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Kawakatsu Y, Damptey O, Sitor J, Situma R, Aballo J, Shetye M, Aiga H. Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on food availability and affordability: an interrupted time series analysis in Ghana. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:1268. [PMID: 38720254 PMCID: PMC11080309 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18745-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Africa, approx. 675 million people were at risk of food insecurity. COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have exacerbated this situation, by damaging populations' access to and affordability of foods. This study is aimed at estimating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on availability and prices of essential food commodities at 20 large markets in Ghana. METHODS Data on food availability and food retail prices collected through weekly market-level data during the period from July 2017 to September 2020 were used in this study. We performed interrupted time-series analyses and estimated the percentage increases between the observed and predicted food prices by food group and by region to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on food prices. RESULTS As a result, the impact of COVID-19 on food availability was limited. However, the results of interrupted time-series analyses indicate a significant increase in overall mean food prices in Greater Accra, Eastern and Upper East regions. It was also found that mean price of starchy roots, tubers and plantains significantly increased across regions. DISCUSSION The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on food availability and prices was significant but varied by food type and regions in Ghana. Continuous monitoring and responses are critical to maintain food availability and affordability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - John Sitor
- United Nations World Food Programme, Accra, Ghana
| | - Ruth Situma
- UNICEF, 4 - 8th Rangoon Close Cantonments, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Mrunal Shetye
- UNICEF, 4 - 8th Rangoon Close Cantonments, Accra, Ghana
| | - Hirotsugu Aiga
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
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Evangelou G, Adams SN. "Tremendous burdens often unveil enormous gifts": The experiences of South African caregivers implementing speech and language teletherapy for children with cerebral palsy during COVID-19. J Pediatr Rehabil Med 2024; 17:85-96. [PMID: 38251071 PMCID: PMC10977356 DOI: 10.3233/prm-220118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE In accordance with South Africa's restrictions to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, some speech-language pathologists (SLPs) attempted to engage in novice teletherapy regimes to ensure continuity of care for children with cerebral palsy (CP). This study aimed to explore the experiences of caregivers of children with CP implementing SLP teletherapy during COVID-19 in South Africa. The goal was to shed light on how these families can be better supported and how teletherapy practices can be adjusted for this population. METHODS This study employed a qualitative phenomenological research design using in-person and virtual semi-structured interviews with 18 purposively sampled participants with children with CP who received speech and language teletherapy during COVID-19. The data was evaluated using an inductive thematic analysis approach whereby themes elicited from the caregivers' narratives were analyzed. RESULTS Interviews (n = 18) unveiled the significant understanding caregivers gained by becoming integral and active stakeholders in the provision of teletherapy. Caregivers were able to meaningfully communicate and bond with their children with CP. However, caregivers also assumed the burden that teletherapy placed on them, as they had to renegotiate their role during the pandemic in order to provide routine teletherapy. CONCLUSION Findings indicated the need for person-centered SLP teletherapy interventions that utilize contextually and culturally responsive techniques and resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Evangelou
- Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, School of Human and Community Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Skye Nandi Adams
- Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, School of Human and Community Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Fatmah F, Utomo SW. Effectiveness of orange almond potato cookie vs. orange potato cookie supplementation on nutritional wellbeing of the Indonesian stunted preschool-aged children during COVID-19 pandemic. Front Nutr 2023; 10:1235841. [PMID: 37818338 PMCID: PMC10560736 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1235841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Preschool-aged children who experience stunting due to insufficient consumption of macro- and micronutrients exhibit weakened immune systems, rendering them susceptible to contracting COVID-19 during the ongoing epidemic. Therefore, it is imperative to implement interventions aimed at enhancing the nutritional status of preschool-aged children by providing them with nutrient-rich food supplements as a preventive measure against illness transmission. The objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of incorporating potato almond orange cookies into the diet on the nutritional status of preschool-aged children who are experiencing stunting. Methods A non-randomized pre-post intervention study was done on 42 individuals aged 12-58 months during 4 weeks. The intervention group was provided with almond potato cookies, while the control group was given orange potato cookies. During the study period, educational sessions on balanced nutrition in preschool-aged children with stunting and COVID-19 were provided to the mothers of both groups. The data analysis involved conducting univariate and bivariate analyses, namely utilizing the independent t-test. Results The intervention group exhibited the most significant enhancements in -for-Age Z-score. The mean -for-Age Z-score of the intervention group increased by 0.51 (from -3.15 to -2.64), whereas the control group saw a smaller gain of 0.25 (from -2.69 to -2.44). This increase was influenced by the mother's age; mother's education; father's occupation; family size; good sanitation facilities; healthy home environment; and fat, calcium, and zinc intake from the cookies (p < 0.05). From the perspective of knowledge about balanced nutrition and COVID-19, there was no significant difference in the -for-Age Z-score in the intervention group. Conclusion The ingestion of orange almond potato cookies has the potential to enhance the nutritional wellbeing of children in the preschool age group who are experiencing stunted growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatmah Fatmah
- Disaster Management Program, School of Environmental Studies at Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Suyud W. Utomo
- School of Environmental Studies at Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
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Ali J. Mapping scientific knowledge discovery on COVID-19 pandemic and agriculture: a bibliometric analysis and future research directions. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:95155-95171. [PMID: 37597148 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-29238-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
This paper aims at analyzing the research productivity and scientific knowledge discovery of the COVID-19 pandemic in agriculture using a bibliometric analysis approach. A total of 1514 research papers indexed in the Scopus database, covering a period of 2020 to 2022, are processed using VOSviewer and R-Studio software. The analysis of research productivity indicates that the number of research publications on COVID-19 and agriculture has exponentially increased globally, and about 80% of the research papers have been published in the top 10 countries led by the USA, India, and China. The countries are increasingly collaborating in undertaking research on COVID-19 and agriculture. Furthermore, major journals and articles with citations have been extracted to analyze the leading publication avenues and focused areas of research. The science mapping is done using co-occurrence and thematic map. With the help of co-occurrence analysis, six clusters are identified depicting major research themes, i.e., COVID-19 and agricultural supply chain disruption, COVID-19 and human health issues and coping strategies, COVID-19 and non-human and animal health, COVID-19 pandemic and environment and pollution, COVID-19 and healthcare and treatment, and COVID-19 and food nutrition from dairy and meat products. The thematic map analysis identifies potential research areas such as mental health, anxiety, and depression in the agricultural system, which may help in setting future research agenda and help devising policy supports for managing the agriculture sector better during crisis. The paper also highlights the theoretical and practical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jabir Ali
- Economics & Business Environment Area , Indian Institute of Management Jammu, 180 016, Jammu, India.
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Naidoo K, Lewis S, Essop H, Koch GG, Khoza TE, Phahlamohlaka NM, Badriparsad NR. July 2021 civil unrest: South African diagnostic radiography students' experiences. Health SA 2023; 28:2253. [PMID: 37670750 PMCID: PMC10476504 DOI: 10.4102/hsag.v28i0.2253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background South Africa (SA), in 2021, experienced a wave of civil unrest following political events that led to mass looting and the destruction of property. Civil unrests, among other disruptions, have been seen to cause ripple effects on healthcare education, particularly for radiography students who undergo work integrated learning within hospitals and universities, even during these times of unrest. Aim This study aimed to explore and describe the undergraduate diagnostic radiography students' experience of the civil unrest that occurred in SA in 2021. Setting The study was conducted across five universities in South Africa, offering the diagnostic radiography programme. Methods A qualitative, interpretive phenomenological design was employed as it enabled the researchers to facilitate focus group interviews to gain insight into the lived experiences of the students during this time. Results Four themes emerged from the study data, namely: (1) Negative effects on students' emotional and psychological well-being, (2) Academic and clinical support mechanisms during disruptions, (3) The influence of disruptions on clinical training, (4) Recommendations to support students for future disruptions. Conclusion The participants from this study described the negative effects that the civil unrest had on their emotional and mental well-being. There is a need for increased support mechanisms during times of disruptions from universities across South Africa. Contribution The findings highlight the ripple effects that disruptions, such as civil unrests, have on radiography students. This can assist universities to relook at their institutional support structures, in order to enhance the current support given to students across universities in times of disruptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Naidoo
- Department of Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Sciences, Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Shantel Lewis
- Department of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Hafsa Essop
- Department of Radiography, Faculty of Healthcare Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Gerhardus G.V. Koch
- Department of Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Sciences, Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Thandokuhle E. Khoza
- Department of Radiography, Faculty of Health Sciences, Durban University of Technology, Berea, South Africa
| | - Nape M. Phahlamohlaka
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Central University of Technology, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Nicole R. Badriparsad
- Department of Radiography, Faculty of Health Sciences, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa
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Ngarava S. Effectiveness of the indigent support policy on food insecurity in South Africa: Experiences from Matatiele Local Municipality. Heliyon 2023; 9:e19080. [PMID: 37636418 PMCID: PMC10457532 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The indigent and societally vulnerable have compromised capacities to achieve their full welfare potential. This necessitates polices that can cushion them, such as the indigent support policy in South Africa. However, there is little acknowledgement on the welfare effects of community and contextually derived support policies. The study seeks an understanding of the effectiveness of the indigent support policy on food insecurity in Matatiele Local Municipality, South Africa, using a cross sectional survey of a purposively selected sample of 549 households. Food insecurity, determinants of awareness and beneficiation as well as effectiveness from the policy are assessed through the Household Food In-Access Scale (HFIAS), Heckman two step model and Propensity Score Matching (PSM), respectively. Households are found to be food secure, with awareness and beneficiation from the indigent policy being affected by duration of stay, employment status, location, tenure, total monthly income, monthly food expenditure and food insecurity status. To add, the indigent support policy has a positive impact on food security. In conclusion, there is food security partly due to indigent support with beneficiation affected by various socio-economic factors. There is need to compliment indigent support products to include food products and promote the policy to increase awareness. Furthermore, there is need to capacitate and coordinate policy making to target food insecure households to augment and magnify the positive effects of indigent support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saul Ngarava
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Vening Meinesz Building A, 8a Princeton Avenue, 3584 CB Utrecht, Netherlands
