Table 1.
Overview of scientific literature of food insecurity studies: original articles and literature reviews.
| Title | Author/s | Year | Journal | FI Measure | Country | Objective | Households/Individuals | Data Collection Procedure | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| An Examination of Measurement Invariance Using a Multilevel Explanatory Rasch Model | Jue Wang, Victoria T. Tanaka, George Engelhard Jr. and Matthew P. Rabbitt [37] | 2020 | Measurement: Interdisciplinary Research and Perspectives | FIES | 151 countries | To assess whether there is DIF in the FIES Scale due to gender and if so, to what extent. To study whether controlling for differences in the severity of latent food insecurity associated with person-level explanatory variables have an impact on the detection of gender DIF in the FIES Scale? | Individuals | Gallup survey (see note) | The results indicated the presence of differential item functioning for gender on the pooled (global) FIE Scale. Several person-level explanatory variables (educational attainment and socioeconomic status) also explained a significant amount of the variation in food insecurity measures. Furthermore, separate analyses were conducted for six geographic regions of the world, showing gender-related DIF, as well as the impact of person-level explanatory variables across the geographic regions |
| Confirmatory factor analysis to validate a new measure of food insecurity: Perceived and actual constructs | ElenaGrimaccia, Alessia Naccarato [39] | 2020 | Quality and Quantity | FIES | 147 countries | To validate the FIES | Individuals | Gallup survey | FIES presents a good level of reliability and internal consistency. However, two distinct latent constructs were identified and analysed: A subscale measuring ‘perceived’ aspects of food insecurity and a subscale related to ‘actually experienced’ activities |
| Food Insecurity in Europe: A Gender Perspective | ElenaGrimaccia, Alessia Naccarato [38] | 2020 | Social Indicators Research | FIES | 147 countries | To analyze the principal determinants of gender differences in food insecurity | Individuals | Gallup survey (see note) | The results suggest that the driver that could most mitigate women disadvantage is education: people with a university degree present a lower probability of experiencing food insecurity, both for men and for women. On the contrary, familial characteristics, such as the number of children in the household, present a higher impact on women’s food insecurity than men. |
| Food Insecurity among Small-Scale Farmersin Poland | Agnieszka Poczta-Wajda, Agnieszka Sapa, Sebastian Stepien, Michał Borychowski [59] | 2020 | Agriculture | HFIAS | Poland | To examine the level of food insecurity among small-scale farms in Poland | Household | Face-to-face interviews | The incidence and degree of food insecurity was measured with the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). The study found that about 43% of the respondents were exposed to food insecurity, including almost 9% to severe food insecurity, which is well above the average for the entire Polish population. By applying cross-tabulation and the zero-inflated Poisson regression model, the study found that the higher age and secondary or higher education of the farm manager, having children in the household and higher land productivity have a statistically significant negative influence on households’ food insecurity (i.e., decreased HFIAS score). On the contrary, family size of five or more and production type “permanent crops” and “dairy cows” have a statistically significant positive influence on households’ food insecurity (i.e., increased HFIAS score). |
| Explaining racial inequality in food security in Columbus, Ohio: A blinder–oaxaca decomposition analysis | Keumseok Koh, Michelle L. Kaiser, Glennon Sweeney, Karima Samadi and Ayaz Hyder [46] |
2020 | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health | 6-item HFSSM (USDA) | USA | Using Blinder-Oaxaca BO approach, this study aims to divide the Black–White food security differential into a part that is “explained” by group differences in socioeconomic characteristics, food shopping behaviors, and neighborhood perception and a remaining part that cannot be accounted for by such differences in the known determinants of food security in Columbus, Ohio. | Individuals (adults) | In-person or online survey | Compared with Black households, White households used their own cars more often and walk less to buy food, shopped 1.4 times more frequently, and travelled 0.6 miles less to acquire food in one month. Regarding neighborhood perception, White households were more satisfied with food accessibility in their neighborhood, and had more perceived connections with friends and neighbors in their communities. In terms of socioeconomic characteristics, White respondents were younger, possessed higher educational and household income levels, had fewer children in their homes, and were less likely to participate in SNAP. There was a 34.2 percent point (95% CI: 25.4–43.1) difference in food security between White and Black households. |
