Urban residents' self-rescue in response to public health emergencies in China: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: The abject uncertainty and unpredictability of public health emergencies have plagued various countries. Global health governance and international communities are facing long-term and arduous challenges. The self-rescue ability of individuals in a public emergency may be the most powerful trait to improve the survival rate outside the hospital. The study explores the cognitive ability and attitudes of urban residents in China towards self-rescue in response to public health emergencies. It provides appropriate evidence for improving the self-rescue ability of urban residents in China. METHODS: Sixteen urban residents were selected using the purposive sampling method for semi-structured interviews. Theme analysis was used to collate and analyse the interview data. RESULTS: Two themes and five sub-themes were analysed. The two themes included cognition and attitude of Chinese urban residents for self-rescue in an emergency. Urban residents believed that their knowledge and skills for self-rescue in an emergency were low. The ability for emergency self-rescue is affected by multiple factors, with relatively limited options for improvement. Nonetheless, the respondents expressed a desire to accept interventions under psychological crisis and a strong willingness to acquire knowledge and skills required for emergency self-rescue. CONCLUSION: This study investigated the perceptions and attitudes of Chinese urban residents towards emergency self-rescue. The results support enhanced ability of urban residents to respond to public health emergencies, thereby diminishing the negative outcomes. The findings suggest the need for strategies to address the factors affecting emergency self-rescue.

[Factors Associated With Coronary Heart Disease Among Adult Residents in Jinjiang District,Chengdu City].

Objective To analyze the prevalence of coronary heart disease among community residents over 18 years old in Jinjiang district of Chengdu city,Sichuan province,and explore its associated factors,so as to provide a reference for the prevention and control of coronary heart disease in communities.Methods From October 15 to November 10 in 2021,a total of 5220 adult residents from 33 communities in Jinjiang were selected by multi-stage stratified random sampling for face-to-face questionnaire survey,physical examination,and laboratory blood test.Binary Logistic regression was employed to predict the factors associated with coronary heart disease among adult residents in Jinjiang.Results The crude and standard prevalence rates of coronary heart disease among 5220 adult residents were 3.39% and 2.11%,respectively.Logistic regression analysis showed that age (OR=1.068,95%CI=1.051-1.086,P<0.001),depressive symptoms (OR=1.639,95%CI=1.037-2.591,P=0.034),regular exercise (OR=0.584,95%CI=0.378-0.902,P=0.015),elevated blood pressure (OR=3.529,95%CI=2.344-5.312,P<0.001),dyslipidemia (OR=2.152,95%CI=1.291-3.587,P=0.003),and core knowledge score of chronic diseases (OR=1.144,95%CI=1.066-1.228,P<0.001) were associated with coronary heart disease among adult residents in Jinjiang.Conclusions The prevalence of coronary heart disease is high among adult residents in Jinjiang district of Chengdu.The urban residents who are older,have depressive symptoms,lack of exercise,elevated blood pressure,dyslipidemia,and score higher on core knowledge of chronic diseases are prone to coronary heart disease.

[Evaluation of Changes in PM2.5 Exposure Concentration and Health Risk for Urban Resident in Zhengzhou Based on High Spatial Resolution Grids].

In recent years, complex air pollution with the characteristic pollutant of PM2.5 has remained serious in China. Long term exposure to PM2.5 might harm residential health and can increase premature death from specific diseases. The annual average concentration of PM2.5 in Zhengzhou was much higher than the national secondary standard, which has an extremely negative impact on the health of residents. Based on the high spatial resolution grids of population density established through web-crawling and outdoor monitoring concentrations and urban residential emissions used to evaluate PM2.5 exposure concentration, the exposure concentration of PM2.5 for urban residents of Zhengzhou was assessed, considering both indoor and outdoor exposures. Relevant health risks were quantified with the integrated exposure-response model. Finally, the contributions of various reducing measures and different standards of air quality to the decreases in PM2.5 exposure concentration were analyzed. The results showed that in 2017 and 2019, the time weighted exposure concentrations of PM2.5 for Zhengzhou's urban residents were 74.06 µg·m-3 and 60.64 µg·m-3, respectively, which was decreased by 18.12%. In addition, the mass fractions of the indoor exposure concentrations in the time weighted exposure concentrations were 83.58% and 83.01%, and its contribution to the drop of the time weighted exposure concentrations was 84.06%. In 2017 and 2019, the numbers of premature deaths attributed to PM2.5 exposures for urban residents of Zhengzhou over the age of 25 were 13285 and 10323, respectively, showing a 22.30% decrease. By using these comprehensive measures, PM2.5 exposure concentration for Zhengzhou's urban residents could be reduced by 86.23% at most, and 8902 premature deaths could be avoided.