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Sekome K, Sujee L, Tomes L, Pilusa S. Access to physiotherapy services in South African settings: stretching a hand to under-resourced communities with students as agents of change. FRONTIERS IN REHABILITATION SCIENCES 2023; 4:1164525. [PMID: 37576916 PMCID: PMC10415031 DOI: 10.3389/fresc.2023.1164525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Background Physiotherapy is a healthcare profession that enhances human functioning and prevents further disability. In addition to this physiotherapy promotes health, wellbeing and the prevention of diseases. In South Africa, physiotherapy and rehabilitation services are largely accessed by those living in urban communities and those with private medical funding. Rehabilitation is an essential component of the package of care yet these services do not reach disadvantaged communities who vitally need them. Through the equitable provision of service-learning, physiotherapy students can play a vital role in improving rehabilitation access to vulnerable communities. Aim This paper illustrates how physiotherapy students studying at a South African university provide equitable services to disadvantaged rural and urban communities. Discussion The first and second years of study focus on theoretical and classroom-based learning where students gain an understanding of basic principles of inclusion, equity, diversity, and self-awareness. In later years, students provide community-based services in urban and rural communities with a focus on increasing access to rehabilitation services. The clinical objectives which students are required to fulfil are guided by principles of public health and community rehabilitation. The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the issue of poor access to rehabilitation services and the case study we provide demonstrates the roles physiotherapy students played to fill this gap. The authors offer a reflection from their involvement in physiotherapy student training and provide an example of a moment which displayed equity, diversity, and inclusion in their career. Conclusion There is a huge gap to fill in the provision of equitable rehabilitation services for the South African population. Institutions responsible for the training of physiotherapists, or any rehabilitation profession, should realize their role in service delivery through a service-learning approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kganetso Sekome
- Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Zarabadipour M, Mokhlesi A, Poorsoleiman T, Mirzadeh M. Parent's Attitudes toward Their Children's Oral Health Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study. Int J Dent 2023; 2023:7340105. [PMID: 37469490 PMCID: PMC10353902 DOI: 10.1155/2023/7340105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted global health and presented challenges to maintaining oral health in children. Efficient management and prevention of oral diseases are therefore crucial in this population. Aim This cross-sectional study aimed to assess parents' self-reported oral and dental hygiene habits for their children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A total of 256 parents of primary school children in Qazvin completed an online questionnaire containing demographic, general, and cardinal questions. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 22 software, and accurate analytical tests were run to reach the results. Results The study found that 69.1% of parents and 87.1% of children brushed their teeth regularly during the pandemic. Additionally, 80.5% of parents monitored their children while brushing. While some parents expressed concerns about COVID-19 infection, parents from lower socioeconomic status reported a higher willingness to attend dental centers than those from more prosperous areas. Conclusion These findings suggest that parents' supervision and attitude toward oral health care significantly affect children's oral hygiene habits during the pandemic, possibly due to increased time spent together during lockdowns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahdieh Zarabadipour
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine, Dental Caries Prevention Research Center, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
- USERN Office, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Aida Mokhlesi
- USERN Office, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Taniya Poorsoleiman
- USERN Office, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Monirsadat Mirzadeh
- USERN Office, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
- Community Medicine, Metabolic Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
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Liu Y, Zhu J, Tuwor CP, Ling C, Yu L, Yin K. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global trade-embodied carbon emissions. JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION 2023; 408:137042. [PMID: 37077939 PMCID: PMC10074258 DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.137042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
We evaluate the response of global supply chains to carbon emissions through compiling multi-regional input-output (MRIO) models for import and export shocks in 14 countries/territories dominated by the COVID-19 crisis. Instead of traditional production-based inventories, we achieve CO2 emissions inventories based on intermediate inputs and final consumption to analyze the connected environmental impacts. In addition, we adopt the available data up to date to construct inventories of carbon emissions involved in imports and exports from different sectors. The results show that global carbon emissions could be decreased by 6.01% during the COVID-19, while export carbon emissions remained basically unchanged. As a result, imported carbon emissions fell by 5.2%, with the energy products sector most affected by the pandemic. Transport sector witnessed 18.42% carbon emission reduction. The impact of developing countries with a large proportion of resource-based industries is comparatively higher than that of developed countries with the technological advantage. International trade plays a crucial role in the choice of supply chain partners to control carbon emissions. Building a sustainable supply chain and reducing the "trade carbon deficit" between countries/regions requires the coordination of all departments of each country/region to promote the trade of energy-saving products, environmental protection services and environmental services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuru Liu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, 159 Longpan Road, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Jingyu Zhu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, 159 Longpan Road, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Christopher Padi Tuwor
- Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, 159 Longpan Road, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Chen Ling
- Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, 159 Longpan Road, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Lei Yu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, 159 Longpan Road, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Ke Yin
- Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, 159 Longpan Road, Nanjing, 210037, China
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Stöckl H, Mosha N, Dartnall E, Ayieko P, Mtolela G, Mshana G. The short and long-term impact of COVID-19 restrictions on women's mental health in Mwanza, Tanzania: A longitudinal study. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 3:e0001781. [PMID: 37363892 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0001781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 outbreak had a profound impact on all countries in the world, leading governments to impose various forms of restrictions on social interactions and mobility, including complete lockdowns. While the impact of lockdowns on the emerging mental health crisis has been documented in high income countries, little is known whether and how the COVID-19 pandemic also effected mental health in settings with few or no COVID-19 restrictions in place. Our study therefore aimed to explore the impact of few and no COVID19 restrictions on the self-reported mental health of women in Mwanza, Tanzania. The longitudinal study integrated a nested phone survey with two time points into an existing longitudinal study in Mwanza, Tanzania. In total, 415 women who were part of an existing longitudinal study utilizing face-to-face interviews participated in both phone interviews, one conducted during COVID-19 restrictions and once after the restrictions had been lifted about the prior three months of their lives. They also participated in a face-to-face interview for the original longitudinal study three months later. Using a random effects model to assess changes in symptoms of poor mental health, measured through the SRQ20, we found a significant difference between the time during COVID-19 restrictions (20%) and after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted (15%), and after life resumed to pre-COVID-19 times (11%). Covid-19 related factors associated with poor symptoms of mental health during restrictions and after restrictions were lifted related to COVID-19 knowledge, behaviour change, economic livelihoods challenges, increased quarrels and intimate partner violence with partners and stress due to childcare issues. Despite Tanzania only imposing low levels of restrictions, the COVID-19 pandemic still led to an increase in women's reports of symptoms of poor mental health in this study, albeit not as pronounced as in settings with strict restrictions or lockdown. Governments need to be aware that even if no or low levels of restrictions are chosen, adequate support needs to be given to the population to avoid increased anxiety and challenges to economic livelihoods. In particular, attention needs to be given to the triple burden that women face in respect to reduced income generating activities, relationship pressures and increased childcaring responsibilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Stöckl
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Neema Mosha
- Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Mwanza Intervention Trials Unit, Mwanza, Tanzania
| | | | - Philip Ayieko
- Mwanza Intervention Trials Unit, Mwanza, Tanzania
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Gerry Mshana
- Mwanza Intervention Trials Unit, Mwanza, Tanzania
- National Institute for Medical Research, Mwanza, Tanzania
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Weber G, Cabras I, Peredo AM, Yanguas-Parra P, Prime K. Exploring resilience in public services within marginalised communities during COVID-19: The case of coal mining regions in Colombia. JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION 2023; 415:137880. [PMID: 37362962 PMCID: PMC10285674 DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.137880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
This paper examines the impact of COVID-19 on marginalised communities and its effects on the provision of public services. Focusing on two coal mining regions in Colombia during the pandemic crisis, and examining Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities, we analyze the provision of public services at a local level, identifying both shortcomings and resilience. Findings show that the lack of resilient public services amplified the effects of COVID-19 and its containment measures, exacerbating existing structural inequalities within local marginalised communities. It also reinforced the control exercised by coal mining companies within local economies. However, the substantial lack of public service provision also provided space for the development and strengthening of several resilience strategies among local communities, such as solidarity networks and schemes and the revitalization of local environmental knowledge. The study identifies multiple shortcomings in how the national and local administrations handled the COVID-19 outbreak and highlights the potential of enhancing resilience in public services to support marginalised communities in times of crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Weber
- ESSCA, School of Management, Angers, Bordeaux, France
| | - Ignazio Cabras
- ESSCA, School of Management, Angers, Bordeaux, France
- Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University, Newcastle, UK
| | - Ana Maria Peredo
- Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa (Canada) and School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Canada
| | | | - Karla Prime
- Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University, Newcastle, UK
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Akalu LS, Wang H. Does the female-headed household suffer more than the male-headed from Covid-19 impact on food security? Evidence from Ethiopia. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD RESEARCH 2023; 12:100563. [PMID: 37016627 PMCID: PMC10041883 DOI: 10.1016/j.jafr.2023.100563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Covid-19 pandemic and accompanying policy measures affected women's economic and social lives differently from men. However, its effect on the food security situation of women and men remains unclear. This study investigated whether female-headed households suffer more from covid 19 impact on food security than male-headed households in Ethiopia using the World Bank High Frequency Phone Survey data. Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) is applied to measure food insecurity and multilevel-mixed effect random intercept linear model is used to analyze the determinants. The survey data show that, during the pandemic in 2020, nearly 27% of households face moderate or severe food insecurity and close to 6% face severe food insecurity. Regression results revealed that the pandemic and accompanying policy measures affected food security of female-headed households differently from male-headed households. The likelihood of female-headed households experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity is significantly higher by 5.7% points than male-headed households. Education level of the household head is the critical determinant of women's food insecurity. Every additional year of education of female heads has a significantly higher impact in reducing the likelihood of experiencing food insecurity than that of male-headed households. It is also found that having access to basic food items reduces the likelihood of facing moderate or severe food insecurity by 7.4% points. Besides, education level of the household head, income change and family size are critical determinants for food insecurity of the sample households. It is recommended that stakeholders and policy makers focus in the gender aspect while designing policy measures to control pandemics and fucus on improving accessibility of basic needs such as food items to all.
