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Aamir Shahzad M, Wang L, Qin S, Zhou S. COVID-19 incidence of poverty: How has disease affected the cost of purchasing food in Pakistan. Prev Med Rep 2023; 36:102477. [PMID: 37869539 PMCID: PMC10587723 DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 harms health and income generation activities. The pandemic caused poverty, and food crisis in the most vulnerable and underprivileged segments. Economic turbulence and massive poverty during epidemic period probably resulted in short-term food insecurity and low food consumption. Based on these concerns, the current study examined how COVID-19 has impacted Pakistan's cost of purchasing food. The study surveyed total 1067 Punjab and Sindh residents in Pakistan, from July to October 2021. A structural equation model was used to examine the interrelationship among food intake, food purchasing cost, and health effects. We investigated whether people experienced substantial effects from the loss of a source of income, work hours, debt burden, and food inflation on their food intake. These circumstances all negatively affected food intake, reducing food consumption. Besides COVID-19's effects on direct income, 41% more people fall into poverty and 23% can't afford healthy food. People's socioeconomic circumstances affects poverty levels and affordable healthy food costs. The cost of purchasing food is significantly correlated with health outcomes. A significant and positive correlation between COVID-19 and income effects, and a negative correlation between food consumption and adverse income effects was explored. In addition, people increased their demand for food assistance during COVID-19 to mitigate negative income shocks. People who cannot afford minimal food costs should be offered food through mobile vehicles or delivery channels in the short term. Cash transfers or subsidies could also be provided to the needy during crisis time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Aamir Shahzad
- School of Economics and Trade, Hunan University, Shi Jiachong, Yuelu District, Changsha City, Hunan Province 410079, China
| | - Lianfen Wang
- School of Economics and Trade, Hunan University, Shi Jiachong, Yuelu District, Changsha City, Hunan Province 410079, China
| | - Shengze Qin
- School of Tourism Management, Wuhan Business University, Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone, 430056 Wuhan, China
| | - Sha Zhou
- School of Economics and Trade, Hunan University, Shi Jiachong, Yuelu District, Changsha City, Hunan Province 410079, China
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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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Najam W, Ibiyemi T, Aziz S, Najam R, Gichohi-Wainaina WN, Oldewage-Theron W. Social Determinants of Rural Household Food Insecurity under the Taliban Regime. Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15071681. [PMID: 37049521 PMCID: PMC10097274 DOI: 10.3390/nu15071681] [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: 02/26/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the severity of food insecurity in Afghanistan, little is known about the factors contributing to household food insecurity (HFI) under the Taliban regime. Therefore, this paper investigated the social determinants of severe HFI in rural areas of Afghanistan. We used the fifth-round survey of 6019 rural households from 25 provinces, collected between July and August 2022 by the Food and Agriculture Organization. We used binary logistic regression to examine the association between household characteristics and HFI. The majority of household heads were male (97.8%) with no education (62.8%). The findings showed that female-headed households had significantly higher odds of severe HFI. Household heads with any level of formal education had significantly reduced odds of severe HFI, while the odds of severe HFI was not different among those with religious/informal household-head education compared to those with no education. Likewise, engagement in any type of agricultural activity decreased the odds of severe HFI. Additionally, household income per member was negatively, while household size was positively associated with severe HFI. In summary, interventions to alleviate HFI among rural households should prioritize income-generating opportunities and skills targeting households with female heads, low levels of household-head education, larger size, no agricultural activities, and low income.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wasiuddin Najam
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - Temitope Ibiyemi
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - Sajia Aziz
- School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Rafiuddin Najam
- School of Public Policy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | | | - Wilna Oldewage-Theron
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
- Department of Sustainable Food Systems and Development, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