| Caregiver’s self-confidence in food resource management is associated with lower risk of household food insecurity among SNAP-Ed-eligible head start families | Lamis Jomaa, Muzi Na, Sally G. Eagleton, Marwa Diab-El-Harake and Jennifer S. Savage [47] | 2020 | Nutrients | 18-item HFSSM (USDA) | USA | The present study aimed to first examine the associations between Food Resource Management (FRM) self-confidence and FRM behaviors by HFI status using a sample of SNAP-Ed-eligible Head Start families. A secondary objective of the study was to explore the association between financial practices of caregivers and HFI status in the study sample. | Households | N/A(most likely in person) | Participants with high FRM self-confidence had lower odds of HFI (OR = 0.54, 95%CI: 0.33, 0.87), yet FRM behaviors, financial practices, and HFI were not related after adjusting for covariates. All FRM self-confidence questions significantly differed by HFI, whereas only one of six FRM behaviors and two of three financial practices differed by HFI (all p-values < 0.05). |
| Association of maternal food insecurity before and during pregnancy with fetal structural anomalies: A multicenter case–control study protocol | Drieda Zac, Ilda Hoxhaj, TinaPasciuto, Rosario D’Anna, Gianluca Straface, Laura Reali, Marco De Santis and Maria Luisa Di Pietro [57] |
2020 | Nutrition and Health | HFIAS | Italy | The primary objective of the study was to investigate the impact of food insecurity among pregnant women before and during pregnancy on fetal structural anomalies Secondary objectives. Secondary objectives are to evaluate the prevalence of food insecurity among pregnant women in the study population, and to evaluate the prevalence of different types of fetal structural anomalies in the case group. | Individuals | N/A(most likely in person) | Finding a positive association between food insecurity in pregnant women and fetal structural anomalies could be the first step towards screening for it among pregnant women and designing policies that could mitigate this condition. Lowering food insecurity could prevent a certain number of fetal structural anomalies, leading to fewer negative pregnancy outcomes and health problems during childhood and adulthood |
| Hunger in Vulnerable Families in Southeastern Europe: Associations With Mental Health and Violence | Jansen, Elena; Lachman, Jamie M; Heinrichs, Nina; Hutchings, Judy; Baban, Adriana; Foran, Heather M [44] |
2020 | Frontiers in Public Health | Hunger Scale | North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova and Romania |
This study explored the experience of hunger in vulnerable families in three South-eastern European countries, and simultaneously examined relationships with four sets of risk factors—lack of financial, mental, familial, and social resources | Household | Data collection took place either at participants’ homes, the study institutes or any agreed-on location. | Hunger in South-eastern European families, among families with children showing elevated behavioral problems, was associated with more family violence, but specifically poorer mental health and less emotional support above and beyond socio-structural strains. Adapting parenting interventions to support the primary caregiver in getting more access to emotional support may potentially also change hunger and its association with health and violence. However, this hypothetical pathway of change needs explicit testing |
| What explains gender differences in food insecurity? | Nzinga H. Broussard [42] |
2020 | Food Policy | FIES | 2014 round of the GWP for 146 countries | To assess whether there are gender differences in FI | Individuals | Interviews are conducted either face-to-face or via telephone. Telephone surveys are conducted in countries with at least 80% telephone coverage. | In the developed countries of the European Union, women are 4.7 percentage points more likely than men to experience some form of food insecurity. In the poor countries of South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, women are two percentage points more likely than men to be severely food insecure |
| Heterogeneous factors predict food insecurity among the elderly in developed countries: Insights from a multi-national analysis of 48 countries | Jae Yeon Park, Arlette Saint Ville, Timothy Schwinghamer, Hugo Melgar-Quiñonez [68] |