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White RC, Luo R, Rothenberg R. Nonpharmaceutical Interventions in Georgia: Public Health Implications. South Med J 2023; 116:383-389. [PMID: 37137470 PMCID: PMC10143397 DOI: 10.14423/smj.0000000000001552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread, many states implemented nonpharmaceutical interventions in the absence of effective therapies with varying degrees of success. Our aim was to evaluate restrictions comparing two regions of Georgia and their impact on outcomes as measured by confirmed illness and deaths. METHODS Using The New York Times COVID-19 incidence data and mandate information from various web sites, we examined trends in cases and deaths using joinpoint analysis at the region and county level before and after the implementation of a mandate. RESULTS We found that rates of cases and deaths showed the greatest decrease in acceleration after the simultaneous implementation of a statewide shelter-in-place for vulnerable populations combined with social distancing for businesses and limiting gatherings to <10 people. County-level shelters-in-place, business closures, limits on gatherings to <10, and mask mandates showed significant case rate decreases after a county implemented them. School closures had no consistent effect on either outcome. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that protecting vulnerable populations, implementing social distancing, and mandating masks may be effective countermeasures to containment while mitigating the economic and psychosocial effects of strict shelters-in-place and business closures. In addition, states should consider allowing local municipalities the flexibility to enact nonpharmaceutical interventions that are more or less restrictive than the state-level mandates under some conditions in which the data indicate it is necessary to protect communities from disease or undue economic burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renee C White
- From the Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta
| | - Ruiyan Luo
- From the Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta
| | - Richard Rothenberg
- From the Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta
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14
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Browne FA, Gichane MW, Shangase N, Ndirangu J, Bonner CP, Wechsberg WM. Social Determinants of Alcohol and Other Drug Misuse Among Women Living with HIV in Economically Underserved Communities in Cape Town, South Africa: A Cross-Sectional Study. AIDS Behav 2023; 27:1329-1338. [PMID: 36344731 PMCID: PMC9640812 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-022-03869-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to understand how social determinants-the economic and social factors that affect health and well-being-are associated with self-reported and biological alcohol and other drug misuse in South Africa among women living with HIV. Logistic regression analyses were performed using baseline data from an implementation science trial conducted from 2015 to 2018 with 480 Black and Coloured women who were living with HIV and reported recent alcohol or other drug misuse. Educational attainment, type of housing, access to running water, food insecurity, and housing instability were examined. Women with higher education had reduced odds of any drug misuse-both biological (aOR: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.33-0.84) and self-reported (aOR: 0.37; 95% CI: 0.22-0.64). Women living in formal housing had increased odds of a positive alcohol screening test (aOR: 1.92; 95% CI: 1.16-3.18) and women with housing instability had increased odds of self-reported alcohol misuse-daily (aOR: 1.99; 95% CI: 1.18-3.35) and weekly (aOR:1.91; 95% CI: 1.19-3.07). Food insecurity was associated with reduced odds of self-reported alcohol misuse (aOR: 0.40; 95% CI: 0.25-0.64) and increased odds of self-reported drug misuse (aOR: 2.05; 95% CI: 1.16-3.61). These findings indicate the complexity of the relationship between social determinants and alcohol and other drug misuse, and may have implications for addressing social and structural determinants as part of multilevel interventions focused on reducing alcohol and other drug misuse among key populations of women in South Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felicia A Browne
- Substance Use, Gender, and Applied Research Program, RTI International, 3040 E. Cornwallis Road, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194, USA.
- Health Behavior, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, 135 Dauer Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
| | - Margaret W Gichane
- Substance Use, Gender, and Applied Research Program, RTI International, 3040 E. Cornwallis Road, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, University of California, San Francisco, 1330 Broadway, Suite 1100, Oakland, CA 94612, USA
| | - Nosipho Shangase
- Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, 135 Dauer Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jacqueline Ndirangu
- Substance Use, Gender, and Applied Research Program, RTI International, 3040 E. Cornwallis Road, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194, USA
| | - Courtney Peasant Bonner
- Substance Use, Gender, and Applied Research Program, RTI International, 3040 E. Cornwallis Road, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194, USA
- Maternal and Child Health, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, 135 Dauer Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Wendee M Wechsberg
- Substance Use, Gender, and Applied Research Program, RTI International, 3040 E. Cornwallis Road, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194, USA
- Maternal and Child Health, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, 135 Dauer Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, 640 Poe Hall, Campus Box 7650, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, 40 Duke Medicine Circle, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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15
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Hussain S, Mubeen M, Ahmad A, Fahad S, Nasim W, Hammad HM, Shah GM, Murtaza B, Tahir M, Parveen S. Using space-time scan statistic for studying the effects of COVID-19 in Punjab, Pakistan: a guideline for policy measures in regional agriculture. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:42495-42508. [PMID: 34800269 PMCID: PMC8605466 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-17433-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Pakistan is included in top 50 countries which are estimated to face serious agriculture and food deficiency related challenges due to the worldwide pandemic coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of COVID-19 on food supply chain and agriculture in Punjab, Pakistan, by using space-time scan statistic (STSS). A survey was conducted at 720 points in different districts of the province. The STSS detected "active" and emerging clusters that are current at the end of our study area-particularly, 17 clusters were formed while adding the updated case data. Software ArcGIS 10.3 was used to find relative risk (RR) values; the maximum RR value was found to be 42.19 and maximum observed cases 53,265 during June 15-July 1, 2020. It was not always necessary that if the number of active cases in Punjab increased, there should be higher relative risk for more number of districts and vice versa. Due to the highest number of cases of COVID-19 and RR values during July, mostly farmers faced many difficulties during the cultivation of cotton and rice. Mostly farmers (72%) observed increase in prices of inputs (fertilizers and pesticides) during lockdown. If the supply chain of agriculture related inputs is disturbed, farmers may find it quite difficult to access markets, which could result in a decline in production and sales of crops and livestock in study area. It is suggested that to protect the food security and to decrease the effect of the lockdown, Punjab government needs to review food policy and analyse how market forces will respond to the imbalanced storage facilities and capacity, supply and demand and price control of products. The findings of this study can also help policy-makers to formulate an effective food security and agriculture adaptation strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajjad Hussain
- Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus, Islamabad, 61100, Pakistan.
| | - Muhammad Mubeen
- Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus, Islamabad, 61100, Pakistan.
| | - Ashfaq Ahmad
- Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Shah Fahad
- Department of Agronomy, The University of Haripur, Haripur, 22620, Pakistan
| | - Wajid Nasim
- Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB), Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Hafiz Mohkum Hammad
- Department of Computer Science, Institute of Southern Punjab, Multan, Pakistan
| | - Ghulam Mustafa Shah
- Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus, Islamabad, 61100, Pakistan
| | - Behzad Murtaza
- Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus, Islamabad, 61100, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Tahir
- Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus, Islamabad, 61100, Pakistan
| | - Saima Parveen
- Department of Computer Science, Institute of Southern Punjab, Multan, Pakistan.
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Sodokin K. Public assistance, survival, and household trust during the containment period of the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Togo. JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 2023:1-35. [PMID: 37359356 PMCID: PMC9961300 DOI: 10.1007/s40847-023-00233-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
This paper analyzes the impact of public assistance during the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic with regard to household survival, using data from a two-round survey of 1274 respondents in Togo conducted by the National Institute of Statistics, Economic and Demographic Studies. The analysis uses the propensity score matching method, the probit model, and the discrete endogenous regressor. The first result shows that more than two thirds of respondents experienced income shocks due to the health crisis. The second result shows that public assistance programs have enabled the beneficiary populations to overcome the impact of shocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koffi Sodokin
- Center for Research in Applied Economics and Management of Organizations (CREAMO), FaSEG, University of Lomé, Lomé, Togo
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Li L, Taeihagh A, Tan SY. A scoping review of the impacts of COVID-19 physical distancing measures on vulnerable population groups. Nat Commun 2023; 14:599. [PMID: 36737447 PMCID: PMC9897623 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36267-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Most governments have enacted physical or social distancing measures to control COVID-19 transmission. Yet little is known about the socio-economic trade-offs of these measures, especially for vulnerable populations, who are exposed to increased risks and are susceptible to adverse health outcomes. To examine the impacts of physical distancing measures on the most vulnerable in society, this scoping review screened 39,816 records and synthesised results from 265 studies worldwide documenting the negative impacts of physical distancing on older people, children/students, low-income populations, migrant workers, people in prison, people with disabilities, sex workers, victims of domestic violence, refugees, ethnic minorities, and people from sexual and gender minorities. We show that prolonged loneliness, mental distress, unemployment, income loss, food insecurity, widened inequality and disruption of access to social support and health services were unintended consequences of physical distancing that impacted these vulnerable groups and highlight that physical distancing measures exacerbated the vulnerabilities of different vulnerable populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Li
- Policy Systems Group, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Araz Taeihagh
- Policy Systems Group, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Si Ying Tan
- Alexandra Research Centre for Healthcare in The Virtual Environment (ARCHIVE), Department of Healthcare Redesign, Alexandra Hospital, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
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18
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Buzigi E, Onakuse S. Food price volatility and socio-economic inequalities in poor food consumption status during coronavirus disease-2019 lockdown among slum and non-slum households in urban Nansana municipality, Uganda. Nutr J 2023; 22:4. [PMID: 36631774 PMCID: PMC9832412 DOI: 10.1186/s12937-023-00836-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study assessed staple food price volatility, household food consumption scores (FCS), poor household food consumption status and its association with socio-economic inequalities during enforcing and partial lifting of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) lockdown restrictions in slum and non-slum households (HHs) of Nansana municipality, Uganda. METHODS Repeated cross-sectional surveys were conducted during enforcing and partial lifting of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. A total of 205 slum and 200 non-slum HHs were selected for the study. Telephone based interviews with HH heads were used to collect data on socio-economic factors. Data for FCS was collected using the World Food Programme FCS method. Prices for staple foods were collected by face-to-face interviews with food vendors from the local market. Mean staple food price differences before COVID-19 lockdown, during enforcing, and partial lifting of lockdown was tested by Analysis of variance with repeated measures. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between socio-economic variables and poor food consumption status. A statistical test was considered significant at p < 0.05. RESULTS Mean staple food prices were significantly higher during enforcing COVID-19 total lockdown restrictions compared to either 1 week before lockdown or partial lifting of lockdown (p < 0.05). Mean FCS for staple cereals and legumes were significantly higher in slum HHs during COVID-19 lockdown compared to when the lockdown was partially lifted (p < 0.05). In slum HHs, the prevalence of poor food consumption status was significantly higher during partial lifting (55.1%) compared to total lockdown of COVID-19 (15.1%), p < 0.05. Among slum HHs during lockdown restrictions, food aid distribution was negatively associated with poor food consumption status (AOR: 0.4, 95% CI: 0.1-0.6), whilst being a daily wage earner was positively associated with poor food consumption status (AOR: 0.5, 95% CI: 0.1-0.6). During partial lifting of COVID-19 lockdown in slum HHs, poor food consumption status was positively associated with female headed HHs (AOR: 1.2, 95%CI: 1.1-1.6), daily wage earners (AOR: 3.2, 95% CI: 2.6-3.8), unemployment (AOR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.5-2.1) and tenants (AOR: 2.4, 95% CI: 1.8-3.5). Female headed HHs, daily wage earners and tenants were positively associated with poor food consumption status either during enforcing or partial lifting of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in non-slum HHs. CONCLUSION Staple food prices increased during enforcing either the COVID-19 lockdown or partial lifting of the lockdown compared to before the lockdown. During the lockdown, food consumption improved in slum HHs that received food aid compared to those slum HHs that did not receive it. Household heads who were females, daily wage earners, unemployed, and tenants were at risk of poor food consumption status either in slum or non-slum, and therefore needed some form of food assistance either during enforcing or partial lifting of the lockdown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Buzigi
- Department of Public Health & Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences, Victoria University, Kampala, Uganda. .,Department of Nutritional Sciences & Dietetics, Kyambogo University, Kampala, Uganda. .,Department of Food Business & Development, University College Cork, Cork, Republic of Ireland.
