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Nutrients
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Nutritional and Food Insecurity: Exploring Structural and Individual Risk Factors...
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Nutritional and Food Insecurity: Exploring Structural and Individual Risk Factors Impacting a Global Crisis

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2023) | Viewed by 20533

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Kevin Fitzpatrick

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Sociology and Criminology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
Interests: nutritional and food insecurity; health disparities; homelessness; place & health; mental health & at-risk behavior
Dr. Don E. Willis

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas Medical Sciences, Fayetteville, AR, USA
Interests: nutritional and food insecurity; health disparities; homelessness; place & health; mental health & at-risk behavior

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A growing body of research has established a strong association between food insecurity and poor nutrition. Research has found that persons experiencing high levels of food insecurity are often the same ones at higher risk for developing diet-related diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. However, considerable debate remains regarding the direction future research should take on these subjects. For example, although the definition of food security includes consistent access to affordable, sufficient, and nutritious food, academics and activists (e.g., José Andrés) have recently critiqued the concept for overemphasizing the quantity of food while overlooking the importance of its nutritional content. Conversely, others argue that the majority of food insecurity research has overly emphasized the nutritional composition of food—replicating what Scrinis has termed nutritionism (2008)—at the expense of its sociocultural elements.

We have been asked to edit a Special Issue for the journal Nutrients that examines the intersectional, multidisciplinary complexity of nutritional and food insecurity issues. We are interested in developing a strong collection of articles diverse in both theoretical and methodological approaches. Manuscript submissions are welcome from the social sciences, public health, nutrition studies, etc., and we encourage submissions from around the globe. We are particularly interested in manuscripts that explore the causes and consequences of these insecurities either separately or combined. In addition, we encourage manuscripts that identify and engage with important debates in the field and provide analyses which can offer insight/empirical support for a position within that debate. Finally, we welcome work that highlights innovative areas of inquiry, evaluates practical solutions for addressing food or nutritional insecurity, or generally explores the nexus of health and insecurities across the life-course.

We will prioritize work that includes theoretically informed empirical analysis. However, we will also consider commentaries or theoretical works that have been carefully crafted and engage with critical debates within the field of interest for this Special Issue.

Dr. Kevin Fitzpatrick
Dr. Don E. Willis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nutritional insecurity
  • food insecurity
  • health risks
  • risk factors
  • syndemic
  • causes and consequences

