Prevalence and determinants of food insecurity in migrant Sub-Saharan African and Caribbean households in Ottawa, Canada

Perception of discrimination by the head of the household and household food insecurity in Venezuelan migrants in Peru: Cross-sectional analysis of a population-based survey

Objectives

To evaluate the association between the perception of discrimination by the head of the household and the presence of moderate to severe food insecurity in the households of Venezuelan migrants and refugees residing in Peru.

Methods

Secondary data analysis of the Survey Directed at the Venezuelan Population Resident in Peru (ENPOVE, for its acronym in Spanish) 2022. The analysis included 3491 migrant Venezuelan family heads. The exposure variable was discrimination perceived by the head of the household (yes/no) since arriving in Peru and the outcome was the presence of moderate to severe food insecurity in the household (yes/no) in the last 30 days, measured with the Food Insecurity Experience Scale. Adjusted prevalence ratios were estimated to evaluate the association of interest, adjusted for potential confounding variables.

Results

Of the total participants, 35.6 % had perceived discrimination since arriving in Peru; Likewise, 39 % of households presented moderate to severe food insecurity. The perception of discrimination by the head of the household was associated with a greater probability of presenting moderate to severe food insecurity in the home (adjusted prevalence ratio: 1.29; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.17-1.42).

Conclusions

The perception of discrimination among Venezuelan migrant and refugee household heads residing in the country is associated with a greater probability of moderate to severe food insecurity. Urgent measures are required to mitigate this problem which will potentially affect food and socioeconomic inequality in our country.

Bidirectional Relationship Between Nutrition and Mental Health and Its Impact on the Health of Canadian Immigrants: An Integrative Review

Background: Immigration is a key factor contributing to population growth in Canada, a trend that is expected to continue. Immigrants generally arrive with better health than the Canadian-born population, but this advantage often diminishes over time, partially due to dietary acculturation. Emerging evidence points to a bidirectional link between nutrition and mental health. Objective: To explore the bidirectional relationship between nutrition and mental health and its impact on the health of Canadian immigrants, with a specific focus on immigrants' mental health and the healthy immigrant effect. Methods: For this integrative review, two comprehensive literature searches were conducted in the databases MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception to July 2024. The review adhered to Whittemore and Knafl's integrative methodology, with the Mixed Methods Assessment Tool used to assess the quality of the studies. Results: A total of 42 and 34 scientific articles were included from the first and second literature searches, respectively. Four main themes emerged from the literature: (1) food insecurity and mental health, (2) obesity and mental health, (3) diet quality and mental health, and (4) the gut microbiome and mental health. These themes were explored in the context of Canadian immigrants' health. Conclusions: The health of immigrants to Canada is likely shaped by complex, bidirectional interactions among various determinants of health, influencing both physical and mental well-being. As newcomers are expected to form an increasing proportion of the Canadian population, further research is needed to understand how the interaction between nutrition and mental health can help promote and safeguard the health of Canadian immigrants.

Assessing the Validity and Reliability of a French Version of the Child Feeding Questionnaire among Black Mothers Living in Ottawa (Canada)

The Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ) is a well-established tool used to assess parental beliefs, attitudes, and child feeding practices, with a focus on childhood obesity proneness. To date, there is no French version of the CFQ, nor any Canadian studies assessing its construct validity. The aim of this study was to assess the construct validity and the reliability of a French version of the CFQ among Black mothers (n = 136) of school-aged children living in Ottawa (Canada). The final best fitting model included 7 factors, 20 items, and 1 error covariance. This model was retained as the final model as it (1) excluded two items with very low factor loadings; (2) had the lowest χ², AIC, BIC, RMSEA, and SRMR values; and (3) had CFI and TLI values ≥ 0.95. Internal consistency ranged from poor to good; the restriction subscale had the lowest internal consistency, followed by the perceived responsibility, pressure to eat, perceive child weight, concern about child weight, and monitoring scales, respectively. Our results showed that a seven-factor model with minor modifications was best fitted to the current data. Future studies are needed to test the validity and reliability of the CFQ in other population groups and among fathers.

Maternal perceptions and concerns about children's weight status and diet quality: a study among Black immigrant families

OBJECTIVE

To identify factors influencing Black immigrant mothers' perceptions and concerns about child weight and to compare children's diet quality according to these perceptions and concerns.