| | - Stephen Onakuse
- grid.7872.a0000000123318773Department of Food Business & Development, University College Cork, Cork, Republic of Ireland
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19
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Yaman GB, Hocaoğlu Ç. Examination of eating and nutritional habits in health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nutrition 2023; 105:111839. [PMID: 36270134 PMCID: PMC9439855 DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2022.111839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Health care workers are in the high-risk group in terms of contracting infection because of their role in providing care to patients with COVID-19. We aim to examine the relationship between perceived stress, emotional eating, and nutritional habits in health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted through an online survey in Turkey between July 1, 2021 and August 15, 2021. Overall, 405 participants age 19 to 67 y completed an online survey incorporating the Emotional Eating Scale (Cronbach's α = 0.84), Perceived Stress Scale (Cronbach's α = 0.84), and Nutrition Change Process Scale (Cronbach's α = 0.90). We gathered data on weight, height, and changes in eating habits during the pandemic to analyze how the pandemic affected dietary and nutritional practices. RESULTS The majority of respondents were female (67.7%). Most respondents (58%) reported changing their eating and nutritional habits during the pandemic. Economic concern and concern about finding food and water due to COVID-19 were found to affect changes in eating and dietary habits (odds ratio [OR]: 2.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.69-3.84; P < 0.001 and OR: 2.1; 95% CI, 1.39-3.18; P < 0.001, respectively). Losing a loved one because of COVID-19 was determined as an independent risk factor for eating and dietary habits (OR: 29.5; 95% CI, 2.23-38.9; P = 0.010). CONCLUSIONS Perceived stress and emotional eating are related to changes in eating/dietary habits among health care workers during the pandemic. We recommend healthy food choices and increased physical activity to reduce emotional eating and mitigate stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gözde Bacık Yaman
- Süleyman Demirel University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Isparta, Turkey.
| | - Çiçek Hocaoğlu
- Recep Tayyip Erdogan University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Rize, Turkey
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20
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Mukoma G, Bosire EN, Hardy-Johnson P, Barker M, Norris SA. ' We were not allowed to gather even for Christmas.' Impact of COVID-19 on South African young people: Exploring messaging and support. Glob Public Health 2023; 18:2264968. [PMID: 37801722 DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2023.2264968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 prevention measures including lockdowns, school closures, and restricted movement disrupted young people's lives. This longitudinal qualitative study conducted in Soweto, South Africa aimed to explore young people's knowledge and perceptions of COVID-19, vaccination, and the impact of infections. A convenience sample of 30 young black people (n = 15 men; n = 15 women, aged 16-21 years) from Soweto participated in 24 focus group discussions (FGDs), conducted in six phases - each phase had four FGDs stratified by gender and age. Young people's understanding of COVID-19 deepened throughout the study, however, did not always translate into adherence (following the government's COVID-19 prevention measures). Although deemed inadequate, TV and radio were preferred over internet COVID-19 information. Parents, teachers, and schools were trusted sources of information. Vaccines and limited access to information attributed to low-risk perception, while new COVID-19 variants attributed to high-risk perception. A low-risk perception and conspiracy theories contributed to non-adherence (disregarding COVID-19 preventative measures provided by the government), particularly among young men. Accessing reliable information that considers young people's lives and their living context is important. Communities, scientists, and policymakers must learn from the COVID-19 experience and implement localised preventive strategies for education, awareness, and economic support in future emergencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gudani Mukoma
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Biokinetics, Recreation and Sports Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa
| | - Edna N Bosire
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Brain and Mind Institute, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Polly Hardy-Johnson
- Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education (PPM), Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Mary Barker
- Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Shane A Norris
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Institute for Developmental Science and Global Health Research Institute, School of Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
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21
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Geyik Ö, Hadjikakou M, Bryan BA. Climate-friendly and nutrition-sensitive interventions can close the global dietary nutrient gap while reducing GHG emissions. NATURE FOOD 2022; 4:61-73. [PMID: 37118573 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-022-00648-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Sustainable food systems require malnutrition and climate change to be addressed in parallel. Here, we estimate the non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions resulting from closing the world's dietary nutrient gap-that between country-level nutrient supply and population requirements-for energy, protein, iron, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin B12 and folate under five climate-friendly intervention scenarios in 2030. We show that improving crop and livestock productivity and halving food loss and waste can close the nutrient gap with up to 42% lower emissions (3.03 Gt CO2eq yr-1) compared with business-as-usual supply patterns with a persistent nutrient gap (5.48 Gt CO2eq yr-1). Increased production and trade of vegetables, eggs, and roots and tubers can close the nutrient gap with the lowest emissions in most countries-with ≤23% increase in total caloric production required for 2030 relative to 2015. We conclude that the world's nutrient gap could be closed without exceeding global climate targets and without drastic changes to national food baskets.
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22
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Traoré O, Combary OS, Zina YD. Households' basic needs satisfaction during the Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic in Burkina Faso. HEALTH POLICY OPEN 2022; 3:100060. [PMID: 34877532 PMCID: PMC8639480 DOI: 10.1016/j.hpopen.2021.100060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic has profoundly affected economic and health systems around the world. This paper aims to assess household access to basic foods and health care and food security attainment during the COVID-19 pandemic in Burkina Faso. We use the COVID-19 High-Frequency Phone Survey 2020 panel data supported by the World Bank and conducted by Institut National de la Statistique et de la Démographie (INSD). The pooled multinomial logistic, the panel logistic, and the panel ordered logistic regressions are used to analyse the access to basic foods, the access to health care and the food security of the households, respectively. The results show that during COVID-19, female-headed households, poor households and farm households remain the most vulnerable in terms of access to basic foods, health services and food insecurity. Furthermore, the results indicate that households living outside the capital, particularly in the other urbans, experience fewer difficulties obtaining basic foods than those residing in the capital and are also unlikely to experience food insecurity. For more effective policy responses to the COVID-19 or similar shocks, the interventions should focus on household socioeconomic conditions and distinguish between urban and rural areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ousmane Traoré
- Department of Economics (UFR/SEG), Université Thomas Sankara (UTS), 12 P.O. BOX 417 Ouagadougou 12, Burkina Faso,Corresponding author
| | - Omer S. Combary
- Department of Economics (UFR/SEG), Université Thomas Sankara, Burkina Faso
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Saboori B, Radmehr R, Zhang YY, Zekri S. A new face of food security: A global perspective of the COVID-19 pandemic. PROGRESS IN DISASTER SCIENCE 2022; 16:100252. [PMID: 36189436 PMCID: PMC9508695 DOI: 10.1016/j.pdisas.2022.100252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 has impacted the world economy and food system in many aspects. We conducted a comprehensive examination of global food security during the COVID-19 pandemic by considering the food security index and its four key pillars (affordability, availability, quality and safety, and natural resources and resilience) for 102 countries. In addition to the fixed effect panel data estimator, the Method of Moments Quantile regression is useful for disaggregating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to inflation, economic growth, urbanization, and agricultural land on global food security among countries with different levels of food security. We found that COVID-19 has negatively affected food security globally, especially in countries with a low food security level. The effect of income per capita and urbanization rate on the food security index is positive and statistically significant across all quantiles. Inflation rate and agricultural land, however, adversely affect food security, and this effect is stronger for countries with lower levels of food security. The results of affordability, availability, quality, and safety, and natural resources and resilience models provide meaningful implications for governments and policymakers to build resilience in food systems and to be better prepared for future crises and disruptions in the food supply.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behnaz Saboori
- Department of Natural Resource Economics, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Riza Radmehr
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Yu Yvette Zhang
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Slim Zekri
- Department of Natural Resource Economics, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
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Alaba OA, Hongoro C, Thulare A, Lukwa AT. Drivers of socioeconomic inequalities of child hunger during COVID-19 in South Africa: evidence from NIDS-CRAM Waves 1–5. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:2092. [PMID: 36384525 PMCID: PMC9667840 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-14482-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Child hunger has long-term and short-term consequences, as starving children are at risk of many forms of malnutrition, including wasting, stunting, obesity and micronutrient deficiencies. The purpose of this paper is to show that the child hunger and socio-economic inequality in South Africa increased during her COVID-19 pandemic due to various lockdown regulations that have affected the economic status of the population. Methods This paper uses the National Income Dynamics Study-Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (NIDS-CRAM WAVES 1–5) collected in South Africa during the intense COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 to assess the socioeconomic impacts of child hunger rated inequalities. First, child hunger was determined by a composite index calculated by the authors. Descriptive statistics were then shown for the investigated variables in a multiple logistic regression model to identify significant risk factors of child hunger. Additionally, the decomposable Erreygers' concentration index was used to measure socioeconomic inequalities on child hunger in South Africa during the Covid-19 pandemic. Results The overall burden of child hunger rates varied among the five waves (1–5). With proportions of adult respondents indicated that a child had gone hungry in the past 7 days: wave 1 (19.00%), wave 2 (13.76%), wave 3 (18.60%), wave 4 (15, 68%), wave 5 (15.30%). Child hunger burden was highest in the first wave and lowest in the second wave. The hunger burden was highest among children living in urban areas than among children living in rural areas. Access to electricity, access to water, respondent education, respondent gender, household size, and respondent age were significant determinants of adult reported child hunger. All the concentrated indices of the adult reported child hunger across households were negative in waves 1–5, suggesting that children from poor households were hungry. The intensity of the pro-poor inequalities also increased during the study period. To better understand what drove socioeconomic inequalites, in this study we analyzed the decomposed Erreygers Normalized Concentration Indices (ENCI). Across all five waves, results showed that race, socioeconomic status and type of housing were important factors in determining the burden of hunger among children in South Africa. Conclusion This study described the burden of adult reported child hunger and associated socioeconomic inequalities during the Covid-19 pandemic. The increasing prevalence of adult reported child hunger, especially among urban children, and the observed poverty inequality necessitate multisectoral pandemic shock interventions now and in the future, especially for urban households.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olufunke A. Alaba
- grid.7836.a0000 0004 1937 1151Health Economics Unit, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, 7925 South Africa
| | - Charles Hongoro
- grid.417715.10000 0001 0071 1142Developmental, Capable and Ethical State, Human Sciences Research Council, Pretoria, Gauteng Province South Africa ,grid.49697.350000 0001 2107 2298School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng Province South Africa
| | - Aquina Thulare
- grid.437959.5National Department of Health, Pretoria, Gauteng Province South Africa
| | - Akim Tafadzwa Lukwa
- grid.7836.a0000 0004 1937 1151Health Economics Unit, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, 7925 South Africa ,grid.11956.3a0000 0001 2214 904XDSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (SACEMA), Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, Stellenbosch, 7602 South Africa
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Ohrnberger J. Economic shocks, health, and social protection: The effect of COVID-19 income shocks on health and mitigation through cash transfers in South Africa. HEALTH ECONOMICS 2022; 31:2481-2498. [PMID: 35997147 PMCID: PMC9539133 DOI: 10.1002/hec.4592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 caused an unprecedented health and economic crisis. Nation-wide lockdowns triggered major economic disruptions across the world. We provide evidence of the impact of these extreme economic shocks on health outcomes across wealth levels. We further identify if cash transfers can mitigate the negative health effects for the most economically vulnerable. The study focuses on South Africa, an Upper Middle-Income Country with high levels of inequality, a large informal labor market and with low levels of social welfare. Using difference-in-difference estimation (DD) on a longitudinal sample of 6437 South Africans, we find that the lockdown income shock significantly reduces health by 0.2 standard deviations (SD). We find no difference of the effect across wealth quartiles. Exposure to a cash transfer program mitigates the negative health effects for recipients in the lowest wealth quartile to 0.25 SD compared to 0.4 SD for non-recipients. Full mitigation occurs for individuals exposed to an on average higher scale-up of the cash transfer program. Our analysis shows that a lockdown induced income shock caused adverse health outcomes; however, a pro-poor cash transfer program protected the most economically vulnerable from these negative health effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julius Ohrnberger
- School of Public HealthDepartment of Infectious Disease EpidemiologyImperial College LondonSt Mary's CampusLondon