Spatial distribution, impact factors, and potential health implications of trace elements in human hair from capital residents in China.

We analyzed the levels, spatial distribution, impact factors, source apportionment, and potential health implications of trace elements (V, Zn, Cu, Mn, Ni, Mo, and Co) in 1202 human hair samples of urban residents aged 4-55 from 29 cities in China. The median values of seven trace elements in hair were found in the following increasing order: Co (0.02 µg/g) < V (0.04 µg/g) < Mo (0.05 µg/g) < Ni (0.32 µg/g) < Mn (0.74 µg/g) < Cu (9.63 µg/g) < Zn (157 µg/g). The spatial distribution of these trace elements in the hair from the six geographical subdivisions varied depending on the exposure sources and impact factors. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that Cu, Zn, and Co in the hair samples of urban residents were primarily derived from food, whereas V, Ni, and Mn were attributed to industrial activities and food. Majority of the hair samples (up to 81%) from North China (NC) exceeded the recommended value for V content, whereas up to 59.2%, 51.3%, and 31.6% samples from Northeast China (NE) exceeded the recommended values for Co, Mn, and Ni contents, respectively. The levels of Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn were significantly higher in female hair than those in male hair, whereas the levels of Mo were higher in male than in female hair (p < 0.01). Furthermore, significantly higher Cu/Zn ratios were observed in the hair of male residents than those in the female residents (p < 0.001), indicating a higher health risk for male residents.

Factors affecting the health-related quality of life among urban adults in Hangzhou City / 预防医学

Objective@#To investigate the health-related quality of life and its influencing factors among urban adults in Hangzhou City, so as to provide the evidence for formulation and assessment of health policy. @*Methods@#A total of 1 800 permanent residents at ages of 18 to 64 years were sampled from Gongshu and Xihu districts, Hangzhou City using a stratified cluster random sampling method from May to August 2022. The health-related quality of life was measured with the EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L), and factors affecting health-related quality of life were identified with a Tobit regression model.@*Results@#A total of 1 624 valid questionnaires were recovered, with a response rate of 90.22%, and the respondents included 693 men (42.67%) and 931 women (57.33%). The proportions of difficulty in mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression were 1.23%, 0.43%, 0.74%, 11.15% and 8.56%, and the median (interquartile range) of health state utility value and EuroQol Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS) score were 1 (0) and 90 (15) points, respectively. Female (β=-0.050), age of 45 to 64 years (β=-0.067) and development of chronic disease (one chronic disease: β=-0.036; two and more chronic diseases: β=-0.090) were factor affecting of health state utility values, and age of 35 to 44 years (β=-1.945) and 45 to 64 years (β=-3.459), unemployment (β=-1.913), development of chronic disease (one chronic disease: β=-3.444; two and more chronic diseases: β=-8.529), high-level physical activity (β=2.355) and overweight/obesity (β=-1.456) were factors affecting the EQ-VAS score. @*Conclusions @#The overall health related quality of life is relatively good among urban adults in Hangzhou City. Gender, age, employment, physical activity, presence of chronic diseases and overweight/obesity may be associated with health-related quality of life among urban adults in Hangzhou City.