DESIGN

Mothers' perceptions and concerns about child weight were assessed with sex-specific figure rating scales and the Child Feeding Questionnaire, respectively. Participants' weights and heights were measured and characterised using WHO references. Children's dietary intakes were estimated using a 24-h dietary recall. Children's diet quality was evaluated using the relative proportion of their energy intake provided by ultra-processed products, which were identified with the NOVA classification. χ2 tests, multivariate logistic regressions and t tests were performed.

SETTING

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

PARTICIPANTS

Black immigrant mothers of Sub-Saharan African and Caribbean origin (n 186) and their 6-12-year-old children.

RESULTS

Among mothers, 32·4 % perceived their child as having overweight while 48·4 % expressed concerns about child weight. Girls and children with overweight or obesity were significantly more likely to be perceived as having overweight by their mothers than boys and normal-weight children, respectively. Mothers of children living with obesity, but not overweight, were significantly more likely to be concerned about their child's weight than mothers of normal-weight children. Children's diet quality did not differ according to mothers' perceptions and concerns.

CONCLUSIONS

Children's gender and weight status were major determinants of perceptions and concerns about child weight among Black immigrant mothers. Including knowledge about mothers' perceptions and concerns about child weight will help nutrition professionals develop interventions tailored to specific family needs within the context of their cultural backgrounds.

Food security in African Canadian communities: a scoping review

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this review is to chart the evidence relating to food security among African Canadian communities to inform future research and offer insight related to food security in African Canadian communities.

INTRODUCTION

Achieving food security is of global importance to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. As a social determinant of health, food security, which refers to the unrestricted physical, economic, and timely access to safe and nutritious foods, impacts more than 4 million Canadians. Yet, little is known about food security and the differential impacts of food insecurity among African Canadians. This scoping review sought to describe the current state of food security among African Canadians.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

Sources were considered for inclusion if they: i) focused on Canada, ii) involved African Canadians, and iii) examined food security.

METHODS

This scoping review was conducted in accordance with JBI methodology. Databases and relevant websites containing peer-reviewed, unpublished, and gray literature were searched. Ancestry searching and forward citation tracing were completed. No restrictions were placed on date of publication. Language restrictions were limited to English and French. In instances where articles were unavailable, authors of potential sources were contacted at the full-text review phase to request access to their article. Data were extracted independently by two team members, and are presented narratively and in tabular format.

RESULTS

The search of databases yielded a total of 1183 records. Ancestry tracing yielded 287 records. After removing duplicates, 1075 titles and abstracts were screened for eligibility and 80 advanced to full-text screening. Seventy-five full-text articles were excluded for not meeting the inclusion criteria, leaving five articles that underwent data extraction. All five included studies involved African Canadian participants in Canada. All studies focused on adults; one study included women and men participants, while four focused exclusively on women. One study involving women participants included cisgender and transgender women as well as those identifying as queer. Study designs reflected qualitative (n = 2), quantitative (n = 1), and mixed methods (n = 2) designs.

CONCLUSIONS

This review begins to fill a gap in understanding the current evidence available on food security as it impacts African Canadians. The findings of this review represent existing research, describing the type of evidence available and methodologies used, before suggesting implications for research and practice. The inclusion of only five studies reveals the limited evidence regarding the current state of food security among African Canadians. Further, included studies were exclusively conducted in urban settings and predominantly in one province. There is a need for further research in rural communities, in other provinces and territories, as well as with younger and older participants. The urgent need to collect race-disaggregated data in Canada is evident.

Prevalence and risk factors of food insecurity among Libyan migrant families in Australia

Background

The burden of food insecurity remains a public health challenge even in high income countries, such as Australia, and especially among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. While research has been undertaken among several migrant communities in Australia, there is a knowledge gap about food security within some ethnic minorities such as migrants from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). This study aims to determine the prevalence and correlates of food insecurity among Libyan migrant families in Australia.

Methods

A cross-sectional design utilising an online survey and convenience sampling was used to recruit 271 participants, each representing a family, who had migrated from Libya to Australia. Food security was measured using the single-item measure taken from the Australian Health Survey (AHS) and the 18-item measure from the United States Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Survey Module (USDA HFSSM). Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent correlates associated with food insecurity.