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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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Rutayisire E, Habtu M, Ngomi N, Mochama M, Mbayire V, Ntihabose C, Muhire P. Magnitude and determinants of food insecurity among pregnant women in Rwanda during the COVID-19 pandemic. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD RESEARCH 2023; 11:100468. [PMID: 36510625 PMCID: PMC9729197 DOI: 10.1016/j.jafr.2022.100468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Globally, food insecurity is becoming a major public health concern, and has seriously been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the last decade, Rwanda has made significant improvement in terms of overall household food security. However, the magnitude of food insecurity among pregnant women is not well known. This study investigated the magnitude and factors associated with food insecurity among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a cross-sectional study conducted in 30 health facilities across the country where a total of 1159 pregnant women in their first trimester of pregnancy were recruited during antenatal care visits (ANC). A pre-tested, standardized, and structured questionnaire was used to collect information on food insecurity based on household food insecurity access scale (HFIAS). Descriptive statistics were used to describe the basic characteristics of the study respondents and the status of household food insecurity. Logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the predictors of food insecurity at a significance level of 5%. The majority (78.1%) of recruited pregnant women were aged 20 to 35 years and 70.3% were from rural areas. Overall, 53.1% of pregnant women were food insecure during COVID-19 pandemic. Pregnant women with low education level {AOR = 4.58; 95%CI = 1.88-11.15} and from low social economic households {AOR = 2.45; 95%CI = 1.59-3.76} were more likely to become food insecure during COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, women from households with farming as the main source of income had 64% more risk of food insecurity compared to women from household with other sources of monthly income. To achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) targets related to food security, there is urgent need to transform the agricultural sector from traditional farming to modern/technology farming. This will reduce the level of food insecurity in developing countries. There is also a need to provide social safety nets to pregnant women from families in lower socio-economic categories during pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Habtu
- Public Health Department, Mount Kenya University, Rwanda
- School of Public Health, University of Rwanda, Rwanda
| | - Nicholas Ngomi
- School of Pure and Applied Health Sciences, Murang'a University of Technology, Kenya
| | - Monica Mochama
- Public Health Department, Mount Kenya University, Rwanda
| | - Vedaste Mbayire
- Public Health Department, Mount Kenya University, Rwanda
- Kiziguro District Hospital, Ministry of Health, Rwanda
| | - Corneille Ntihabose
- Department of Clinical and Public Health Services, Ministry of Health, Rwanda
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Shahzad MA, Razzaq A, Qing P, Rizwan M, Faisal M. Food availability and shopping channels during the disasters: Has the COVID-19 pandemic changed peoples' online food purchasing behavior? INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION : IJDRR 2022; 83:103443. [PMID: 36406937 PMCID: PMC9659358 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2022.103443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 caused online buying channels to flourish across the globe. However, the extent to which online channels in Pakistan assisted peoples in coping with the pandemic remains unknown. This study aims to examine peoples behavior and perceptions regarding online food purchasing and its impact on different aspects of food security. The data were collected through online surveys of 1067 respondents in Punjab and Sindh provinces during the COVID-19 pandemic. We find that peoples access to food was adversely affected by the pandemic. However, people are increasingly purchasing food online, which has improved their accessibility to food. According to the findings, 62.51% of respondents reported to have changed their perception and behavior regarding online food purchasing. In addition, almost 46.40% of peoples reported that online shopping increased their access to food during the pandemic. Using logit regression, economic analysis shows that education, monthly income, and access to basic necessities such as clean drinking water, better sanitation, and better employment are positively related to online buying behavior. For future disaster situations in Pakistan to mitigate the adverse effects on food security, strengthening and promoting the use of online purchasing channels could be an important policy instrument.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Aamir Shahzad
- College of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, No.1, Shizishan Street, Hongshan District, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430070, PR China
| | - Amar Razzaq
- Business School, Huanggang Normal University, Xinggang 2nd Road, City Development Zone, Huanggang, (438000), China
