Abstract
Objectives
To identify socio-demographic factors associated with household food insecurity in the Ontario population.
Methods
Using data from the Ontario Share File of the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey, Cycle 2.2, multivariate logistic regression was applied to identify the socio-demographic characteristics of households most likely to report food insecurity.
Results
Of the estimated 379,100 food-insecure households in Ontario in 2004, 55% were reliant on salaries or wages, 23% on social assistance, and 13% on pensions or seniors’ benefits. The prevalence of food insecurity increased markedly as income adequacy declined, rising to 47% in the lowest category of income adequacy. Food insecurity was also more prevalent among tenant households and single-person and single-parent households. When all socio-demographic factors were taken into account, three potent socio-demographic correlates of household food insecurity in Ontario were identified: low income adequacy, social assistance as the main source of income, and not owning one’s dwelling. Compared to households whose main source of income was salary or wages, the adjusted odds of experiencing food insecurity was 3.69 (95% CI: 2.33, 5.84) for households reliant on social assistance, but 0.44 (95% CI: 0.29, 0.67) for those reliant on pensions or seniors’ benefits.
Discussion
Our findings highlight the need for more adequate social assistance benefit levels, but also point to the need for better income supports for low-waged workers in Ontario so that they have sufficient financial resources to purchase the food they need.
Key words: Food, socioeconomic factors, Ontario
Résumé
Objectifs
Déterminer les facteurs sociodémographiques associés à l’insécurité alimentaire des ménages en Ontario.
Méthodes
À l’aide des données du Ontario Share File sur l’Enquête sur la santé dans les collectivités canadiennes–Cycle 2.2, une analyse de régression logistique multidimensionnelle a été utilisée pour déterminer les caractéristiques sociodémographiques des ménages les plus susceptibles de signaler une insécurité alimentaire.
Résultats
55 % des quelque 379 100 ménages ontariens qui ont signalé une insécurité alimentaire en 2004 se fiaient aux traitements ou aux salaires, 23 % à l’aide sociale, et 13 % aux revenus de retraite ou aux prestations de sécurité de la vieillesse. Le taux de prévalence de l’insécurité alimentaire a considérablement augmenté proportionnellement à la réduction d’un revenu acceptable, une augmentation de 47 % dans la plus basse catégorie de revenu adéquat. En outre, le taux de prévalence d’insécurité alimentaire était plus élevé dans les ménages de locataires et ceux où résidait une seule personne ou un seul parent. Après avoirs pris en compte tous les facteurs sociodémographiques, les trois puissants corrélats sociodémographiques d’insécurité alimentaire domiciliaire suivants ont été déterminés: nature acceptable d’un faible revenu; aide sociale à titre de principale source de revenu; et le fait de ne pas être propriétaire de son logement. Comparativement aux ménages dont les traitements ou les salaires sont les principales sources de revenu, les probabilités corrigées de vivre une insécurité alimentaire étaient de 3,69 (IC95 %: 2,33–5,84) pour les ménages qui se fient à l’aide sociale, mais de 0,44 (IC95 %: 0,29–0,67) pour les ménages qui reçoivent une pension ou des prestations de sécurité de la vieillesse.
Discussion
Nos constatations et conclusions démontrent le besoin de rehausser les niveaux des prestations d’aide sociale, tout en précisant le besoin d’un meilleur soutien du revenu pour les travailleurs ontariens à faible salaire, et ce, pour veiller à ce qu’ils disposent de ressources financières suffisantes pour acheter les aliments dont ils ont besoin.
Mots clés: aliments, facteurs socioéconomiques, Ontario
Footnotes
Acknowledgements and Disclaimer: The authors are indebted to Elizabeth Rael for her thorough and thoughtful critiques of earlier versions of this work and to the Sudbury & District Health Unit (SDHU) Public Health Research, Education and Development (PHRED) Program for their preparation of the health region maps.
This research was funded by the Ministry of Health Promotion in Ontario. It was conducted with guidance from the Public Health Advisory Group, chaired by the SDHU PHRED Program. The views expressed in the manuscript are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Health Promotion, of the SDHU, or of the Ontario PHRED Program.
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