Dataset Information

Charitable Food Systems' Capacity to Address Food Insecurity: An Australian Capital City Audit.

ABSTRACT: Australian efforts to address food insecurity are delivered by a charitable food system (CFS) which fails to meet demand. The scope and nature of the CFS is unknown. This study audits the organisational capacity of the CFS within the 10.9 square kilometres of inner-city Perth, Western Australia. A desktop analysis of services and 12 face-to-face interviews with representatives from CFS organisations was conducted. All CFS organisations were not-for?profit and guided by humanitarian or faith-based values. The CFS comprised three indirect services (IS) sourcing, banking and/or distributing food to 15 direct services (DS) providing food to recipients. DS offered 30 different food services at 34 locations feeding over 5670 people/week via 16 models including mobile and seated meals, food parcels, supermarket vouchers, and food pantries. Volunteer to paid staff ratios were 33:1 (DS) and 19:1 (IS). System-wide, food was mainly donated and most funding was philanthropic. Only three organisations received government funds. No organisation had a nutrition policy. The organisational capacity of the CFS was precarious due to unreliable, insufficient and inappropriate financial, human and food resources and structures. System-wide reforms are needed to ensure adequate and appropriate food relief for Australians experiencing food insecurity.

SUBMITTER: Pollard CM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6025598 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Charitable Food Systems' Capacity to Address Food Insecurity: An Australian Capital City Audit.

Pollard Christina M CM Mackintosh Bruce B Campbell Cathy C Kerr Deborah D Begley Andrea A Jancey Jonine J Caraher Martin M Berg Joel J Booth Sue S

International journal of environmental research and public health 20180612 6

Australian efforts to address food insecurity are delivered by a charitable food system (CFS) which fails to meet demand. The scope and nature of the CFS is unknown. This study audits the organisational capacity of the CFS within the 10.9 square kilometres of inner-city Perth, Western Australia. A desktop analysis of services and 12 face-to-face interviews with representatives from CFS organisations was conducted. All CFS organisations were not-for⁻profit and guided by humanitarian or faith-base ...[more]

PMID: 29895801

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Project description:BackgroundFood insecurity (FI) is an important social determinant of health that is associated with many forms of violence. We hypothesized that FI would be associated with gun violence.MethodsFirearm injury data was collected from 2016 to 2020 (n = 3115) at a single institution that serves as the only Level I trauma center in a major southern US city. The data were linked with Map the Meal Gap data, a publicly available data set, which estimates rates of county-level FI based on state-level FI and social determinants, including unemployment, poverty, disability, and other factors. Regression analysis was utilized to examine the relationship between FI with rates of overall gun trauma and odds of gun-related violence. Food insecurity by county of patient residence was categorized by rates less than the national average of 11.5% (low), between the national and state average (16.5%) (moderate), and greater than the state average (high). Out of state residents were excluded from the analyses.ResultsOf the 3,115 patients with firearm injuries identified, 138 (4.4%) resided in counties with low FI rates, 1048 (33.6%) in moderate FI, and 1929 (62.0%) in counties with high FI. Patients in regions of high FI were more likely to be a Level I trauma activation, a victim of assault, and have Medicaid or be self-pay. There was no significant difference in mortality by levels of FI. Food insecurity was significantly associated with firearm injury, with each percent increase in FI being related to approximately 56 additional gun-related injuries per 100,000 people (95% confidence interval, 54-59) and increased odds of the injury classified as assault (odds ratio, 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-1.19).ConclusionViolence prevention initiatives targeting food insecure communities may help alleviate the US gun violence epidemic. Further, trauma center screening for household FI and in-hospital interventions addressing FI may help reduce gun violence recidivism.Level of evidencePrognostic and Epidemiologic; Level IV.

Project description:BackgroundHigh rates of food insecurity are documented among Inuit households in Canada; however, data on food insecurity prevalence and seasonality for Inuit households with children are lacking, especially in city centres. This project: (1) compared food consumption patterns for households with and without children, (2) compared the prevalence of food insecurity for households with and without children, (3) compared food consumption patterns and food insecurity prevalence between seasons, and (4) identified factors associated with food insecurity in households with children in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada.MethodsRandomly selected households were surveyed in Iqaluit in September 2012 and May 2013. Household food security status was determined using an adapted United States Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Survey Module. Univariable logistic regressions were used to examine unconditional associations between food security status and demographics, socioeconomics, frequency of food consumption, and method of food preparation in households with children by season.ResultsHouseholds with children (n = 431) and without children (n = 468) participated in the survey. Food insecurity was identified in 32.9% (95% CI: 28.5-37.4%) of households with children; this was significantly higher than in households without children (23.2%, 95% CI: 19.4-27.1%). The prevalence of household food insecurity did not significantly differ by season. Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the person responsible for food preparation, including low formal education attainment (ORSept = 4.3, 95% CI: 2.3-8.0; ORMay = 3.2, 95% CI: 1.8-5.8), unemployment (ORSept = 1.1, 95% CI: 1.1-1.3; ORMay = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.1-1.5), and Inuit identity (ORSept = 8.9, 95% CI: 3.4-23.5; ORMay = 21.8, 95% CI: 6.6-72.4), were associated with increased odds of food insecurity in households with children. Fruit and vegetable consumption (ORSept = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2-0.8; ORMay = 0.5, 95% CI: 0.2-0.9), as well as eating cooked (ORSept = 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3-1.0; ORMay = 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3-0.9) and raw (ORSept = 1.7, 95% CI: 0.9-3.0; ORMay = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.0-3.1) fish were associated with decreased odds of food insecurity among households with children, while eating frozen meat and/or fish (ORSept = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.4-5.0; ORMay = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.1-3.7) was associated with increased odds of food insecurity.ConclusionsFood insecurity is high among households with children in Iqaluit. Despite the partial subsistence livelihoods of many Inuit in the city, we found no seasonal differences in food security and food consumption for households with children. Interventions aiming to decrease food insecurity in these households should consider food consumption habits, and the reported demographic and socioeconomic determinants of food insecurity.

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Dataset Information

Charitable Food Systems' Capacity to Address Food Insecurity: An Australian Capital City Audit.

Publications

Charitable Food Systems' Capacity to Address Food Insecurity: An Australian Capital City Audit.

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