Analysis of screening results of urban cancer early diagnosis and treatment project in Taiyuan City in 2020 / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective:To analyze the screening results of urban cancer early diagnosis and early treatment project in Taiyuan City in 2020.Methods:Based on the method of cluster sampling, taking the urban community of Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province as the research site, all permanent residents aged 45-74 years (with local household registration and living in the local area for over 3 years) from January 2020 to December 2020 were selected. The cancer patients with confirmed diagnosis and those with severe medical and surgery diseases receiving treatment were excluded. The basic data and risk factors of the population were collected through questionnaires and the screening results were obtained from clinical screening in the project hospitals, and then the high risk rate of cancer, the detection rate of positive lesions, and the detection rate of suspected cases were calculated.Results:A total of 5 878 people participated in the screening of cancer early diagnosis and early treatment project. Among them, a total of 3 003 people (51.09%) were evaluated as a high-risk group of cancer. The sequence from low to high of positive detection rates of different cancers was listed as follow: liver cancer (3.87%, 21/542), upper gastrointestinal cancer (13.88%, 78/562), colorectal cancer (15.78%, 71/450), breast cancer (25.79%, 122/473), and lung cancer (54.92%, 536/976). Among them, the detection rate of positive lesions of lung cancer and liver cancer in males was higher than that in females, while the detection rate of positive lesions of the remaining cancer types in males was lower than that in females. The detection rates of suspected cases of various cancer types from low to high were listed as follow: liver cancer (0, 0/542), upper gastrointestinal cancer (0.55%, 3/562), lung cancer (0.71%, 7/976), breast cancer (2.75%, 13/473) and colorectal cancer (3.11%, 14/450). Among them, the detection rate of suspected cases of lung cancer in males was higher than that in females, and the detection rate of suspected cases of upper gastrointestinal cancer and colorectal cancer in males was lower than that in females.Conclusions:In the process of carrying out the project of early diagnosis and early treatment of cancer in Taiyuan in 2020, the public participation enthusiasm and compliance are good, but the detection rate of positive lesions and suspected cases are at a high level. The prevention and control of cancer cannot be ignored. Further publicity and education should be done, and more reasonable screening methods should be explored, so as to better improve the effect of cancer screening.

Factors Associated With Coronary Heart Disease Among Adult Residents in Jinjiang District,Chengdu City / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To analyze the prevalence of coronary heart disease among community residents over 18 years old in Jinjiang district of Chengdu city,Sichuan province,and explore its associated factors,so as to provide a reference for the prevention and control of coronary heart disease in communities.Methods From October 15 to November 10 in 2021,a total of 5220 adult residents from 33 communities in Jinjiang were selected by multi-stage stratified random sampling for face-to-face questionnaire survey,physical examination,and laboratory blood test.Binary Logistic regression was employed to predict the factors associated with coronary heart disease among adult residents in Jinjiang.Results The crude and standard prevalence rates of coronary heart disease among 5220 adult residents were 3.39% and 2.11%,respectively.Logistic regression analysis showed that age (OR=1.068,95%CI=1.051-1.086,P<0.001),depressive symptoms (OR=1.639,95%CI=1.037-2.591,P=0.034),regular exercise (OR=0.584,95%CI=0.378-0.902,P=0.015),elevated blood pressure (OR=3.529,95%CI=2.344-5.312,P<0.001),dyslipidemia (OR=2.152,95%CI=1.291-3.587,P=0.003),and core knowledge score of chronic diseases (OR=1.144,95%CI=1.066-1.228,P<0.001) were associated with coronary heart disease among adult residents in Jinjiang.Conclusions The prevalence of coronary heart disease is high among adult residents in Jinjiang district of Chengdu.The urban residents who are older,have depressive symptoms,lack of exercise,elevated blood pressure,dyslipidemia,and score higher on core knowledge of chronic diseases are prone to coronary heart disease.

How Does Energy Intake Change in China? A Life Cycle Perspective.

China's population is showing the characteristics of "fewer children" and "aging", which will have a long-term and far-reaching impact on the food and nutritional needs of China and the world. In this paper, adult equivalent scale (AES) variables representing the household population structure were introduced into the energy intake model to quantify the impact of population structure changes on energy intake and reveal the characteristics of energy intake changes in the life cycle of Chinese residents. It is found that the change in the population structure has a significant impact on the energy intake of urban households in China, and the elasticity is 0.446. The energy intake of Chinese elderly over the age of 60 shows a trend of first increasing and then decreasing, especially after the age of 65, which indicates that the aging will promote a decline in food consumption in China. The energy intake of 1-10-year-old children, 22-30 year old, and 40-45 year old women all showed a change of first a decrease and then an increase, which may be related to parents' care for young children and women with children's management of body size. The average household size expressed by the adult equivalent scales of energy consumption is 2.341, which is smaller than the 3.052 calculated by the population number. The conclusion indicates that the prediction of the food and nutritional demand should be adjusted according to the changes and differences in accordance with the intensification of "fewer children" and "aging", as well as the life cycle changes in residents' energy intake, which is conducive to the formulation of food and nutrition security policies.

Effects of social assistance on self-rated health.