2019 | Food Security | FIES | 48 countries (GWP) | (1) to examine macro-level prevalence of food insecurity among the elderly in 48 developed countries. (2) to assess possible risk factors affecting food insecurity by the elderly in developed countries, using cross-nationally comparative methods. |
Individuals (elderly) | Gallup survey | Food insecure individuals were more likely to live alone, not have a partner, and tended to have poorer scores for social support and wellbeing. Additionally, poor community infrastructure was associated with food insecurity of elderly people, and there were more food insecure elderly people in urban areas. At the multinational level, results indicated wide and statistically significant disparities among continents. The study concluded that not only personal factors but also social conditions could prevent the elderly from achieving full food security status. |
| “I worry if I will have food tomorrow”: A study on food insecurity among asylum seekers living in Norway |
Sigrun Henjum, Marianne Sandsmark Morseth, Charles D. Arnold, Dawid Mauno, Laura Terragni [58] |
2019 | BMC Public Health | 10-item Radimer/Cornell Hunger and Food Insecurity Scale | Norway | to assess food security among asylum seekers living in Norwegian reception centers | individuals | Face-to-face | Seven percent of the participants were categorized as food secure and 93% as food insecure, of whom 11% were food insecure without hunger, 78% were food insecure with hunger, and 4% were food insecure with child hunger. Among the families with children, 20% (8 of 41) experienced child hunger. For the participants experiencing food insecurity with hunger, 44% reported that they were hungry often, and among families with children, 14% reported that despite being aware of the child’s hunger, they did not have the resources/money to buy more food. In logistic regression models, men had higher odds of experiencing adult food insecurity with hunger than women, OR (95% CI): 4.08 (2.04, 8.16). A reduction in monthly budget by 100 euros increased the odds of experiencing adult food in-security with hunger by 1.37 times OR (95% CI), 1.37 (1.16, 1.61) |
| Food-Insecure Women Eat a Less Diverse Diet in a More Temporally Variable Way: Evidence from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2013-4 | Daniel Nettle and Melissa Bateson [48] |
2019 | Journal of Obesity | 10-item HFSSM | USA | we investigated in detail the 24-h. food-consumption recalls of adult women in the 2013-4 cycle of NHANES. Like previous studies, we extracted variables concerning total energy intake, macronutrient composition, and number of eating occasions in the day. | Individuals | two separate food recall interviews, the first in person and the second by telephone | Compared to the food-secure, food-insecure women had more variable time gaps between eating; ate a smaller and less variable number of distinct foods at a time; were more variable from day to day in their time of first consumption; were more variable from day to day in the number of times they ate; and consumed relatively more carbohydrate, less protein, and less fibre. However, their overall energy intake was no higher. Food insecure women had higher BMIs (2.25 kg/m2), and around 15% of the BMI difference between food-insecure and food-secure women was accounted for by their more variable time gaps between eating, their lower diversity of foods, and their lower fibre consumption. |
| Examining the Association between Food Literacy and Food Insecurity | Andrea Begley; Ellen Paynter; Lucy M. Butcher; Satvinder S. Dhaliwal [50] |
2019 | Nutrients | Ad hoc single item FI measure ENEP | Australia | The aim of this research was to describe the apparent prevalence of food insecurity in adults at enrolment in a food literacy program and to examine the relationship between food insecurity and a range of independent variables. | Individuals | Individuals were encouraged where possible to complete a questionnaire before starting the first session | The results are salient as they indicate an association between food literacy and food insecurity. The implications are that food insecure participants may respond differently to food literacy programs. It may be necessary to screen people enrolling in programs, tailor program content, and include comprehensive measures in evaluation to determine effect on the impact of food literacy programs on different subgroups |
| Money speaks: Reductions in severe food insecurity follow the Canada Child Benefit | Brown, E.M.; Tarasuk, V. [65] |