| | - Ping Qing
- College of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, No.1, Shizishan Street, Hongshan District, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430070, PR China
| | - Muhammad Rizwan
- School of Economics and Management, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, 434023, China
- Changjiang Belt Economic and Development Research Instittue, Yangtze University, 434023, China
| | - Muhammad Faisal
- Department of Economics, University of Lahore, Sargodha Campus, Sargodha, Pakistan
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Zila-Velasque JP, Grados-Espinoza P, Quispe-Chura K, Valdiviezo-Morales CG, Diaz-Vélez C, Valladares-Garrido MJ. Prevalence and factors associated with food insecurity in eight high-altitude cities in Peru during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective, cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1962. [PMID: 36284287 PMCID: PMC9593981 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-14372-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Food insecurity has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting an estimated 260 million people. However, little evidence is available on how pandemic-related characteristics influence food security in a high-altitude population. The objective of this study was to assess factors associated with food insecurity in high-altitude Peruvian cities during the second epidemic wave of COVID-19. Methods A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted in eight Peruvian cities over 1,500 m above sea level. An online survey measuring food security, presence of anxiety & depressive symptoms, sleep quality, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), resilience, and sociodemographic characteristics was disseminated through social networks between December 2020 and February 2021. Generalized linear models were used to identify an association between the study variables. Results Of 700 participants, the median age was 23 years, and more than half were female (56.7%). The prevalence of food insecurity was 37.1%. Anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and PTSD were present in 72.7%, 64.1%, and 15% of respondents, respectively. The prevalence of food insecurity was higher in people with fair (PR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.23–2.07) and very bad perception of their health (PR: 4.06, 95% CI: 2.63–6.26), individuals seeking mental health support (PR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.25–1.62), and in those who lost their job due to the pandemic (PR: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.62–2.04). Having moderate (PR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.26–1.83) and moderate to severe depressive symptoms (PR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.11–2.27) also increased the prevalence of food insecurity. Conclusion During the pandemic, the prevalence of food insecurity has increased in the Peruvian high-altitude population, revealing the need for preventive strategies. Identification of pandemic-related characteristics that influence food insecurity can guide interventions in at-risk individuals and reduce the long-term impact of this problem on overall health and quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Pierre Zila-Velasque
- grid.441704.20000 0001 0087 8137School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Daniel Alcides Carrión, Pasco, Peru ,Red Latinoamericana de Medicina en La Altitud E Investigación (REDLAMAI), Pasco, Peru
| | - Pamela Grados-Espinoza
- grid.441704.20000 0001 0087 8137School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Daniel Alcides Carrión, Pasco, Peru ,Red Latinoamericana de Medicina en La Altitud E Investigación (REDLAMAI), Pasco, Peru
| | - Katherine Quispe-Chura
- grid.441943.f0000 0001 1089 6427School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional del Altiplano, Puno, Peru
| | - Christopher G. Valdiviezo-Morales
- grid.441932.90000 0004 0418 8231School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional de Piura, Piura, Peru ,grid.441932.90000 0004 0418 8231Scientific Society of Medical Students, Universidad Nacional de Piura, Piura, Peru
| | - Cristian Diaz-Vélez
- grid.441975.a0000 0001 0739 3319School of Medicine, Universidad Privada Antenor Orrego, Trujillo, Peru ,grid.420173.30000 0000 9677 5193Instituto de Evaluación de Tecnologías en Salud e Investigación – IETSI, EsSalud, Lima, Peru
| | - Mario J. Valladares-Garrido
- grid.441766.60000 0004 4676 8189Universidad Continental, Lima, Peru ,Oficina de Epidemiología, Hospital Regional Lambayeque, Chiclayo, Peru
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Grosso G. The Global Burden of Food Insecurity Due to COVID-19. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14173582. [PMID: 36079839 PMCID: PMC9460288 DOI: 10.3390/nu14173582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The insurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that no country or region was prepared to face such a devastating emergency, nor have researchers uncovered permanent solutions to solve this everlasting crisis thus far [...]