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Long D, Bonsel GJ, Lubetkin EI, Yfantopoulos JN, Janssen MF, Haagsma JA. Health-Related Quality of Life and Mental Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Five Countries: A One-Year Longitudinal Study. J Clin Med 2022; 11:6467. [PMID: 36362694 PMCID: PMC9654255 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11216467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/02/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate socioeconomic and health-related determinants and recent life events and their relation to changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and mental well-being during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. A web-based survey was administered repeatedly to participants from Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Primary outcome measures were HRQoL (measured by EQ-5D-5L) and mental well-being (measured by WHO-5). Linear regression analyses were performed to estimate the impact of determinants on HRQoL and well-being. In total, 6765 respondents completed the questionnaire at T1 (April-May 2020) and T2 (May-June 2021). Regarding results, 33% showed improved HRQoL at T2, whereas 31% deteriorated. In terms of mental well-being, 44% improved and 41% deteriorated. The greatest deterioration in HRQoL and mental well-being from T1 to T2 was observed with an increasing number of chronic conditions. The effect of negative life events on HRQoL and mental well-being was larger than the effect of positive life events. We conclude that slightly more respondents showed improved rather than deteriorated HRQoL and mental well-being, with some variation by outcome measure and country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Long
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gouke J. Bonsel
- EuroQol Research Foundation, 3068 AV Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Erica I. Lubetkin
- Department of Community Health and Social Medicine, CUNY School of Medicine, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - John N. Yfantopoulos
- Health Department of Economics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 157 72 Athens, Greece
| | - Mathieu F. Janssen
- Section Medical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Juanita A. Haagsma
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Martey E, Etwire PM, Adzawla W, Atakora W, Bindraban PS. Perceptions of COVID-19 shocks and adoption of sustainable agricultural practices in Ghana. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 320:115810. [PMID: 35947906 PMCID: PMC9353610 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Most studies on the novel COVID-19 pandemic have focused mainly on human health, food systems, and employment with limited studies on how farmers implement sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs) in response to the pandemic. This study examines how perceptions of COVID-19 shocks influence the adoption of SAPs among smallholder farmers in Ghana. We find that perceptions of COVID-19 shocks influence the probability and intensity of SAPs adoption. Secondly, households who anticipated COVID-19 shocks recorded heterogeneity effects in the combinations (complementarity and substitutability) of SAPs. Farmers who anticipated an increase in input prices and loss of income due to COVID-19 recorded the highest complementarity association between pesticide and zero tillage while farmers who expected limited market access reported the highest complementarity between mixed cropping and mulching. Farmers who projected a decrease in output prices complements pesticides with mixed cropping. The findings suggest that understanding the heterogeneity effects in the combinations of SAPs due to COVID-19 shocks is critical to effectively design, target and disseminate sustainable intensification programs in a post-pandemic period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Martey
- Socio-economics Section, CSIR-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI), P.O. Box TL 52, Tamale, Ghana.
| | - Prince M Etwire
- Socio-economics Section, CSIR-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI), P.O. Box TL 52, Tamale, Ghana.
| | - William Adzawla
- International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), Muscle Shoals, AL, 35662, USA.
| | - Williams Atakora
- International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), Muscle Shoals, AL, 35662, USA.
| | - Prem S Bindraban
- International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), Muscle Shoals, AL, 35662, USA.
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Umutoniwase S, Nshimyiryo A, Barnhart DA, Dusabeyezu S, Mpanumusingo E, Nahimana E, Mubiligi JM, Cubaka VK. Food insecurity and level of depression among patients with chronic diseases, and associated factors during the COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-sectional study in rural Rwanda. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e054137. [PMID: 36216428 PMCID: PMC9556745 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-054137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We aimed to describe access to food and symptoms of depression among patients with chronic diseases or their caregivers, and assess associated factors during the COVID-19 lockdown in rural Rwanda. DESIGN A cross-sectional study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS A stratified random sampling technique was used to recruit 220 patients enrolled in the HIV, non-communicable diseases, mental health, paediatric development clinic and oncology programmes in three rural districts of Rwanda. OUTCOME MEASURES Telephone-based interviews were conducted to collect data on the number of daily meals before and during the COVID-19, and depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. We used logistic regression analysis to investigate factors associated with households reporting a reduction in daily meals and with the survey respondent reporting symptoms of depression. RESULTS Of the participants, 19.1% reported a reduction in daily number of meals for either adults or children in their households during lockdown and 24.6% had depression. Reporting a reduction in daily meals was associated with the district of residence and estimated household's monthly income. Self-reported depression was significantly associated with negative experiences during lockdown, including reporting feeling depressed or fear (AOR 4.82; 95% CI 2.08 to 11.21), loneliness (AOR 4.33; 95% CI 1.32 to 14.13), reduction in daily meals (AOR 4.15; 95% CI 1.56 to 11.00) and lack of access to healthcare (OR 3.29; 95% CI 1.32 to 8.23). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that significant reduction in access to food affected rural Rwandans with chronic diseases during COVID-19 lockdown, and the lockdown effect varied by household's pre-pandemic level of vulnerability to food insecurity. Reduction in household meals, as well as other self-reported effects of the lockdown, were associated with worse psychological status of survey respondents. Economic and food support should be considered by governments and non-governmental organisations to protect those most vulnerable including patients with chronic diseases against the effects of pandemics and their associated containment measures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dale A Barnhart
- Research and Training, Partners In Health/Inshuti Mu Buzima, Kigali, Rwanda
- Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | - Evrard Nahimana
- Clinical, Partners In Health/Inshuti Mu Buzima, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Joel M Mubiligi
- Clinical, Partners In Health/Inshuti Mu Buzima, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Vincent K Cubaka
- Research and Training, Partners In Health/Inshuti Mu Buzima, Kigali, Rwanda
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Humphries H, Lewis L, Lamontagne E, Choonara S, Dikgale K, Yakusik A, Massawe D, Mkhize N, Mzungu F, Karim QA. Impact of COVID-19 public health responses on income, food security and health services among key and vulnerable women in South Africa. AFRICAN JOURNAL OF AIDS RESEARCH 2022; 21:317-329. [DOI: 10.2989/16085906.2022.2144392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hilton Humphries
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Department of Psychology, School of Applied Human Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal. Durbanm, South Africa
| | - Lara Lewis
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Erik Lamontagne
- UNAIDS, Strategic Information, Geneva, Switzerland
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, Aix-Marseilfe School of Economics, Marseille, France
| | - Shakira Choonara
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Keabetswe Dikgale
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Anna Yakusik
- UNAIDS, Strategic Information, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Quarraisha Abdool Karim
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, USA
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Ngarava S. Empirical analysis on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food insecurity in South Africa. PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY OF THE EARTH (2002) 2022; 127:103180. [PMID: 35694434 PMCID: PMC9173843 DOI: 10.1016/j.pce.2022.103180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The study sought to ascertain the changes in the food insecurity status of households during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study made use of secondary data obtained from the 5 Waves of the National Income Dynamics Study-Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (NIDS-CRAM). Descriptive statistics, food insecurity index and independent sample t-test were used to compare the mean differences in the food insecurity statuses of the households over the 5 Waves. The study found that there was an increase in food insecurity as the COVID-19 progressed from Wave 1 to 5. Significant differences at the 1% level were observed between Wave 5 and Wave 1 as well as between Wave 5 and Wave 3. The study concludes that there was food security in the initial progression of the COVID-19 pandemic which deteriorated. The study recommends a reconsideration of the scrapping of the top ups on the social grants. This will likely tighten the dire economic situation the households find themselves in. There is need to expand the social safety nets to accommodate the vulnerable in society. Short and localised value chains should be promoted to improve food accessibility during times of crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saul Ngarava
- Risk and Vulnerability Science Centre, University of Fort Hare, P. Bag X1314, 1 King William's Town Road, Alice, 5700, South Africa
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31
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Daum T, Biesalski HK, Blaschke N, Bosch C, Güttler D, Heni J, Kariuki J, Katusiime R, Seidel A, Senon Z, Woode G, Birner R. Nutrition-sensitive lockdowns: conceptual framework and empirical insights from Africa during COVID-19. DEVELOPMENT POLICY REVIEW : THE JOURNAL OF THE OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE 2022; 41:e12666. [PMID: 36245567 PMCID: PMC9538056 DOI: 10.1111/dpr.12666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Motivation Countries facing challenges of nutrition security confront a trade-off when dealing with pandemics such as COVID-19. Implementing lockdown measures, widely used worldwide, can help "flatten the curve" (of disease), but such measures may worsen nutrition security. Purpose We aim to identify and justify nutrition-sensitive lockdown measures to reduce trade-offs with nutrition security. Methods and approach We propose a conceptual framework which distinguishes eight lockdown measures and six pathways to nutrition security. To demonstrate the relevance of the pathways, we reviewed emerging literature on COVID-19 and nutrition security. We analysed the content of 1,188 newspaper articles on lockdown effects in five African countries - Benin, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda and Zambia. Findings Some lockdown measures, such as closing workplaces and restricting movement, potentially worsen nutrition far more than others - banning events and public gatherings have far lesser impacts on nutrition. This can be seen from the framework, literature, and is supported by the analysis of newspaper reports in the five countries. Policy implications It is better when possible to test and trace disease than to lockdown. But when lockdowns are needed, then first recourse should be to measures that have few nutritional consequences, such as banning public events. When more drastic measures are necessary, look to mitigate nutritional harm by, for example, exempting farm labour from restrictions on movement, by replacing school meals with take-home rations, and, above all, providing income support to households most affected and most vulnerable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Daum
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics (Hans‐Ruthenberg‐Institute)University of HohenheimGermany
| | | | - Nikola Blaschke
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics (Hans‐Ruthenberg‐Institute)University of HohenheimGermany
| | - Christine Bosch
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics (Hans‐Ruthenberg‐Institute)University of HohenheimGermany
| | - Denise Güttler
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics (Hans‐Ruthenberg‐Institute)University of HohenheimGermany
| | - Jakob Heni
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics (Hans‐Ruthenberg‐Institute)University of HohenheimGermany
| | - Juliet Kariuki
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics (Hans‐Ruthenberg‐Institute)University of HohenheimGermany
| | - Roseline Katusiime
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics (Hans‐Ruthenberg‐Institute)University of HohenheimGermany
| | - Anna Seidel
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics (Hans‐Ruthenberg‐Institute)University of HohenheimGermany
| | - Zinsou‐Narcisse Senon
- Regional Agency of Agricultural Development‐PlateauMinistry of Agriculture, Livestock and FisheryRepublic of Benin
| | - George Woode
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics (Hans‐Ruthenberg‐Institute)University of HohenheimGermany
| | - Regina Birner
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics (Hans‐Ruthenberg‐Institute)University of HohenheimGermany
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Beharielal T, Thamaga-Chitja J, Schmidt S. Socioeconomic Characteristics Associated with Farming Practices, Food Safety and Security in the Production of Fresh Produce—A Case Study including Small-Scale Farmers in KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa). SUSTAINABILITY 2022; 14:10590. [DOI: 10.3390/su141710590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Farmer practices may influence the microbial quality and safety of fresh produce. The increasing demands to create ready-to-eat (RTE) fresh produce while providing potential niche markets for smallholder farmers might be contributing to increased numbers of fresh produce-associated foodborne disease outbreaks. This study determined the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and farmer hygiene practices of farmers using open-ended questionnaires and key informant interviews. Additionally, the relationships between farmer socioeconomic characteristics and hygiene practices were statistically analyzed. The semi-organic smallholder farmer population and the farmworkers of the organic farm were female-dominated. Tertiary education was a predominant characteristic in the organic and semi-conventional workforces. While the semi-organic and semi-conventional farms relied on a combination of ‘store-bought’ synthetic and composted organic fertilizers, the organic farm owner only used composted organic fertilizer. The irrigation water sources varied amongst the farm types. However, most of the semi-organic farmers did not pre-treat irrigation water prior to use. The irrigation water source and fertilizer type selected by farmers varied and might affect the microbial quality and safety of fresh produce. Socioeconomic factors such as gender and education may influence farmer hygiene practices. These characteristics should therefore be considered when planning farmer support interventions.