2019 | Preventive Medicine | 18-item HFSSM | Canada | To assess whether Canadian households with children experienced reductions in food insecurity compared to those without following the roll-out of a new country-wide income transfer program: the Canada Child Benefit (CCB). | Households (adults and children) | NA | Multinomial logistic regressions were used to test the association between CCB and food insecurity among three samples: households reporting any income (n = 41,455), the median income or less (n = 18,191) and the Low-Income Measure (LIM) or less (n = 7579). The prevalence and severity of food insecurity increased with economic vulnerability, and were both consistently higher among households with children. However, they also experienced significantly greater drops in the likelihood of experiencing severe food insecurity following CCB; most dramatically among those reporting the LIM or less (DID: −4.7%, 95% CI: −8.6, −0.7). These results suggest that CCB disproportionately benefited families most susceptible to food insecurity. Furthermore, our findings also indicate that food insecurity may be impacted by even modest changes to economic circumstance, speaking to the potential of income transfers to help people meet their basic needs. |
| Impact of fruits and vegetables vouchers on food insecurity in disadvantaged families from a Paris suburb | Buscail, C.; Gendreau, J.; Daval, P.; Lombrail, P.; Hercberg, S.; Latino-Martel, P.; Julia, C. [55] | 2019 | BMC Nutrition | 18-item HFSSM | France | To assess the impact of fruits and vegetables vouchers on food security among disadvantaged households from a Paris suburb. | Households | Face-to-face at community centers or at home | Among the 91 families included between May 2015 and May 2016, 64 completed the post assessment questionnaire. At inclusion, 68.3% of families were experiencing food insecurity and 78.1% were experiencing food insufficiency. No association was found between food consumptions and food security status. After one-year follow-up, the prevalence of food insufficiency was significantly decreased in the intervention group (61.8%, with p value = 0.03), and unchanged in the control group. Conclusion: In this pilot study, food insufficiency was significantly decreased in families receiving vouchers for fruits and vegetables over a one-year period |
| Food Insecurity Is More Strongly Associated with Poor Subjective Well-Being in More-Developed Countries than in Less-Developed Countries | Frongillo, E.A. Edward A.; Nguyen, H.T. Hoa T.; Smith, M.D. Michael D. M.D. Michael D; Coleman-Jensen, Alisha [62] |
2019 | Journal of Nutrition | FIES | Data from the Gallup World Poll 2014 in 147 countries | We aimed to deepen understanding of the relation between food insecurity and subjective well-being among countries from the perspective of possible hedonic adaptation between food insecurity and subjective well-being | Individuals | Gallup survey | The prevalence of food insecurity was strongly and negatively associated with subjective well-being across 147 countries. The association between food insecurity and poor subjective well-being within countries was stronger for more-developed countries, providing evidence of hedonic adaptation between food insecurity and subjective well-being. Food insecurity explained substantial variation in subjective well-being both among and within countries |
| Food insecurity status and mortality among adults in Ontario, Canada | Craig Gundersen, Valerie Tarasuk, Joyce Cheng, Claire de Oliveira, Paul Kurdyak [53] |
2018 | Plos One | 18-item HFSSM | Canada | to ascertain the association between food insecurity and all-cause mortality for a population-based sample of adults. | Household | NA | Using a full set of covariates, in comparison to food secure individuals, the odds of death at any point after the interview are 1.28 (CI = 1.08, 1.52) for marginally food insecure individuals, 1.49 (CI = 1.29, 1.73) for moderately food insecure individuals, and 2.60 (CI = 2.17, 3.12) for severely food insecure individuals. When mortality within four years of the interview is considered, the odds are, respectively, 1.19 (CI = 0.95, 1.50), 1.65 (CI = 1.37, 1.98), and 2.31 (CI = 1.81, 2.93) |
| Testing the price of healthy and current diets in remote aboriginal communities to improve food security: Development of the aboriginal and torres strait islander healthy diets ASAP (Australian standardised affordability and pricing) methods | Amanda Lee and Meron Lewis [51] |
2018 | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health | Healthy Diets ASAP | Australia | The aim of this study was to modify and test the Healthy Diets ASAP methods protocol to be more relevant to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. It developed methods and tools to assist others to apply the approach in order to compare the price, price differential and affordability of healthy (recommended) and current (unhealthy) diets of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders living in different locations with other population groups in Australia. | Household | Face-to-face interviews | |