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 319 KiB  
Article
The Association between Food Security Status and the Home Food Environment among a Sample of Rural South Carolina Residents
by Cassius Hossfeld, Lior Rennert, Samuel L. K. Baxter, Sarah F. Griffin and Michelle Parisi
Nutrients 2023, 15(18), 3918; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15183918 - 9 Sep 2023
Viewed by 670
Abstract
Prior research suggests that food security status may have an effect on the home food environment. Further, the literature suggests that food access factors may function to influence said relationship. The purpose of this research is to fill a gap in the literature [...] Read more.
Prior research suggests that food security status may have an effect on the home food environment. Further, the literature suggests that food access factors may function to influence said relationship. The purpose of this research is to fill a gap in the literature on this relationship, as well as to identify potential food access effect modifiers. This research employs linear mixed effects modeling with a random intercept variable (zip codes). Eleven food access variables are included in regression analyses and are tested as potential effect modifiers in the association between food security status and the home food environment. Food security status is significantly associated with the home food environment (95% CI = 0.1–1.38) in the unadjusted model. In the adjusted model, food pantry usage is found to be a significant effect modifier on the association between food security status and the home food environment. This research concludes that food security status has a significant but disparate effect on the home food environment depending on participant food pantry usage. Practical implications from this research would be for relevant stakeholders to potentially improve rural food pantry access in order to increase the home food environment among rural and food insecure populations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional and Food Insecurity: Exploring Structural and Individual Risk Factors Impacting a Global Crisis)
11 pages, 1369 KiB  
Article
Relationship between Regional Distribution of Centenarians and Drinking Water Hardness in the Amami Islands, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan
by Mai Suzuki, Siyuan Wu, Tomoki Ootawa, Henry Smith, Mitsuya Shiraishi, Atsushi Miyamoto, Yuki Matsuoka, Sawako Sawa, Mari Mori, Hideki Mori and Yukio Yamori
Nutrients 2023, 15(7), 1569; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15071569 - 24 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2094
Abstract
People who drink naturally hardened water may experience longevity-enhancing effects. In this study, we investigated water hardness and longevity from both geological and epidemiological perspectives in Japan’s Amami islands, where drinking water is drawn from coralline or non-coralline bedrock. We investigated drinking water [...] Read more.
People who drink naturally hardened water may experience longevity-enhancing effects. In this study, we investigated water hardness and longevity from both geological and epidemiological perspectives in Japan’s Amami islands, where drinking water is drawn from coralline or non-coralline bedrock. We investigated drinking water hardness, limestone bedrock occupancy, and the centenarian rate (number per 10,000 population) by municipality across four adjacent islands (Amami-Oshima (non-coralline), Tokunoshima, Okinoerabu, and Yoron (predominantly coralline)). Limestone was strongly correlated with water hardness (r = 0.99; p < 0.01), occupying more than 80% of the bedrock where the water was the hardest (Tokunoshima’s Isen municipality: 86.5%; Yoron: 82.9%) and being scarcely detectable in Amami-Oshima (0.0 to 0.2%), where the water was the least hard. The centenarian rate was also strongly correlated with water hardness (r = 0.84, p < 0.01), with the highest figures in Yoron (29.7) and Isen (29.2), and the lowest in Amami-Oshima (0.0 to 12.2). Therefore, we hypothesize a potentially beneficial effect of hard water on longevity when that water is drawn from coralline limestone. Water hardness is determined by the water content of calcium and magnesium and may plausibly influence life expectancy through a preventative effect against cardiovascular disease. Our findings are of interest to current debates about future global access to drinking water and its quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional and Food Insecurity: Exploring Structural and Individual Risk Factors Impacting a Global Crisis)
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18 pages, 293 KiB  
Article
A Qualitative Study to Compare Barriers to Improving Food Security among Households with Young Children in the U.S. as Perceived by Different Types of Stakeholders before and during COVID-19
by Elder Garcia Varela, Jamie Zeldman, Isabella Bolivar and Amy R. Mobley
Nutrients 2023, 15(6), 1438; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15061438 - 16 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2040
Abstract
This qualitative study aimed to determine the perceived barriers of different community stakeholders’ to providing resources for improving food security in households with young children in the U.S. Community stakeholders working with low-income families with children 0–3 years of age in Florida were [...] Read more.
This qualitative study aimed to determine the perceived barriers of different community stakeholders’ to providing resources for improving food security in households with young children in the U.S. Community stakeholders working with low-income families with children 0–3 years of age in Florida were recruited to represent healthcare (n = 7), community/policy development (n = 6), emergency food assistance (n = 6), early childhood education (n = 7), and nutrition education (n = 6) sectors. In 2020, one-on-one interviews were conducted with each stakeholder in via Zoom, using an interview script based on the PRECEDE–PROCEED model and questions to capture the impacts of COVID-19. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using a deductive thematic approach. A cross-tab qualitative analysis was used to compare data across categories of stakeholders. Healthcare professionals and nutrition educators indicated stigma, community/policy development stakeholders indicated a lack of time, emergency food assistance personnel indicated a limited access to food, and early childhood professionals indicated a lack of transportation as the main barriers to food security prior to COVID-19. COVID-19 impacts included the fear of virus exposure, new restrictions, lack of volunteers, and a lack of interest in virtual programming as barriers to food security. As perceived barriers may vary with respect to providing resources to improve food security in families with young children and the COVID-19 impacts persist, coordinated policy, systems, and environmental changes are needed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional and Food Insecurity: Exploring Structural and Individual Risk Factors Impacting a Global Crisis)