Based on the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) data in 2018, medical assistance and life assistance have significant negative influences on self-rated health, found via an empirical analysis based on the Oprobit model. Such negative influences are robust based on the substitution of explained variables and propensity score matching. It can be found from a heterogeneity analysis that the negative influences of medical assistance on self-rated health are more significant in urban residents and residents in Central China and East China. Meanwhile, negative influences of life assistance on self-rated health are more significant in urban residents, and residents in Central China, East China, and Northeast China. This study provides empirical evidence to improve the health of residents by using medical assistance and life assistance accurately and offers important policy enlightenments to formulate appropriate social assistance policies.

Perceived Constraints on Active Recreational Sport Participation among Residents in Urban China.

Recreational sport participation is an important pathway to improving the quality of life. While facilities for recreational sports are provided in many urban areas in China, how urban residents might be aware of or use these facilities for recreational sport participation is still a vague notion in the literature. This study explored the linkages between perceived leisure constraints and active participation in recreational sports among urban residents. We collected data samples from 2901 urban residents in China to identify their perceived constraints and the effects of the perceived constraints on active recreational sport participation by structural equation models. Five perceived constraints of active recreational sport participation were identified: intrapersonal, interpersonal, environmental condition, facility-service management, and leisure opportunity constraints. More specifically, leisure opportunity, intrapersonal, facility-service management, and interpersonal constraints were the four most important constraints limiting active recreational sport participation of urban residents. Theoretical and practical implications to facilitate the active recreational sport participation of Chinese urban residents were discussed.

Influence of Food Safety Concerns and Satisfaction with Government Regulation on Organic Food Consumption of Chinese Urban Residents.

In order to study the impact of food safety concerns and government regulation on Chinese urban residents' organic food consumption willingness and behavior, an "online + offline" survey of 799 urban residents in Beijing has been conducted. Based on the theory of planned behavior, a structural equation model (SEM) was established and the government's food production support regulation (GP) and sales guarantee regulation (GC) were incorporated separately into the SEM as moderator variables. The path influence coefficients of respondents' food safety concerns, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control on organic food consumption willingness were 0.065 (p < 0.05), 0.174 (p < 0.01) and 0.574 (p < 0.01), respectively. The influence of GP on organic food consumption willingness was 0.243 (p < 0.01), but its moderating effect on the promotion effect of food safety concerns and attitude to organic food consumption willingness was −0.001 (p < 0.01). The moderating effect of GC on the transformation from consumption willingness to behavior was 0.083 (p < 0.05). The results show that respondents attach the most importance to the comparison of costs and the benefits of organic food. Although the government's food production regulation will weaken the driving effect of food safety concern and benefit perception of organic food consumption willingness, it will still promote organic food consumption willingness on the whole. The government's supervision of food processing and sales is conducive to the occurrence of organic food consumption behavior.

Farming experience, personal characteristics, and entrepreneurial decisions of urban residents: Empirical evidence from China.

Entrepreneurship is an important way to provide solutions for social employment problems. Using data from the 2016 China Labor Force Dynamic Survey (CLDS), we explore the influence of farming experience on urban residents' entrepreneurial decisions at the theoretical and empirical levels. A Probit model with instrumental variables method was used to analyze the influence of farming experience on urban residents' entrepreneurial decisions, while a mediating effect model was used to test its channels of action. The results show that: (1) farming experience can contribute to the entrepreneurial decision of urban residents relative to those without experience in farming. To overcome possible endogeneity issues, an Eprobit model based on the estimation of instrumental variables was used for testing. (2) Heterogeneity tests based on age, city type, and physical capital found that this effect was more significant in urban residents with non-capital cities, middle-aged groups, and high-material capital. (3) Farming experience indirectly drives entrepreneurial decisions through the mediating role of promoting positive personality traits, such as "optimism" and "mutual aid consciousness." Therefore, the farming experience has a positive effect on urban residents' entrepreneurial decisions and helps to understand the deeper influence of micro-individual characteristics on entrepreneurial decisions in the urbanization process.