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Zhu H, Su D, Yao F. Spatio-Temporal Differences in Economic Security of the Prefecture-Level Cities in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Region of China: Based on a Triple-Dimension Analytical Framework of Economic Geography. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:10605. [PMID: 36078319 PMCID: PMC9518529 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191710605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The assessment of regional economic security (RES) is mainly based on the theoretical ideas of political economy and marginalism, and the research areas are mainly concentrated in European and American countries/regions, especially Eastern Europe. Taking the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China as an example, this paper constructs a triple-dimensional analytical framework, resources, and environmental-economic foundation-driving forces, based on the institutional approach of economic geography, with the purpose of making up for the deficiency of the extant literature, which pays little attention to regional characteristics and the dynamic mechanism concerning RES, and to provide a tool to identify key factors affecting RES. This paper obtained the main conclusions as follows. (1) The index of the economic security in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is on the rise, and the difference at the level of RES among cities is significant but tends to decrease. (2) There is a significant spatial autocorrelation among cities in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in terms of RES. The high-value areas are concentrated along the southeast edge, and the low-value areas are concentrated in the central areas of the west. (3) Despite lower weight values, the weakness of the economic foundation and the fragility of the ecological environment has increasingly hampered the improvement of the economic security in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. In terms of driving forces, it is the support of the central government and aid programs of other provinces that contributes to its economic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huasheng Zhu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Remote Sensing and Digital Cities, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100785, China
- Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100785, China; (D.S.); (F.Y.)
| | - Duer Su
- Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100785, China; (D.S.); (F.Y.)
| | - Fei Yao
- Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100785, China; (D.S.); (F.Y.)
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Frimpong EK, Yamoah P, Wiafe E, Demana PH, Matlala M. Market Women's Perspectives on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): The Case of Ghana and South Africa. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:9658. [PMID: 35955014 PMCID: PMC9367916 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19159658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Globally, countries are still battling health challenges and the negative economic stress on the citizenry caused by COVID-19. This study explored the perspectives of market women in Ghana and South Africa on COVID-19. Data collection was executed in both Ghana and South Africa between March 2021 and December 2021. Employing semi-structured questionnaires, face-to-face interviews were conducted. Most of the market women in Ghana described COVID-19 as a global pandemic, while market women in South Africa described the disease as the deadly flu. There were similarities in the perceived signs and symptoms of COVID-19. Market women in both countries specifically observed that not adhering to the safety protocols was the major mode of transmission. Lemon, garlic and ginger were the most common foodstuffs used by the market women to fight COVID-19. To prevent COVID-19 at their places of work, market women stressed the importance of observing the safety protocols. An overwhelming majority of market women in both countries bemoaned the negative impact of COVID-19 on their businesses and suggested the need for financial assistance from their respective governments. The findings are intended to assist policymakers in both Ghana and South Africa to implement interventional projects to assist women whom the literature suggests are the most vulnerable during pandemics such as COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ebenezer Kwabena Frimpong
- Indigenous Knowledge Systems Centre, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, Private Bag X 2046, Mmabatho 2790, South Africa
| | - Peter Yamoah
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho PMB 31, Ghana
| | - Ebenezer Wiafe
- Pharmacy Department, Ho Teaching Hospital, Ho MA 374, Ghana
| | - Patrick Hulisani Demana
- Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Molotlegi St, Ga-Rankuwa Zone 1, Ga-Rankuwa 0208, Medunsa 0204, South Africa
| | - Moliehi Matlala
- Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Molotlegi St, Ga-Rankuwa Zone 1, Ga-Rankuwa 0208, Medunsa 0204, South Africa
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35
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Allande-Cussó R, García-Iglesias JJ, Miranda-Plata R, Pichardo-Hexamer R, Ruiz-Frutos C, Gómez-Salgado J. Social Determinants of Health in the COVID-19 Pandemic Context of the Migrant Population Living in Settlements in Spain. Int J Public Health 2022; 67:1604628. [PMID: 35990191 PMCID: PMC9385961 DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2022.1604628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe and evaluate the sociodemographic profile and assess the levels of anxiety and fear, work engagement, and psychological distress on a sample of migrants living in settlements in the province of Huelva (Spain) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 623 migrants during the months of April to June 2021, based on the Anxiety and Fear of COVID-19 (AMICO) assessment scale, the 9-item Utrecht Work Engagement Scale to assess work engagement, and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) to analyse psychological distress. Results: A low level of education, dwelling of less than 3 m2 and the desire to return to the country of origin may be related to the presence of anxiety and fear of COVID-19 and lower levels of work engagement. Conclusion: There is a need to improve the study of the concept of health of the migrant population residing in the settlements of Huelva (Spain) and the assessment of their physical and mental health, in an official way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regina Allande-Cussó
- Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Podiatry and Physiotherapy, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Juan Jesús García-Iglesias
- Department of Sociology, Social Work and Public Health, Faculty of Labour Sciences, Huelva, Spain
- *Correspondence: Juan Jesús García-Iglesias,
| | | | | | - Carlos Ruiz-Frutos
- Department of Sociology, Social Work and Public Health, Faculty of Labour Sciences, Huelva, Spain
- Safety and Health Postgraduate Programme, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Juan Gómez-Salgado
- Safety and Health Postgraduate Programme, Guayaquil, Ecuador
- Sociology, Social Work and Public Health, Huelva, Spain
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Factors Associated with Food Insecurity in Latin America and the Caribbean Countries: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of 13 Countries. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14153190. [PMID: 35956365 PMCID: PMC9370137 DOI: 10.3390/nu14153190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
It is estimated that Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is the region with the second highest figures for food insecurity (FI) globally, with a prevalence of 40.9% in the entire region. This cross-sectional study analyzes the household factors associated with FI across 13 LAC countries. We used data from the first round of high-frequency phone surveys, conducted by the World Bank. Approximately 4 out of 10 people in LAC experienced FI during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. FI was positively associated with the number of individuals aged from 5 to 18 years, the number of men, the illness, accident, or death of an income-earning household member, and health expenditure due to COVID-19 or other illnesses, as well as the increase in food prices, reduced family income, and job loss by a member of the household. On the other hand, households located in capital cities and those with more bedrooms were less likely to have experienced FI. The design of social policies must focus on the economic deficiencies experienced by the LAC population, with unemployment, reduced income, and high food costs being the main factors that must be addressed to ensure adequate nutrition.
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Amuakwa-Mensah F, Amuakwa-Mensah S, Klege RA, Adom PK. Stockpiling and food worries: Changing habits and choices in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic. SOCIO-ECONOMIC PLANNING SCIENCES 2022; 82:101181. [PMID: 34744190 PMCID: PMC8562977 DOI: 10.1016/j.seps.2021.101181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Albeit, governments have instituted strong containment measures in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns of continuous local spread and economic impact of the virus are impacting global food chains and food security. This paper investigates the effect of concern about the i) local spread and ii) economic impact of COVID-19, on the change in the amount of food and necessities bought in twelve Sub-Sahara African countries. In addition, we examine if these effects are channeled through food worries. The study uses a unique survey dataset by GeoPoll collected in April 2020 (first round) and May 2020 (second round) and employs a multinomial logit and generalized structural equation models. We find significant effect of concern about COVID-19 on change in the package size of food and necessities bought, which is heterogeneous across gender group and rural-urban divide. Our results reveal that concerns of COVID-19 might be promoting stockpiling behavior among females and those with no food worries (due to having sufficient money or resources). This if not properly managed could in the medium to long-term affect the food supply chain, food waste and exacerbate food worries problem especially for already food deprived homes. We discuss the policy implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franklin Amuakwa-Mensah
- Environment for Development, University of Gothenburg, Box 645, SE 405 30, Göteborg, Sweden
- Department of Business Administration, Technology and Social Sciences, Luleå University of Technology, 971 87, Luleå, Sweden
| | - Salome Amuakwa-Mensah
- Department of Business Administration, Technology and Social Sciences, Luleå University of Technology, 971 87, Luleå, Sweden
| | - Rebecca Afua Klege
- School of Economics, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch, 7701, Cape Town, South Africa
- Henry J Austin Health Center, 321 N. Warren Street, Trenton, 08618, New Jersey, USA
| | - Philip Kofi Adom
- Department of Development Policy, School of Public Service and Governance, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Ghana
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Doku I, Richardson TE, Essah NK. Bilateral climate finance and food security in developing countries: A look at German donations to Sub‐Saharan Africa. Food Energy Secur 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/fes3.412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Doku
- Economics Education University of Education Winneba Ghana
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Food Security Challenges and Resilience during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Corner Store Communities in Washington, D.C. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14153028. [PMID: 35893882 PMCID: PMC9332299 DOI: 10.3390/nu14153028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates the complexities of food inequity. As one of the social determinants of health, food insecurity significantly impacts overall health across the life course. Guided by the Getting to Equity Framework, this qualitative community-engaged participatory project examines the impact of the pandemic on food security among adults in Washington, DC. Semi-structured interviews (n = 79) were conducted by trained community health workers between November 2020 and December 2021 at corner stores. Data analysis was performed using thematic network analysis in NVivo. Results are grouped into four key themes: (1) impact of the pandemic on food access, including expanded services and innovative solutions to meet needs; (2) coping and asset-based strategies at the individual and community level; (3) sources of information and support, and (4) impact of the pandemic on health and well-being. The importance of lived experience research in public health is increasingly recognized as an innovative approach that offers benefits through community engagement and empowerment.