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Grosso
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
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Chidimbah Munthali GN, Wu X, Nambiro Woleson Dzimbiri M, Zolo A, K.B Mushani J, Banda LOL. An investigation of the Sustainability of Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) amidst Covid-19 and its impact on household income levels: lessons from Malawi, Sub-Saharan Africa. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1072. [PMID: 35641969 PMCID: PMC9152667 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13303-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Food security, malnutrition, and poverty are some of the challenges that most of the sub-Saharan African countries have been historically facing. With the coming of Covid-19 pandemic, the sustainability of the Village Savings and Loans Association which are formed to counter fight these challenges is questioned. AIM This study aimed to assess factors associated with the Sustainability of VSLAs amidst Covid-19 and its impacts on households' income levels. METHODS An online cross-sectional design was conducted from November to January 2021, targeting VSLAs members in Mzuzu. A snowball and respondent-driven sampling technique were used to recruit the needful participants using a referral approach. IBM SPSS version 23 was used to perform descriptive statistics, Chi-Square, and binary logistic regression with unstandardized Beta (β), Odds Ratios (OR), and 95% Confidence Interval (CI) being taken into account with P-value set at 0.1, 0.05 and 0.01 significance levels. RESULTS Our study finds that household income declined by 54% for those earnings belonged to ˂ MK5,000, as compared to 38% and 15% for medium (MK5,000 ≥ MK10,000) and higher (> MK10,000) income bands respectively. Our study shows that gender (β = 0.437, p = 0.094), age-group (β = 1.317, p = 0.000), education (β = 2.181, p = 0.047), share contributions (β = 1.035, p = 0.008), meetings (β = 0.572, p = 0.021), occupation (β = -0.453, p = 0.106), and frequency of meeting (β = -0.507, p = 0.049) were positively and negatively statistically significant predictors. CONCLUSION According to the findings of this study, households with lower income earners, which is one of the indicators of poverty, are more affected by the pandemic than their counterparts. We urge that the Malawi governments should maintain and, if they haven't already, implement programs that support low-income households, such as transfer payments, which have been shown to uplift people out of income poverty in many developing countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- George N. Chidimbah Munthali
- School of Economics and Management, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei China
- Finance Department, Mzuzu University, Luwinga, Mzuzu Malawi
- Chidimbah Research Centre, P O Box 20013, Mzuzu, Malawi
| | - Xuelian Wu
- School of Economics and Management, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei China
| | | | - Amon Zolo
- Chidimbah Research Centre, P O Box 20013, Mzuzu, Malawi
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Rezaul Karim KM, Tasnim T. Impact of lockdown due to COVID-19 on nutrition and food security of the selected low-income households in Bangladesh. Heliyon 2022; 8:e09368. [PMID: 35540930 PMCID: PMC9072750 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aims to explore the impact of COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on household food security and the nutritional status of the children and identify the risk factors associated with it. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 220 households having at least one under 5 children of Narayanganj district in Bangladesh. Household food insecurity, coping strategies and nutritional status of children were the main outcome variables. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the significant determinants. A total of 93.2 % of households were food insecure, with 32.3% experiencing mild, 18.6% facing moderate, and 42.3% undergoing severe food insecurity. Forty seven percent households used high coping strategies and 93.2% of households consumed less expensive/preferable food as the common coping technique. Logistic regression analysis showed the variables significantly associated with moderate to severe food insecurity were low household income before COVID-19 (AOR = 46.07, CI: 13.68-155.10), more reduction of family income (AOR = 32.47, 95% CI: 9.29-113.41), maternal occupation as housewife (AOR = 7.73, CI: 2.59-23.07), losses of job (AOR = 4.28, CI: 1.31-13.98) and higher family members (AOR = 3.39, CI: 1.07-10.71). The prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting in children under 5 years of age were 29.0%, 23.4% and 15.6%, respectively. Significantly the independent predictors of stunting were maternal occupation, education, age, household head occupation, child age, and the coping strategy score. Household dietary diversity score was an important independent predictor of underweight and wasting. In conclusion, social safety net initiatives for vulnerable households along with maternal education and employment should be strengthened to reduce hunger and malnutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tasmia Tasnim
- Department of Nutrition and Food Engineering, Faculty of Allied Health Science, Daffodil International University, Dhaka, 1207, Bangladesh
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11
