particularly with reference to low-earning households and the households whose earning persons' occupation has been negatively impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conceptualising COVID-19's impacts on household food security.

COVID-19 undermines food security both directly, by disrupting food systems, and indirectly, through the impacts of lockdowns on household incomes and physical access to food. COVID-19 and responses to the pandemic could undermine food production, processing and marketing, but the most concerning impacts are on the demand-side - economic and physical access to food. This paper identifies three complementary frameworks that can contribute to understanding these effects, which are expected to persist into the post-pandemic phase, after lockdowns are lifted. FAO's 'four pillars'- availability, access, stability and utilisation - and the 'food systems' approach both provide holistic frameworks for analysing food security. Sen's 'entitlement' approach is useful for disaggregating demand-side effects on household production-, labour-, trade- and transfer-based entitlements to food. Drawing on the strengths of each of these frameworks can enhance the understanding of the pandemic's impacts on food security, while also pinpointing areas for governments and other actors to intervene in the food system, to protect the food security of households left vulnerable by COVID-19 and public responses.