Inseguridad alimentaria y vulnerabilidad alimentaria en comunidades: una revisión sistemática / Food insecurity and food vulnerability in communities: a systematic review

Fundamentos: La inseguridad alimentaria (IA) y la vulnerabilidad alimentaria (VA) en las personas y endiferentes comunidades representan dos problemáticas contemporáneas que pueden estar asociadas adiferentes factores, predictores, causas y contextos. El objetivo de esta revisión sistemática fue identificar losprincipales hallazgos de trabajos empíricos que dieran cuenta de estas temáticas y que fueron publicados enlos últimos 12 años.Métodos: Este trabajo se desarrolló bajo criterios metodológicos PRISMA y se consideraron estudiospublicados en las bases de datos Springer, Science Direct y Proquest, en el periodo 2008-2020. Se diseñó unamatriz de concentración de información para la lectura y organización de textos.Resultados: Se obtuvieron 19 artículos empíricos, 17 de los cuales se realizaron en África y Asia; 6 estudioseran de tipo cuantitativo, 2 cualitativos y 11 trabajos de tipo mixto. Las disciplinas de estudio másrepresentadas fueron economía y ciencias naturales.Conclusiones: Existen variables detonantes de la IA y VA mayormente en poblaciones rurales donde factoresprecursores de tipo macro como el cambio climático afectan en mayor escala a estos grupos socialesgenerando una serie de efectos en cadena que se agudizan más a partir de variables sociodemográficas. (AU)

Background: Food insecurity (IA) and food vulnerability (VA) in people and in different types of communitiesrepresent two contemporary problems that may be associated with different factors, predictors, causes andcontexts. The objective of this systematic review was to identify the main findings of empirical works thataccount for these issues and that were published in the last 12 years.Methods: This work was developed under PRISMA methodological criteria and studies published in theSpringer, Science Direct and Proquest databases were considered, in the period 2008-2020. An informationconcentration matrix was designed for reading and organizing texts.Results: 19 empirical articles were obtained, 17 of which were conducted in Africa and Asia; 6 studies werequantitative, 2 qualitative and 11 mixed studies. The most represented study disciplines were economics andnatural sciences.Conclusions: There are trigger variables for AI and VA mostly in rural populations where macro-typeprecursor factors such as climate change affect these social groups on a larger scale, generating a series ofchain effects that are more acute based on sociodemographic variables. (AU)

Assessing Food Poverty, Vulnerability and Food Consumption Inequality in the Context of COVID-19: A Case of Bangladesh.

There is no denying the fact that, for a developing country like Bangladesh, the economic consequences of lockdown for containing COVID-19 pandemic can be far reaching affecting livelihoods of millions of households. Given that the share of food consumption expenditure to total expenditure is higher in the lower income groups of Bangladesh, this shock is expected to directly affect affordability of consumption of basic food items of these households. Using nationally representative household survey data of Bangladesh, and while following the Feasible Generalized Least Square method, this paper attempts to examine food poverty, food consumption inequality along with vulnerability to food poverty of households and explores the importance of different socio-demographic and environmental factors in this connection. Our estimation reflects that, greater percentage of households with young children or with elderly people are found to suffer high food vulnerability. In addition, households in environmentally endangered regions e.g. drought prone areas or river erosion affected places are more food vulnerable than those in other parts of the country. Certain occupation groups e.g. day labourer and self-employed are found to be highly vulnerable to food poverty while according to our decomposition analysis of food consumption inequality, area of residence (urban vs. rural) is expected to cause sizable inequality in food consumption. This study can therefore, help in identifying food vulnerable households for government's social protection programs and COVID-19 incentive packages, and thereby can contribute towards designing effective poverty reduction strategies.

Impacto de la producción de berries sobre el comportamiento alimentario en una población de Jalisco, México / Impact of berries production on the eating behavior in a population of Jalisco, Mexico

Resumen En Zapotlán el Grande (ZEG) la producción de berries ha aumentado drásticamente, mientras que la de cultivos tradicionales ha disminuido. La disponibilidad de estos nuevos alimentos puede generar cambios en los hábitos alimentarios (HA) de la población. El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar la frecuencia y la cantidad de consumo de berries en población adulta de Ciudad Guzmán (ZEG, Jalisco, México), e identificar si estos han pasado a formar parte de sus HA. Participaron 384 adultos, de 18 a 65 años, residentes de Ciudad Guzmán, quienes fueron encuestados por medio de una versión adaptada de un cuestionario de frecuencia de consumo de alimentos. El 34% de los participantes refirió nunca consumir arándanos, frambuesas o zarzamoras, mientras que 39% los ingería ocasionalmente. En promedio, ninguno de los berries fue consumido en la ración propuesta en el Sistema Mexicano de Alimentos Equivalentes (SMAE), y solo representó 18% de la ración sugerida por la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS). Se concluye que aunque en cantidad inferior a la recomendada por la OMS o el SMAE, una cuarta parte de la población evaluada ha incorporado los berries a su dieta habitual, lo que demuestra que su disponibilidad está generando una modificación en los HA de la población.