10 pages, 257 KiB  
Article
Place Still Matters: Social Vulnerabilities, Place-Level Disadvantage, and Food Insecurity during COVID-19
by Kevin M. Fitzpatrick, Casey T. Harris, Don Willis, Amber Obermaier and Grant Drawve
Nutrients 2023, 15(6), 1430; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15061430 - 16 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1482
Abstract
COVID-19 variants continue to create public health danger impacting mortality and morbidity across the United States. The spillover effects of COVID-19 on the economy and social institutions pose a significant threat to broader wellbeing, including the food security of millions across the country. [...] Read more.
COVID-19 variants continue to create public health danger impacting mortality and morbidity across the United States. The spillover effects of COVID-19 on the economy and social institutions pose a significant threat to broader wellbeing, including the food security of millions across the country. We aim to explore whether the context of place matters above and beyond individual and social vulnerabilities for food insecurity. To do so, we employ a multi-level framework using data from a survey of over 10,000 U.S. adults from March 2020 with American Community Survey (ACS) and John Hopkins COVID Dashboard county-level data. We find nearly two in five respondents were food insecure by March of 2020 with disparities across race, nativity, the presence of children in the home, unemployment, and age. Furthermore, we note that individuals living in more disadvantaged communities were more likely to report food insecurity above and beyond individual and social vulnerabilities. Overall, food insecurity is driven by complex, multi-level dynamics that remain a pressing public health concern for the current—but also future—public health crisis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional and Food Insecurity: Exploring Structural and Individual Risk Factors Impacting a Global Crisis)
18 pages, 1580 KiB  
Article
Low-Income Families’ Direct Participation in Food-Systems Innovation to Promote Healthy Food Behaviors
by Aparna Katre and Brianna Raddatz
Nutrients 2023, 15(5), 1271; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15051271 - 3 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3244
Abstract
Low-income families, especially those who reside in food deserts, face significant systemic barriers regarding their ability to access affordable and nutritious food. The food behaviors exhibited by low-income families are a reflection of the shortcomings of the built environment and conventional food system. [...] Read more.
Low-income families, especially those who reside in food deserts, face significant systemic barriers regarding their ability to access affordable and nutritious food. The food behaviors exhibited by low-income families are a reflection of the shortcomings of the built environment and conventional food system. Policy and public-health initiatives to improve food security have, thus far, failed to deliver interventions that simultaneously address multiple pillars of food security. Centering the voices of the marginalized and their place-based knowledge may result in the development of food-access solutions that are a much better fit for the population that they intend to serve. Community-based participatory research has emerged as a solution to better meet the needs of communities in food-systems innovation, but little is known about the extent to which direct participation improves nutritional outcomes. The purpose of this research is to answer the following question: how can food-access solutions authentically engage marginalized community members in food-system innovation, and if participation is related to changes in their food behaviors, how is it related? This action research project leveraged a mixed-methods approach to analyze nutritional outcomes and define the nature of participation for 25 low-income families who reside in a food desert. Our findings suggest that nutritional outcomes improve when major barriers to healthy food consumption are addressed, for example, time, education, and transportation. Furthermore, participation in social innovations can be characterized by the nature of involvement as either a producer or consumer, actively or inactively involved. We conclude that when marginalized communities are at the center of food-systems innovation, individuals self-select their level of participation, and when primary barriers are addressed, deeper participation in food-systems innovation is associated with positive changes in healthy food behaviors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional and Food Insecurity: Exploring Structural and Individual Risk Factors Impacting a Global Crisis)
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14 pages, 472 KiB  
Article
Associations of Food Insecurity with Dietary Inflammatory Potential and Risk of Low Muscle Strength
by Su Min Kim, Yoon Jung Park, Hyesook Kim, Oran Kwon, Kwang Suk Ko, Yuri Kim, Yangha Kim, Hyesook Park and Seungyoun Jung
Nutrients 2023, 15(5), 1120; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15051120 - 23 Feb 2023
Viewed by 2035
Abstract
Food insecurity refers to the uncertain availability of or limited access to nutritious food. Poor diets prevalent among food insecure populations may incite an inflammatory state and subsequently negatively affect skeletal muscle metabolism. To examine the inflammatory mechanistic potential of the association between [...] Read more.
Food insecurity refers to the uncertain availability of or limited access to nutritious food. Poor diets prevalent among food insecure populations may incite an inflammatory state and subsequently negatively affect skeletal muscle metabolism. To examine the inflammatory mechanistic potential of the association between food insecurity and the risk of low muscle strength, we analyzed cross-sectional data from 8624 adults aged ≥20 years from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2014–2015. Household food security status was assessed using an 18-item food security survey module. The inflammatory potential of diets was estimated by the dietary inflammation index (DII). Low muscle strength was ascertained using hand grip strength. In the multivariable-adjusted model, greater food insecurity was significantly associated with a higher DII score and risk of low muscle strength. The multivariable-adjusted mean difference (95% confidence interval) on the DII, comparing the “moderate-to-severe” food insecurity group with the “food secure” group, was 0.43 (0.06–0.80) (P-trend: <0.001) and the odds ratio (95% confidence intervals) of low muscle strength for the same comparison groups was 2.06 (1.07–3.96) (P-trend: 0.005). Our results suggest that individuals with greater food insecurity may be susceptible to diets with greater inflammatory potential, which may contribute to a loss of muscle strength. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional and Food Insecurity: Exploring Structural and Individual Risk Factors Impacting a Global Crisis)