Impact of the Pandemic on Selected Aspects of Health-Promoting Attitudes in 2020-2021: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, people began to change both their health-promoting and anti-health behaviors. Aim of the Paper: To assess the impact of the pandemic on selected health-promoting attitudes. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2020 to September 2021. We have used the author's survey questionnaire and the standardized Wellness Behaviors Inventory (WBI). The questionnaires were given to respondents in paper versions to fill it. Results: The study group included 600 urban residents aged 32-73. Based on the opinions of the respondents, during the pandemic, the following activities increased the most: hand washing (93.3%), eating sweets and snacks (80%), and surfing the Internet (60%). An increase in drug/legal use was reported by 13.3%, with no indication of a decrease or no change in consumption of the above. The overall WBI index for all subjects before the pandemic was 81.3 ± 20.2 points, and the increase significantly (p < 0.001) during the pandemic was 87.7 ± 16.7 points. In addition, an increase in preferred eating habits was found (from 19.5 ± 6.4 to 21.1 ± 6.9 points; p < 0.001), preferred prophylactic behaviors (from 21.1 ± 6.0 to 22.7 ± 5.2 points; p < 0.001) and level of presented health practices during the pandemic (from 20.3 ± 5.1 to 24.7 ± 2.7 points; p < 0.001), and a decrease significantly (p < 0.001) in the degree of positive mental attitude (from 20.3 ± 5.4 points to 19.3 ± 4.9 points). Conclusions: Respondents generally rated their own and their family's health as worse during the pandemic period, and this trend continued when broken down by gender, cohabitant, place of residence, and education. According to the largest group of respondents, the frequency of handwashing, eating sweets and snacks, surfing the Internet, and using drugs/legal highs increased the most during the pandemic. The overall WBI index for all respondents before and during the pandemic was slightly higher during the pandemic period. Monitoring health behavior during a pandemic is essential for prevention and health care institutions. Further studies are needed to assess the long-term impact of the pandemic on pro-and anti-health behavior of people.

Satisfaction Levels of Young Urban Residents With Public Sports Services in China During the COVID-19 Epidemic.

The extensive changes in public and private life caused by the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic in China have created a "new normal." To understand urban residents' satisfaction with public sports services under these conditions and to identify factors that influence satisfaction, urban residents in several major Chinese cities were randomly sampled with an online questionnaire to measure their level of satisfaction with public sports services in China during the COVID-19 epidemic. With the response rate of 87.9%, 703 valid questionnaires out of 800 questionnaires distributed were analyzed. A structural equation model was constructed where health literacy and the residents' expectations were independent variables, residents' participation was a mediating variable, and residents' satisfaction was the dependent variable. Cronbach's α test and Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin test confirmed that the questionnaire was reliable and valid. Survey results suggest that young urban residents' participation in public sports services is influenced by personal health literacy and residents' expectations. Participation serves a mediating role between health literacy and residents' satisfaction, but not between residents' expectations and their satisfaction. Young urban residents' satisfaction with public sports services may be improved by increasing access to health information, improving hardware and software platforms to support those services, and catering the services to the interests of the population.

What Affects Sports Participation and Life Satisfaction Among Urban Residents? The Role of Self-Efficacy and Motivation.

As a result of the global pandemic, new awareness and perceptions of physical and mental health are changing. How to promote people's participation in sports to improve their physical fitness and how to increase their life satisfaction are urgent issues for attention. This study is aimed to discover the mechanisms that influence sports participation and life satisfaction among urban residents, focusing on the role of self-efficacy and motivation. A questionnaire survey on sports participation of Shanghai residents in China found that self-efficacy significantly and positively influenced sports participation; sports participation significantly and positively influenced life satisfaction; and motivation positively influenced sports participation and mediated between self-efficacy and sports participation, but sports participation did not mediate between self-efficacy and life satisfaction. Therefore, it is important to enhance people's self-confidence in sports participation and establish the concept of sports for all people, so as to strengthen people's motivation to participate in sports, and to guide people to exercise actively through national fitness, so that more people can be happy in sports.

How to Measure the Safety Cognition Capability of Urban Residents? An Assessment Framework Based on Cognitive Progression Theory.

The salience of social risks and the incidence of various crises in China have induced widespread concerns among urban residents. Encountering frequent risks places higher demands on the cognition of urban residents. The concept of safety cognition capability is defined within the context of urban residents' daily life, and measurement instruments are developed and tested to lay the foundation for grasping the current safety cognition capability of urban residents and conducting further research. In this study, the five-dimensional structure of urban residents' safety cognition capability (URSCC) was proposed by using the grounded theory method to sort out the interview transcript of interviews with 30 urban residents, and a 38-item URSCC scale was designed and used for surveys conducted in China. The results show that the scale can be used as a valid tool to measure the URSCC, and it can help city managers to better understand the safety needs of residents, as well as monitor the effectiveness of policy implementation.