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Rabiei S, Ghodsi D, Amini M, Nikooyeh B, Rasekhi H, Doustmohammadian A, Abdollahi Z, Minaie M, Sadeghi Ghotbabadi F, Neyestani TR. Changes in fast food intake in Iranian households during the lockdown period caused by COVID-19 virus emergency, National Food and Nutrition Surveillance. Food Sci Nutr 2021; 10:39-48. [PMID: 34900241 PMCID: PMC8653233 DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.2644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Fast foods, though very popular, are commonly known as unhealthy foods. However, coronavirus pandemic may have influenced on food choices of the general population. This study investigated the changes in fast food consumption during epidemic lockdown 2020. Materials and Methods This study was part of a nationwide survey having been conducted using a web‐based electronic self‐administered questionnaire. The questionnaire link was extensively distributed among the whole population both through popular social media platforms and by nutrition and health workers of health offices and medical universities of all provinces. The questionnaire included questions about socio‐demographic characteristics, changes in frequency of fast food consumption as compared with before pandemic, and the reasons for these changes. Results A total of 21,290 households took part in the study of whom 89.8% were male‐headed, and almost 74% were from urban areas. Decrease in fast food consumption was reported by 74.8%, while increase in fast food consumption was reported by 2% of the households during the COVID‐19 quarantine. Among those who decreased their fast food consumption, about 82% had completely omitted them from their food baskets. Fear of contamination of fast foods by coronavirus and increase in the number of people at home were the most and the least frequent reasons for decreasing fast food consumption, respectively. Conclusion Fast food consumption has dramatically decreased during the lockdown period in Iranian households. Though it may be considered a pleasant offshoot of disastrous COVID‐19 epidemic, the foods replaced fast foods in Iranian households and the overall health consequences warrant further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samira Rabiei
- Department of Nutrition Research National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute and Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran
| | - Delaram Ghodsi
- Department of Nutrition Research National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute and Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran
| | - Maryam Amini
- Department of Nutrition Research National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute and Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran
| | - Bahareh Nikooyeh
- Department of Nutrition Research National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute and Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran
| | - Hamid Rasekhi
- Department of Nutrition Research National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute and Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran
| | - Azam Doustmohammadian
- Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases Research Center (GILDRC) Iran University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran
| | - Zahra Abdollahi
- Department of Community Nutrition Deputy of Health Iran Ministry of Health and Medical Education Tehran Iran
| | - Mina Minaie
- Department of Community Nutrition Deputy of Health Iran Ministry of Health and Medical Education Tehran Iran
| | - Farzaneh Sadeghi Ghotbabadi
- Department of Community Nutrition Deputy of Health Iran Ministry of Health and Medical Education Tehran Iran
| | - Tirang R Neyestani
- Department of Nutrition Research National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute and Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran
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12
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Faisal M, Abbas A, Cai Y, Ali A, Shahzad MA, Akhtar S, Haseeb Raza M, Ajmal MA, Xia C, Sattar SA, Batool Z. Perceptions, Vulnerability and Adaptation Strategies for Mitigating Climate Change Effects among Small Livestock Herders in Punjab, Pakistan. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182010771. [PMID: 34682517 PMCID: PMC8535216 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182010771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Pakistan is an agrarian nation that is among the most vulnerable countries to climatic variations. Around 20% of its GDP is produced by agriculture, and livestock-related production contributes more than half of this value. However, few empirical studies have been conducted to determine the vulnerability and knowledge of livestock herders, and particularly the smaller herders. Comprehending individual perceptions of and vulnerabilities to climate change (CC) will enable effective formulation of CC mitigation strategies. This study intended to explore individual perceptions of and vulnerabilities to CC based on a primary dataset of 405 small livestock herders from three agro-ecological zones of Punjab. The results showed that livestock herders' perceptions about temperature and rainfall variations/patterns coincide with the meteorological information of the study locations. The vulnerability indicators show that Dera Ghazi Khan district is more vulnerable than the other two zones because of high exposure and sensitivity to CC, and lower adaptive capacity. However, all zones experience regular livelihood risks due to livestock diseases and deaths resulting from extreme climatic conditions, lower economic status, and constrained institutional and human resource capabilities, thus leading to increased vulnerability. The results indicate that low-cost local approaches are needed, such as provision of improved veterinary services, increased availability of basic equipment, small-scale infrastructure projects, and reinforcement of informal social safety nets. These measures would support cost-effective and sustainable decisions to enable subsistence livestock herders to adopt climate smart practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Faisal
- College of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (M.F.); (A.A.); (M.A.S.); (C.X.)