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Mkupete MJ, Donath LT, Mugizi FMP. Household Resilience to Food and Nutrition Insecurity during COVID-19 in Tanzania. GEOJOURNAL 2022; 88:1721-1735. [PMID: 35911587 PMCID: PMC9306244 DOI: 10.1007/s10708-022-10705-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
We examine food and nutrition security and the household's ability to respond adequately to shock and stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, we assess household resilience to food insecurity and its relation to future food security. We use two survey rounds collected during the pandemic - before and after the second wave of the pandemic-from the vulnerable population living in slums in Tanzania. The findings reveal that many households have low resilience to shock. We find that COVID-19 reduced access to food in 68% of the households and left about 30% without any food to eat. We also find that micronutrient consumption significantly declined among households who reported food insecurity following the second wave of COVID-19. We also find that the probability of experiencing food insecurity reduced with the initial resilience level. High resilient households have a higher likelihood of maintaining or diversifying more their diets even when are exposed to shock. The disruption of income-generating activities was found as a leading pathway through which COVID-19 affected household food security. The findings suggest that with persisting COVID-19 pandemic and the low level of micronutrients consumption, the nutrition of children and adult household members of the vulnerable population is at stake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mkupete Jaah Mkupete
- Department of Geography and Economics, University of Dar es Salaam, Mkwawa University College of Education, Iringa, Tanzania
| | - Livini Tesha Donath
- Department of Geography and Economics, University of Dar es Salaam, Mkwawa University College, Iringa, Tanzania
| | - Francisco M. P. Mugizi
- Department of Geography and Economics, University of Dar es Salaam, Mkwawa Univesity College of Education, Iringa, Tanzania
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Gelo D, Dikgang J. Implications of COVID-19 labour market shock for child and household hungers in South Africa: Do social protection programs protect?’. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269848. [PMID: 35776724 PMCID: PMC9249193 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recent studies have confirmed that the COVID-19 lockdown has caused massive job losses. However, the impact of this loss on food security is not well-understood. Moreover, a paucity of evidence exists regarding social protection grants’ countervailing effects against such shocks. This study examined the effects of job loss (labour income loss) on child and household hungers (our two measures food insecurity) during COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa. It also ascertained whether these effect were offset by alternative social grant programs to document the protective role of the latter. Data and methods We used South Africa’s National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) and the Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (CRAM) data. These data cover a nationally representative sample of 7073 individuals. We employed a probit model to estimate the effect of job loss and receipts of various social grants on child and households’ hungers. We also estimated the double-selection logit model to account for the model’s uncertainty surrounding the variable selection and treatment-effects estimation using lasso (Telasso) for causal inference of our analysis. Results Our analyses showed that households exposed to a labour market shock during the pandemic experienced a significant increase in our measures of food insecurity (child and household hungers). Specifically, we found that compared with households containing employed respondents, households with respondents who lost their jobs due to COVID-19 lockdown were 5.4% more likely to report child hunger and 2.6% more likely to report household hunger in the past seven days A receipt of child support grant reduces the likelihood of reporting child hunger and household hunger by 21.7%and 16.9% respectively among these households. A receipt of old age pension grant reduces the likelihood of reporting household hunger by 24% with no significant effect on child hunger. Conclusion The COVID-19 lockdown resulted in unprecedent job losses with significant implications for food insecurity. Job loss due to COVID-19 lockdown significantly increased food insecurity in South Africa. Receipts of social grants effectively offset this adverse effect. The protective effect of the social grant is heterogenous across its alternative programs (child support grant and old age pension grant) and food insecurity, suggesting the differences in the size of transfers and motivations for sending these transfers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dambala Gelo
- School of Economics and Finance, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- * E-mail:
| | - Johane Dikgang
- School of Economics and Finance, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Economics and Finance, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, Florida, United States of America
- The Water School, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, Florida, United States of America
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Murakami E. Immediate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on household economic activities and food security in Tajikistan. ECONOMICS OF DISASTERS AND CLIMATE CHANGE 2022; 6:259-291. [PMID: 35071974 PMCID: PMC8762633 DOI: 10.1007/s41885-021-00104-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Using a nationally representative monthly survey, administered both before and after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, this paper provides estimates of household responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in Tajikistan, focusing on (i) short-term dynamic impacts on household economic outcomes and food security, (ii) heterogenous effects across different households, and (iii) coping with income shocks resulted from the pandemic. Parametric and non-parametric event studies are estimated to quantify the short-run dynamic impacts of the pandemic on household activities. The findings show that household employment and income dropped, and food insecurity immediately worsened with the first confirmed COVID-19 cases and continues to deteriorate six months into the pandemic in Tajikistan. The extent of the impacts varies depending on locations, pre-pandemic income levels, and household sizes. In response to the income shock brought about by the pandemic, households increased borrowings and reduced food and health expenditures. These results are robust to different specifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enerelt Murakami
- Japan International Cooperation Agency, Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development, 10-5, Ichigaya Honmuracho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8433 Japan
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Timothy R, Chin-See RA, Martyniuk J, Djiadeu P. The national and global impact of systemic and structural violence on the effective prevention, treatment and management of COVID-19 in the African/Black population: Protocol for a Scoping Review (Preprint). JMIR Res Protoc 2022; 11:e40381. [PMID: 36219749 PMCID: PMC9578518 DOI: 10.2196/40381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background As COVID-19 ravages the globe and cases increase rapidly, countries are presented with challenging policy choices to contain and mitigate its spread. In Canada and globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has added a new stratum to the debate concerning the root causes of global and racial health inequities and disparities. Individuals who exist as targets of systemic inequities are not only more susceptible to contracting COVID-19, but also more likely to bear the greatest social, economic, and physical burdens. Therefore, data collection that focuses on the impact of COVID-19 on the lives and health of African/Black communities worldwide is needed to develop intersectional, culturally relative, antiracist/antioppression, and empowerment-centered interventions and social policies for supporting affected communities. Objective The primary objective of this review is to investigate the impact and management of COVID-19 among African/Black individuals and communities, and understand how anti-Black racism and intersectional violence impact the health of African/Black communities during the pandemic. Moreover, the study aims to explore research pertaining to the impact of COVID-19 on Black communities in the global context. We seek to determine how Black communities are impacted with regard to structural violence, systematic racism, and health outcomes, and the ways in which attempts have been made to mitigate or manage the consequences of the pandemic and other injurious agents. Methods A systematic search of quantitative and qualitative studies published on COVID-19 will be conducted in MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (EBSCO), Cochrane Library, PsychInfo (Ovid), CAB Abstracts (Ovid), Scopus (Elsevier), Web of Science (Clarivate), and Global Index Medicus. To be included in the review, studies should present data on COVID-19 in relation to African/Black individuals, populations, and communities in the global sphere. Studies must discuss racism, oppression, antioppression, or systemic and structural violence and be published in English, French, Spanish, or Portuguese. According to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines, the findings will be synthesized quantitatively and qualitatively through thematic analysis. The risk of bias will not be assessed. Results Title, abstract, and full-text screening concluded in June 2022. Data collection is in progress and is expected to be completed by December 2022. Data analysis and drafting of the manuscript will be done thereafter. Findings from the scoping review are expected to be provided for peer review in 2023. Conclusions This review will collect important data and evidence related to COVID-19 in African/Black communities. The findings could help identify existing gaps in COVID-19 management in African/Black communities and inform future research paradigms. Furthermore, the findings could be applied to decision-making for health policy and promotion, and could potentially influence services provided by health care facilities and community organizations around the globe. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/40381
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Timothy
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Julia Martyniuk
- Gerstein Science Information Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Pascal Djiadeu
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Health Research Methods Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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Zyoud SH, Al-Jabi SW, Koni A, Shakhshir M, Shahwan M, Jairoun AA. Mapping the landscape and structure of global research on nutrition and COVID-19: visualization analysis. JOURNAL OF HEALTH, POPULATION, AND NUTRITION 2022; 41:25. [PMID: 35689295 PMCID: PMC9186477 DOI: 10.1186/s41043-022-00304-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a significant influence on nutritional status. There have been several studies on dietary habits and nutritional status in connection with COVID-19. However, there has been no research on the bibliometric analysis of these papers. Therefore, our objective was to assess the most relevant scientific research on nutrition and COVID-19, as well as to assess current hot themes. METHODS We obtained data from the Scopus database on June 30, 2021. Qualitative and quantitative analyzes were conducted based on the Scopus. Collaboration and term analysis was performed using VOSviewer software version 1.6.16. RESULTS At the time of data collection, there were 177,946 documents in COVID-19. Scopus found 1885 articles related to nutrition and COVID-19 after narrowing the search to those terms. This includes 1309 (69.44%) research articles, 268 (14.22%) review papers, and 308 other types of document. The USA was the largest producer, with 24.83% of the documents, followed by Italy with 11.88% (n = 224), the UK with 10.82% (n = 204), and China with 7.59% (n = 143). The most active institution was Sapienza Università di Roma (n = 30, 1.59%). The leading journal in COVID-19 nutrition research was Nutrients (n = 115, 6.10%). The article with 310 citations published by Di Renzo et al. in 2020 was the most influential reference. The hot topics were stratified into three clusters: (1) "Food security in the COVID-19 pandemic"; (2) "nutritional determinants and COVID-19 outcomes"; and (3) "changes in dietary habits during the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences". CONCLUSIONS This is the first bibliometric research to offer comprehensive information on COVID-19 and nutrition in the published literature. Research will likely be helpful to scholars and policymakers. This study sheds light on the growth and development of nutrition and covid-19-related research and should contribute to the expansion of the global frontier in the major hot topics, including "food security in the COVID-19 pandemic"; "nutritional determinants and COVID-19 outcomes"; and "changes in diet habits during the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences".