| The rise of food banks and the challenge of matching food assistance with potential need: Towards a spatially specific, rapid assessment approach. | Christopher M. Bacon and Gregory A. Baker [49] |
2017 | Agriculture and Human Values | Food Insecurity Index (FII) | USA | The objective of this study is to assess how well a local food assistance organization serves its clientele from a geo- graphical perspective. Specifically, the research question is: do the areas with the highest concentration of people who are likely in need of food assistance have food distribution sites in close proximity? | Households | Household data from US Census ACS 5-year estimates of poverty and demographic data and data from a local food bank | The findings suggest that food assistance distribution locations match the areas of potential need in more than 80% of urban census tracts. However, there are several potentially underserved locations and populations that could benefit from new food assistance operations. |
| Did food insecurity rise across Europe after the 2008 crisis? An analysis across welfare regimes | Davis, Owen; Geiger, Ben Baumberg [43] |
2017 | Social Policy and Society | European Quality of Life Survey item ‘could your household afford a meal with meat, chicken or fish every second day if you wanted it?’ | Europe | First, we explore whether food insecurity has risen since the 2008 crisis as the rise in food aid suggests. Second, we examine if this rise has varied across welfare regimes, if it has occurred at all. | Household | interviews were conducted face-to-face in respondents’ own homes using standardised question wording. | The article finds evidence to support both contentions: food insecurity has risen across many European countries and has varied by welfare regime. It also finds that contrary to expectations, the sharpest rise was in the Anglo-Saxon countries of Ireland and the UK, rather than Southern or Eastern European countries. |
| The impact of changes in social policies on household food insecurity in British Columbia, 2005–2012 | NaLi, Naomi Dachner, Valerie Tarasuk [54] |
2016 | Preventive Medicine | 18-item HFSSM | Canada | The primary objectives of this study were to describe the socio- demographic and temporal patterning of food insecurity in BC from 2005 to 2012 and determine whether BC’s increase in social assistance and introduction of the RAP affected food insecurity among the target groups. A secondary objective was to compare the sensitivity of different levels of household food insecurity to these two policy interventions. | Households | NA | Overall food insecurity rose significantly among households in BC between 2005 and 2012. Following the increase in social assistance benefits, overall food insecurity and moderate and severe food insecurity declined among households on social assistance, but severe food insecurity remained unchanged. |
| The impact of a school food aid program on household food insecurity | Athanassios Petralias; Eleni Papadimitriou; EleN/ARiza; Margaret R. Karagas; Alexia B.A. Zagouras; AthenaLinos [56] |
2016 | European Journal of Public Health | Food Security Survey Module (FSSM) | Greece | We hypothesized that children and their families living in low SES districts experience food insecurity and that the food aid program would reduce its rates. This is the first program of this type and magnitude in Greece | Household | NA | 59.1% post-intervention, p < 0.001. On an individual level, food insecurity score diminished by 6.5%, p < 0.001. After adjustment for various socioeconomic factors, for each additional month of participation, the odds of reducing the food insecurity score increased by 6.3% (OR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.02–1.11). Those experiencing food insecurity with hunger at baseline were more likely to improve food insecurity score than those who did not (OR = 3.51, 95%CI: 2.92–4.21). |
| Understanding Food Insecurity in the USA and Canada: Potential Insights for Europe |
Gundersen, C. [45] |
2016 | World Rev Nutr Diet. | 18-item HFSSM | US/Canada | Given the similarities between the USA, Canada, and Europe, previous research can offer numerous insights into the causes and consequences of food insecurity in Europe and possible directions to address these through measurement and public policies. | Households | NA | It first covers the methods used to measure food insecurity in the USA and Canada. In both countries, a series of 18 questions in the Core Food Security Module are used to identify whether a household is food insecure. It then briefly covers the current extent of food insecurity in each country along with some discussion of the recent history of food insecurity. A central advantage to using the Core Food Security Module in Europe is that the measure has been proven useful in other high-income countries, and using a standardized measure would allow for cross-country comparisons. I next cover two large-scale food assistance programs from the USA, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as the Food Stamp Program) and the National School Lunch Program. For each, I summarize how the program is structured, how eligibility is established, and how participation proceeds. Europe has generally used income-based assistance programs to improve the well-being of low-income households; I consider a couple of reasons for why food assistance programs may also be worth considering. |