Abstract In Zapotlán el Grande (ZEG) the production of berries has increased drastically, while traditional crops has decreased. The availability of these new foods may change eating habits (EH) of the population. The objective of this study was to assess the frequency and amount of berry consumption in the adult population of Ciudad Guzmán (ZEG, Jalisco, Mexico), and to identify if these have become part of their EH. A total of 384 adults, from 18 to 65 years old, residents of Ciudad Guzmán, were surveyed with an adapted version of a food consumption frequency questionnaire. The 34% of participants reported never consuming blueberries, raspberries or blackberries, while 39% eat them occasionally. On average, none of the berries was consumed in the amount proposed by the Mexican System of Equivalent Foods (SMAE), and only accounted 18% of the ration suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO). It is concluded that although the amount of berries consumed is less than the recommended by the WHO or SMAE, a quarter of the population assessed has incorporated berries into their usual diet, which shows that their availability is generating a change in the EH of the population.

Understanding food vulnerability and health literacy in older bereaved men: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Older people are sometimes challenged in maintaining a healthy diet but, because of age and disadvantage, are also more vulnerable to the adverse health consequences of poor nutrition. It has been claimed that older adults have low levels of health literacy regarding food and struggle to discern which foods are healthy from the vast range available in developed counties. However, nutrition and eating behaviour are modifiable risk factors for health in old age and health benefits can accrue from promoting healthy eating later in life. In order to achieve these health benefits, it is necessary to understand more about the capabilities and vulnerabilities of older people in terms of acquiring and maintaining a healthy diet. OBJECTIVE: To understand the potential for issues around food vulnerability to arise in that group and to characterize that vulnerability, if present. DESIGN: Narrative interviews were conducted to collect the data. An interpretative thematic approach to analysis was utilized. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty older, bereaved men from two communities in the North of England. FINDINGS: Five overarching themes were identified: financial security, social networks, cooking skills, food and routine and single servings. DISCUSSION: Our findings suggest that some older men experience cumulative benefit from resources at their disposal, which contributes towards their capabilities to avoid food vulnerability.

Identification and prioritization of food insecurity and vulnerability indices in iran.

BACKGROUND: Food security is a multi-dimensional phenomenon. The objective of this study was to identify and prioritize major indices for determining food insecurity in Iran. METHODS: Descriptive study using the Delphi method was conducted through an email-delivered questionnaire. Forty-three senior experts at national or provincial level were selected based on their work experience and educational background through study panel consultation and snowballing from Tehran and other cities of Iran. During two rounds of Delphi, participants were asked to identify priority indicators for food security at provincial level in Iran. RESULTS: Sixty five percent of Delphi panel participated in the first round and eighty-nine percent of them participated in the second round of Delphi. Initially, 243 indices were identified through review of literature; after excluding indictors, which was not available or measurable at provincial level in Iran, 103 indictors remained. The results of study showed that experts identified "percentage of individuals receiving less than 70% of daily energy requirement" with a median score of 90, as the most influential index for determining food insecurity. "Food expenses as a proportion of the overall expenses of the family", "per capita of dietary energy supply", and "provision of micro-nutrient supply requirement per capita" with median of 80 were in the second rank of food security priority indicators. CONCLUSION: Out of 243 identified indicators for food security, 38 indicators were selected as the most priority indicators for food security at provincial level in Iran.

Caracterización de la vulnerabilidad alimentaria en familias beneficiarias de la Fundación Banco Arquidiocesano de Alimentos. Bogotá, Colombia, 2005 / Characterization of food insecurity in beneficiary families of the food Bank Foundation, Archidiocese of Bogotá, Colombia, 2005

Se caracterizaron familias a riesgo de inseguridad alimentaria mediante el Sistema de Identificación y Monitoreo de la Vulnerabilidad Alimentaria - SIMVA, Programa Mundial de Alimentos (PMA). Fueron analizadas las características demográficas del hogar y la familia, la disponibilidad y acceso a alimentos, el acceso a bienes y servicios, entre otros, para focalizar recursos y diseñar intervenciones con la población en vulnerabilidad. El estudio se realizó en una institución beneficiaria de la Fundación Banco Arquidocesano de Alimentos - Bogotá, en 18 familias con menores de cinco años que presentaron déficit nutricional, agudo o crónico, según antropometría. Las variables con mayor vulnerabilidad fueron: participación comunitaria, lactancia materna en menores entre 6 meses a 2 años, participación en programas de ayuda alimentaria, desayuno y cena en menores de 18 años, consumo de proteína de alto valor biológico, rechazo de las familias al consumo de verduras y hortalizas, remplazo de alimentos no convenientes para mantener una dieta saludable, acceso a crédito y algún tipo de ahorro, morbilidad aguda en menores de 5 años, consulta a servicios de salud exclusivamente por enfermedad. Se recomendó a las instituciones integrantes del Sistema Local de Bienestar Familiar dirigir acciones y recursos para disminuir los factores de riesgo a mayor vulnerabilidad alimentaria.

Families at risk of food insecurity were characterized with the System for Identification and Surveillance of Food Vulnerability, SIMVA, developed by the World Food Program, WFP. Aspects such as household and family demographic characteristics, food availability, food access, and access to goods and services, among others, were evaluated in order to direct resources and interventions towards the population in vulnerability. Study was conducted in a beneficiary institution of the Food Bank Foundation, Archidiocese of Bogotá, inside eighteen families with children under 5 years old which were classified by anthropometric standards as having acute or chronic nutritional deficit. Factors with highest vulnerability were: community participation; breast feeding in children from 6 to 24 months old; participation in food assistance programs; breakfast and dinner for people under 18 years old; intake of protein of high biological value; rejection of families to eat vegetables; substitution of non convenient foods to maintain a healthy diet; access to credit and savings; acute morbidity in children under five years old; visits to health services only in case of illness. Recommendations were issued to institutions that belong to the Local Family Welfare System to direct actions and resources to those risk factors identified and mentioned before.