Results

Using the single-item measure, the prevalence of food insecurity was 13.7% whereas when the 18-item questionnaire was used, more than three out of five families (72.3%) reported being food insecure. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis for the single-item measure, those living alone or with others reported higher odds of being food insecure (AOR = 2.55, 95% CI 1.05, 6.21) compared to those living with their spouse, whereas higher annual income (≥AUD 40,000) was associated with lower odds of food insecurity (AOR = 0.30, 95% CI 0.11, 0.84). Higher annual income was also associated with lower odds of food insecurity (AOR = 0.49, 95% CI 0.25, 0.94) on the 18-item measure. On both single and 18-item measures, larger family size (AOR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.07, 1.49 and AOR = 1.21, 95% CI 1.01, 1.47 respectively) was associated with increased odds of food insecurity.

Conclusion

This study provides evidence that food insecurity amongst Libyan migrants in Australia is a widespread problem and is associated with a number of sociodemographic and socio-economic factors. The findings of this study serve to contribute to the depth and breadth of food security research among vulnerable communities, in this instance Libyan migrant families.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-12202-9.

Food Insecurity and Food Label Comprehension among Libyan Migrants in Australia

Food security among migrants and refugees remains an international public health issue. However, research among ethnic minorities in Australia is relatively low. This study explored the factors that influence the understanding of food labelling and food insecurity among Libyan migrants in Australia. An online survey was completed by 271 Libyan migrant families. Data collection included the 18-item US Household Food Security Survey Module (for food security) and a question from the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Consumer Label Survey (for food labelling comprehension). Multivariable logistic regression modelling was utilised to identify the predictors of food label comprehension and food security. Food insecurity prevalence was 72.7% (n = 196) while 35.8% of families (n = 97) reported limited food label understanding. Household size, food store location, and food affordability were found to be significantly related to food insecurity. However, gender, private health insurance, household annual income, education, and food store type and location were found to be significantly related to food labelling comprehension. Despite the population’s high educational status and food labelling comprehension level, food insecurity remained an issue among the Libyan migrants. Policy makers should consider the incorporation of food label comprehension within a broader food security approach for migrants.

Prevalence, Determinants, and Effects of Food Insecurity among Middle Eastern and North African Migrants and Refugees in High-Income Countries: A Systematic Review

Issues related to poverty and income inequality in high-income countries have led to food insecurity among some population groups, such as migrants and refugees. While there are some studies on the experience of some migrant groups (and other subpopulations), little is known about food security among Middle Eastern and African migrants and refugees. This systematic review identified the prevalence of food insecurity and its effects among Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) migrants and refugees in high-income countries. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed in this systematic review. Four databases, namely MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCO), and PubMed were searched. Three studies met the inclusion criteria, all of which were conducted in USA: two among Sudanese migrant families, and one among Somali refugee women. The rates of reported food insecurity ranged from 40% to 71% and were significantly higher than for the general population. Food insecurity was associated with acculturation and socio-economic factors. Food insecurity adversely impacts the health of MENA migrants and refugees, creating economic implications for individuals, families, the broader community in which they now live, and for governments.

Investigating food insecurity measurement globally to inform practice locally: a rapid evidence review

The objective of this review was to examine the methods used to measure food insecurity (FI) globally, to inform considerations relating to adopting a novel, or reviewing an existing, FI measurement approach in developed countries. Considerations for measurement are examined with particular applicability to the United Kingdom (UK) which has recently announced adoption of the US Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM) as an indicator to facilitate annual FI monitoring. This study uses a Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) methodological approach to systematically review the literature on FI measurement and considers: geographical jurisdiction, methodological approach, sampling strategy, FI indicator(s) used, and implications for measurement. Results found that the majority of papers reviewed emanate from North America with the US Household Food Security Scale Module (HFSSM) and its various adapted forms being the most commonly reported indicator. FI is becoming a key concern within developed countries with a range of indicators being used to report on the severity of the issue. This paper provides a contribution to knowledge by: (i) identifying various approaches to FI measurement and commonalities of existing measurement approaches; (ii) providing a summation of the methodologies and findings of studies relating to FI measurement, and associated implications for measurement, (iii) providing a justification evidenced by the literature for the adoption of the HFSSM in the UK; and (iv) assessing the methodological usefulness of a REA review. Understanding the components of robust FI indicators and their effectiveness can help inform existing and novel measurement approaches to ensure that data collected on FI are meaningful and thereby useful to inform future policy work in this area.