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21 pages, 2301 KiB  
Article
The Interactions of Food Security, Health, and Loneliness among Rural Older Adults before and after the Onset of COVID-19
by Mecca Howe-Burris, Stacey Giroux, Kurt Waldman, Julia DeBruicker Valliant, Angela Babb, Kamila Czebotar, Daniel Fobi, Phil Stafford and Daniel C. Knudsen
Nutrients 2022, 14(23), 5076; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14235076 - 29 Nov 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2750
Abstract
Older adults and those living in rural areas face unique challenges to health and food security which were exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. We examine the interrelationships among food security, physical health, and loneliness among rural older adults before the onset of and [...] Read more.
Older adults and those living in rural areas face unique challenges to health and food security which were exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. We examine the interrelationships among food security, physical health, and loneliness among rural older adults before the onset of and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from a cross-sectional household survey of older adults in rural Indiana, administered May 2020 through July 2020, our results show a higher prevalence of food insecurity, poorer physical health, and increased loneliness after the onset of the pandemic. Path analyses confirmed the interrelationship between food security, health, and the absence of loneliness before and after the onset of COVID-19. Loneliness emerged as a major pathway through which the pandemic impacted quality of life, particularly affecting older women and physical health. Policy initiatives should consider the unique experiences and challenges associated with rural life among older adults and create food security initiatives that incorporate socialization while also considering the challenges associated with poor physical health in older age. Furthermore, our analysis shows that those who are vulnerable to food security, poor health, and loneliness in the absence of a global pandemic remain vulnerable during a pandemic. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional and Food Insecurity: Exploring Structural and Individual Risk Factors Impacting a Global Crisis)
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22 pages, 314 KiB  
Article
Strategies to Improve Adolescent Food Security from the Perspectives of Policy Advocates, Parents, and Adolescents
by Kaitlyn Harper, Rebecca Skinner, Michelle Martinez-Baack, Laura E. Caulfield, Susan M. Gross and Kristin Mmari
Nutrients 2022, 14(22), 4707; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14224707 - 8 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2588
Abstract
This study explored strategies to improve adolescent food security using semi-structured in-depth interviews with 9 policy advocates, 12 parents and 15 adolescents aged between 17 and 20 years, living in households who were eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in 2020. This [...] Read more.
This study explored strategies to improve adolescent food security using semi-structured in-depth interviews with 9 policy advocates, 12 parents and 15 adolescents aged between 17 and 20 years, living in households who were eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in 2020. This study was part of a larger evaluation of adolescent food insecurity conducted in Baltimore, Maryland, USA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three key strategies arose during analysis—improving federal nutrition assistance programs for households, federal nutrition assistance programs for individual adolescents, and leveraging school programs and resources. Respondents described concordant views regarding the role of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in supporting households but held discordant views about the role of other federal programs, such as the school nutrition programs and Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer program. The results of this study provide important insights about policy and programmatic supports that may assist adolescents to acquire food for themselves and their families. Future research should test how federal programs and policies specifically impact food security and nutrition for adolescents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional and Food Insecurity: Exploring Structural and Individual Risk Factors Impacting a Global Crisis)
13 pages, 282 KiB  
Article
The Association between Food Insecurity and Making Hunger-Coping Trade-Offs during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Sources of Food and Easiness in Food Access
by Ye Luo, Catherine Mobley, Leslie Hossfeld, Caitlin Koob, Cassius Hossfeld, Samuel L. K. Baxter and Sarah F. Griffin
Nutrients 2022, 14(21), 4616; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14214616 - 2 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1498
Abstract
Many individuals make financial, health and food related trade-offs to cope with the challenges of food insecurity and to meet their household needs for healthy, affordable food. A survey (n = 652) was conducted in nine rural counties in South Carolina, USA, [...] Read more.
Many individuals make financial, health and food related trade-offs to cope with the challenges of food insecurity and to meet their household needs for healthy, affordable food. A survey (n = 652) was conducted in nine rural counties in South Carolina, USA, during the COVID-19 pandemic from August 2020 to July 2021. We examine if level of food insecurity predicts hunger-coping trade-offs, and whether this relationship is moderated by easiness in food access and dependence on different food source types. Nearly one-third of the respondents experienced food insecurity. Making trade-offs between paying for food and other household expenses was common among the rural residents as on average they made nearly one type of trade-off in the past three months. The number of trade-offs was the highest among highly food insecure respondents (mean = 2.64), followed by moderately food insecure respondents (mean = 1.66); low food insecure respondents had the lowest number of trade-offs (mean = 0.39). The moderating effects of easiness in food access and dependence on food sources varied by level of food insecurity. The results show that individuals at different levels of food insecurity use different strategies to fulfill their food needs and social programs are more often utilized than personal food sources. We conclude with implications for addressing food insecurity in order to reduce the possibility of making trade-offs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional and Food Insecurity: Exploring Structural and Individual Risk Factors Impacting a Global Crisis)