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Affiliation(s)
- Sa’ed H. Zyoud
- grid.11942.3f0000 0004 0631 5695Poison Control and Drug Information Center (PCDIC), College of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839 Palestine
- grid.11942.3f0000 0004 0631 5695Department of Clinical and Community Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839 Palestine
- grid.11942.3f0000 0004 0631 5695Clinical Research Centre, An-Najah National University Hospital, Nablus, 44839 Palestine
| | - Samah W. Al-Jabi
- grid.11942.3f0000 0004 0631 5695Department of Clinical and Community Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839 Palestine
| | - Amer Koni
- grid.11942.3f0000 0004 0631 5695Department of Clinical and Community Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839 Palestine
- grid.11942.3f0000 0004 0631 5695Division of Clinical Pharmacy, Hematology and Oncology Pharmacy Department, An-Najah National University Hospital, Nablus, 44839 Palestine
| | - Muna Shakhshir
- grid.11942.3f0000 0004 0631 5695Department of Nutrition, An-Najah National University Hospital, Nablus, 44839 Palestine
| | - Moyad Shahwan
- grid.444470.70000 0000 8672 9927College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ammar A. Jairoun
- Health and Safety Department, Dubai Municipality, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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Impact of COVID-19 Lock-Downs on Nature Connection in Southern and Eastern Africa. LAND 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/land11060872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
The response of African countries immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic declaration was rapid and appropriate, with low infections and mortality rates until June 2020. Severe lock-down measures were effective in Africa; however, the reduction in the amount of natural experience influences the quality of life in modern society. This study is conducted as an international comparative study in five African countries on changes in the perception of health recovery and outdoor activities in urban forests during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey was conducted with 430 respondents to investigate the relationships between COVID-19 stress, indoor activity, appreciation of greenspaces, perception of health recovery, and use of greenspaces. A structural equation model was used for analysis. The visit frequency and staying time in urban forests after lock-down dramatically decreased, raising concerns about nature-deficit disorder across the target countries after the end of the pandemic. This study confirmed urban dwellers’ desire for natural experiences and health recovery during the pandemic and predicts an explosive increase in urban forest utilization after the pandemic has ended.
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Eike D, Hogrebe M, Kifle D, Tregilgas M, Uppal A, Calmy A. How the COVID-19 Pandemic Alters the Landscapes of the HIV and Tuberculosis Epidemics in South Africa: A Case Study and Future Directions. EPIDEMIOLGIA (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 3:297-313. [PMID: 36417259 PMCID: PMC9620941 DOI: 10.3390/epidemiologia3020023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
South Africa has long grappled with one of the highest HIV and tuberculosis (TB) burdens in the world. The COVID-19 pandemic poses challenges to the country's already strained health system. Measures to contain COVID-19 virus may have further hampered the containment of HIV and TB in the country and further widened the socioeconomic gap. South Africa's handling of the pandemic has led to disruptions to HIV/TB testing and treatment. It has, furthermore, influenced social risk factors associated with increased transmission of these diseases. Individuals living with HIV and/or TB also face higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 disease. In this case study, we contextualize the HIV/TB landscape in South Africa and analyze the direct and indirect impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the country's efforts to combat these ongoing epidemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Eike
- Global Studies Institute, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland; (M.H.); (D.K.); (M.T.); (A.U.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Maximilia Hogrebe
- Global Studies Institute, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland; (M.H.); (D.K.); (M.T.); (A.U.)
| | - Dagem Kifle
- Global Studies Institute, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland; (M.H.); (D.K.); (M.T.); (A.U.)
| | - Miriam Tregilgas
- Global Studies Institute, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland; (M.H.); (D.K.); (M.T.); (A.U.)
| | - Anshu Uppal
- Global Studies Institute, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland; (M.H.); (D.K.); (M.T.); (A.U.)
| | - Alexandra Calmy
- HIV/AIDS Unit, Division of Infectious Disease, Geneva University Hospitals, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland;
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Kim AW, Nyengerai T, Mendenhall E. Evaluating the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic: perceived risk of COVID-19 infection and childhood trauma predict adult depressive symptoms in urban South Africa. Psychol Med 2022; 52:1587-1599. [PMID: 32895082 PMCID: PMC7520640 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291720003414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND South Africa's national lockdown introduced serious threats to public mental health in a society where one in three individuals develops a psychiatric disorder during their life. We aimed to evaluate the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic using a mixed-methods design. METHODS This longitudinal study drew from a preexisting sample of 957 adults living in Soweto, a major township near Johannesburg. Psychological assessments were administered across two waves between August 2019 and March 2020 and during the first 6 weeks of the lockdown (late March-early May 2020). Interviews on COVID-19 experiences were administered in the second wave. Multiple regression models examined relationships between perceived COVID-19 risk and depression. RESULTS Full data on perceived COVID-19 risk, depression, and covariates were available in 221 adults. In total, 14.5% of adults were at risk for depression. Higher perceived COVID-19 risk predicted greater depressive symptoms (p < 0.001), particularly among adults with histories of childhood trauma, though this effect was marginally significant (p = 0.063). Adults were about two times more likely to experience significant depressive symptoms for every one unit increase in perceived COVID-19 risk (p = 0.021; 95% CI 1.10-3.39). Qualitative data identified potent experiences of anxiety, financial insecurity, fear of infection, and rumination. CONCLUSIONS Higher perceived risk of COVID-19 infection is associated with greater depressive symptoms during the first 6 weeks of quarantine. High rates of severe mental illness and low availability of mental healthcare amidst COVID-19 emphasize the need for immediate and accessible psychological resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Wooyoung Kim
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Tawanda Nyengerai
- School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Emily Mendenhall
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
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Maredia MK, Adenikinju A, Belton B, Chapoto A, Faye NF, Liverpool-Tasie S, Olwande J, Reardon T, Theriault V, Tschirley D. COVID-19's impacts on incomes and food consumption in urban and rural areas are surprisingly similar: Evidence from five African countries. GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY 2022; 33:100633. [PMID: 35371913 PMCID: PMC8964340 DOI: 10.1016/j.gfs.2022.100633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
African governments imposed mobility restrictions to suppress the spread of COVID-19. Many observers feared these measures would dramatically decrease incomes and increase food insecurity and anticipated that urban households would be much more impacted than rural ones. We use rural and urban survey data from 4000 households across five African countries to assess the pandemic's effect on incomes and food consumption. We find that a large share of the population saw incomes drop between March and July 2020. But these decreases were 43–63% smaller than predictions and early estimates, and highly correlated with the severity of restrictions. The income and food consumption impacts of the COVID-19 shock were widespread over both rural and urban areas. Policy making during a pandemic should recognize that restrictive measures will affect rural and urban, farming and non-farming, and richer and poorer households.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adeola Adenikinju
- Centre for Petroleum, Energy Economics and Law and Dept. of Economics, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Ben Belton
- Michigan State University, USA
- The World Fish Center, Malaysia
| | | | | | | | - John Olwande
- Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development, Egerton University, Kenya
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Campbell LS, Masquillier C, Knight L, Delport A, Sematlane N, Dube LT, Wouters E. Stay-at-Home: The Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown on Household Functioning and ART Adherence for People Living with HIV in Three Sub-districts of Cape Town, South Africa. AIDS Behav 2022; 26:1905-1922. [PMID: 34977957 PMCID: PMC8720535 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-021-03541-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In March 2020, the South African government imposed a lockdown to control COVID-19 transmission. Lockdown may affect people living with HIV’s (PLWH) antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. Data from a cluster randomised control trial was collected from 152 PLWH in Cape Town sub-districts from October 2019–March 2020 when the lockdown halted collection. Subsequently, 83 PLWH were followed-up in June–July 2020. Random effects models were used to analyse: (1) changes between baseline and follow-up and (2) correlates of adherence during lockdown. At follow-up, there was an increase in the odds of being below the poverty line and the odds of experiencing violence decreased. Measures for well-being, household functioning, stigma and HIV competency improved. Violence, depression, food insecurity, and stigma were associated with poorer ART adherence; higher well-being scores were associated with better adherence. During lockdown, governments need to ensure financial support, access to (mental) health services, and services for those experiencing violence. Clinical Trial Number: Pan African Clinical Trial Registry, PACTR201906476052236. Registered on 24 June 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda S. Campbell
- Centre for Population, Family and Health, University of Antwerp, Prinsstraat 13, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Caroline Masquillier
- Centre for Population, Family and Health, University of Antwerp, Prinsstraat 13, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Lucia Knight
- Division of Social and Behavioural Sciences, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- School of Public Health, Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Anton Delport
- School of Public Health, Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Neo Sematlane
- Centre for Population, Family and Health, University of Antwerp, Prinsstraat 13, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium
- School of Public Health, Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Lorraine Tanyaradzwa Dube
- School of Public Health, Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Edwin Wouters
- Centre for Population, Family and Health, University of Antwerp, Prinsstraat 13, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium
- Centre for Health Systems Research & Development, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
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50
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Headey D, Goudet S, Lambrecht I, Maffioli EM, Oo TZ, Russell T. Poverty and food insecurity during COVID-19: Phone-survey evidence from rural and urban Myanmar in 2020. GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY 2022; 33:100626. [PMID: 35340848 PMCID: PMC8934731 DOI: 10.1016/j.gfs.2022.100626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Myanmar first experienced the COVID-19 crisis as a relatively brief economic shock in early 2020, before the economy was later engulfed by a prolonged surge in COVID-19 cases from September 2020 onwards. To analyze poverty and food security in Myanmar during 2020 we surveyed over 2000 households per month from June-December in urban Yangon and the rural dry zone. By June, households had suffered dramatic increases in poverty, but even steeper increases accompanied the rise in COVID-19 cases from September onwards. Increases in poverty were much larger in urban areas, although poverty was always more prevalent in the rural sample. However, urban households were twice as likely to report food insecurity experiences, suggesting rural populations felt less food insecure throughout the crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek Headey
- Development Strategies and Governance Division of The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), USA
| | | | - Isabel Lambrecht
- Development, Strategies and Governance Division of The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), USA
| | - Elisa Maria Maffioli
- Health Management and Policy at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Than Zaw Oo
- The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), USA.,Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Myanmar
| | - Toth Russell
- School of Economics at The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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