- Institute of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan;
| | - Azhar Abbas
- Institute of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan;
| | - Yi Cai
- Research Center for Green Development of Agriculture, Digital Countryside Research Institute, College of Economics and Management, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510640, China
- Correspondence:
| | - Abdelrahman Ali
- College of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (M.F.); (A.A.); (M.A.S.); (C.X.)
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Fayoum University, Fayoum 63514, Egypt
| | - Muhammad Amir Shahzad
- College of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (M.F.); (A.A.); (M.A.S.); (C.X.)
| | - Shoaib Akhtar
- Centre of Excellence for Olive Research and Training (CEFORT), Barani Agricultural Research Institute, Chakwal 48800, Pakistan;
| | - Muhammad Haseeb Raza
- Institute of Business Management Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan;
| | | | - Chunping Xia
- College of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (M.F.); (A.A.); (M.A.S.); (C.X.)
| | - Syed Abdul Sattar
- Agriculture Research Institute, District Kharan, Balochistan 94100, Pakistan;
| | - Zahira Batool
- Department of Sociology, Government College University, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan;
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13
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Erokhin V, Diao L, Gao T, Andrei JV, Ivolga A, Zong Y. The Supply of Calories, Proteins, and Fats in Low-Income Countries: A Four-Decade Retrospective Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:7356. [PMID: 34299805 PMCID: PMC8306688 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18147356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decades, both the quantity and quality of food supply for millions of people have improved substantially in the course of economic growth across the developing world. However, the number of undernourished people has resumed growth in the 2010s amid food supply disruptions, economic slowdowns, and protectionist restrictions to agricultural trade. Having been common to most nations, these challenges to the food security status of the population still vary depending on the level of economic development and national income of individual countries. In order to explore the long-run determinants of food supply transformations, this study employs five-stage multiple regression analysis to identify the strengths and directions of effects of agricultural production parameters, income level, price indices, food trade, and currency exchange on supply of calories, proteins, and fats across 11 groups of agricultural products in 1980-2018. To address the diversity of effects across developing nations, the study includes 99 countries of Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa categorized as low-income, lower-middle-income, and upper-middle-income economies. It is found that in low-income countries, food supply parameters are more strongly affected by production factors compared to economic and trade variables. The effect of economic factors on the food supply of higher-value food products, such as meat and dairy products, fruit, and vegetables, increases with the rise in the level of income, but it stays marginal for staples in all three groups of countries. The influence of trade factors on food supply is stronger compared to production and economic parameters in import-dependent economies irrelevant of the gross national income per capita. The approach presented in this paper contributes to the research on how food supply patterns and their determinants evolve in the course of economic transformations in low-income countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasilii Erokhin
- School of Economics and Management, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, China; (V.E.); (T.G.)
| | - Li Diao
- School of Economics and Management, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China;
| | - Tianming Gao
- School of Economics and Management, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, China; (V.E.); (T.G.)
| | - Jean-Vasile Andrei
- Faculty of Economic Sciences, Petroleum-Gas University of Ploiesti, 100680 Ploiesti, Romania;
- National Institute for Economic Research “Costin C. Kiritescu”, Romanian Academy, 050711 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Anna Ivolga
- Faculty of Social and Cultural Service and Tourism, Stavropol State Agrarian University, 355017 Stavropol, Russia;
| | - Yuhang Zong
- School of Economics and Management, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China;
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