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8 pages, 1143 KiB  
Perspective
The Reciprocal Relationship between Climate and Environmental Changes and Food Systems and Its Impact on Food/Nutrition Security and Health
by Andrew A. Bremer and Daniel J. Raiten
Nutrients 2023, 15(13), 2824; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15132824 - 21 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1442
Abstract
Changes in our climate and physical environments are having profound effects on all aspects of human existence, and the ability to develop sustainable and resilient food systems is critical not just to the environment but to all aspects of human health. The Pediatric [...] Read more.
Changes in our climate and physical environments are having profound effects on all aspects of human existence, and the ability to develop sustainable and resilient food systems is critical not just to the environment but to all aspects of human health. The Pediatric Growth and Nutrition Branch (PGNB) of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the US National Institutes of Health has adopted a new paradigm to undergird the study of nutrition that recognizes the complex and reciprocal nature of the relationships between nutrition and health outcomes. This conceptual framework, termed the “nutritional ecology,” views humans as complex biological systems interacting with both their internal and external environments. Herein, we focus on: (i) the reciprocal relationship between climate and environmental changes and food systems and their impact on food/nutrition security and health; and (ii) how PGNB is utilizing the “nutritional ecology” framework to support science addressing the interactions among health, nutrition, food systems, climate, and the environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional and Food Insecurity: Exploring Structural and Individual Risk Factors Impacting a Global Crisis)
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