Do Migrant Residents Really Achieve Health Equity by Obtaining Urban Hukou? A Comparative Study on Health Service Utilization and Urbanization in Central China.

Introduction: With more than 120 million rural-to-urban migrants, urbanization of the rural population requires deeply exploration in China. Objective: This study focused on settled citizens who obtained urban Hukou (household registration) during urbanization and investigated their perceptions of health services in China. Method: A cross-sectional comparison study with an original, closed questionnaire was conducted in two major cities of Hubei, central China, covering health status and both the satisfaction with and utilization of health services. In total, 863 residents with urban Hukou participated in this study; migrants formed the study group and original city residents formed the control group. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to reduce choice bias in the analysis steps. Besides basic description of the data, ordinary least squares regression (OLS regression) was used to discover the relationship between basic demographic indicators and health expenditure. Results: PSM yielded 290 effective pairs for analysis. The results indicated an improvement in health status for migrant residents (study group) with a higher average score of self-reported health status and lower prevalence of chronic diseases than the control group. These scores were also better than the standard urban level in central China. The study group showed a higher clinic visit utility (69.63%), lower hospitalization utility (8.28%), less convenience of health service utility, and lower health expenditure than the control group. For the study group, the biggest difference was observed in satisfaction with health service costs, which was the least improved aspect after they obtained urban Hukou. The regression results demonstrated that age, family size, living expenditures, and marital status impacted health costs in the overall model and the influences of these factors differed between the study and control groups. Conclusions: Obtaining urban Hukou helps migrant residents to meet their health service needs and receive equal access to health services. However, after obtaining urban Hukou, migrants also face great pressure in terms of health consumption. This study therefore offers guidance on the next steps for progressing China's urbanization.

Factors Influencing the Waste Separation Behaviors of Urban Residents in Shaanxi Province during the 14th National Games of China.

The behaviors of urban residents in terms of waste separation at source are crucial to achieve the reduction and recycling of waste in urban governance. In this study, the data were collected from 1008 respondents in Shaanxi province, the host of China's 14th National Games; theoretical and empirical analyses were conducted to determine the factors influencing waste separation behaviors, and specific policy suggestions are proposed. The results show that the waste separation behaviors of urban residents are positively influenced by their cognition of waste pollution, ecological values, sense of social responsibility, perceived knowledge, and perceived utilities of waste separation. Moreover, the residents' waste separation intentions partially mediate the relationships between their cognition of waste pollution, ecological values, perceived utilities, and waste separation behaviors, which almost totally mediate the relationship between their sense of social responsibility and waste separation behaviors. In addition, it was shown that the cost of waste separation can weaken the effect of waste separation intention on behavior, while waste separation facilities, social norms, and the publicity for China's 14th National Games have the opposite effect. Finally, policy suggestions are proposed to encourage urban residents to adopt waste separation behaviors, contributing to transforming Shaanxi into a zero-waste province.

Perceived implications of COVID-19 policy measures on food insecurity among urban residents in Blantyre Malawi.

BACKGROUND: Malawi is at the brink of experiencing food insecurity amidst the COVID-19 pandemic as the vast majority of its population lives in extreme poverty. While measures are being implemented to avert the spread of COVID-19, little is known about how COVID-19 policy measures have impacted food insecurity in urban Malawi. This study addresses this gap by exploring the implications of COVID-19 policy measures on food insecurity in low-income areas of Blantyre in Malawi. METHODS: We used Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory to explore the implications of COVID-19 policy measures on peoples' access to food. In-depth interviews were conducted with fifteen participants comprising of private school teachers, street vendors, sex workers, and minibus drivers. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis in which emerging patterns and themes from the transcripts were identified. RESULTS: The COVID-19 lockdown measures undermined participants' ability to maintain livelihoods. These measures have increased the vulnerability of the residents to food insecurity, forcing them to face severe challenges to accessing adequate food to support their families as a result of low incomes, job loss, and business disruptions. CONCLUSION: Our study underscores the need for the Malawi government to seriously consider the provision of basic necessities such as food to the urban poor. We also suggest that the Malawi government should continue and expand the social cash transfer or relief funding packages by targeting the most vulnerable groups in the city. There is also a need for the government to engage all stakeholders and work collaboratively with people at local level in policymaking decisions in times of crisis.