| Time and regional perspectives of food insecurity during the economic crisis in Portugal, 2011–2013 | Graca, P.; Gregorio, M.J.; Costa, A.; Nogueira, P.J. [36] |
2014 | Saúde Soc. São Paulo, | FI was assessed using a psychometric scale adapted from the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale (IBGE, 2010) | Portugal | This study aims to evaluate trends in FI prevalence during the economic crisis in Portugal and to identify regional disparities throughout the country | Household | Data were collected using face-to-face interviews by nurses in primary health care | The prevalence of FI was relatively unchanged at national and regional levels, during the analysis period. Data from 2013 indicates a high prevalence of FI (50.7%), including 33.4% for low FI, 10.1% for moderate FI and 7.2% for severe FI. Disparities according health region were also found for household FI. Algarve, Lisbon and Vale do Tejo were the two regions with the highest levels of FI, even after controlling or other socioeconomic variables. High levels of FI found in Portugal and the different regional profiles suggest the need for regional strategies, in particular in the most affected regions based on a broader action with different policy sectors (health, social security, municipalities and local institutions in the field of social economy). |
| Stress and Poverty Predictors of Treatment Adherence Among People With Low-Literacy Living With HIV/AIDS | Kalichman, Seth C and Grebler, Tamar [35] |
2010 | Psychosomatic Medicine | 6-item HFSSM | USA | To examine the association of social, health, and poverty-related stressors in relation to antiretroviral therapy adherence in a sample of people with low-literacy living with HIV/AIDS in the South-Eastern United States. Emotional distress is among the more common factors associated with HIV treatment adherence. | Individuals | Face-to-face interviews | Two-thirds of the sample demonstrated adherence <85% of pills taken. Multivariable analyses showed that food insufficiency and hunger predicted antiretroviral therapy nonadherence over and above depression, internalized stigma, substance use, and HIV-related social stressors |
| Food insecurity and aging during economic crisis | Graça, P., Gregoório, M.J. [52] |
2017 | Psychology and Behavior | Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale | Portugal | To assess food insecurity prevalence across age groups in Portugal. | Households | Face-to-face interviews | This national survey on food insecurity, implemented in 2011 in order to evaluate food insecurity trends during the period that Portugal was under the International Monetary Fund financial assistance program (2011–2014), found a high prevalence of food in- security in the Portuguese population. In 2014, 45.8% of the Portuguese households included in this study were food insecure. A higher risk of food insecurity was observed in the age groups of 30–64 years, when comparing to adults aged 65 and over. Data from Infofamiília survey in Portugal are consistent with results obtained in other countries. |
| Food insecurity and mental health among females in high-income countries | Merryn Maynard, Lesley Andrade, Sara Packull-McCormick, Christopher M. Perlman, Cesar Leos-Toro and Sharon, I. Kirkpatrick [61] |
2018 | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health | 18-item HFSSM (USDA); single-item from Radimer Cornell; Community Childhood Hunger Identification Project (CCHIP); single-item National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES-III); New Zealand measure of individual deprivation, Other multi or single item measures | USA, Canada, New Zealand and England | to examine the state of the literature on food insecurity and mental health among women living in high-income countries | Individuals (women) | N/A | Most research was cross-sectional and showed associations between depression and food insecurity; longitudinal analyses suggested bidirectional relationships (with food insecurity increasing the risk of depressive symptoms or diagnosis, or depression predicting food insecurity). Several articles focused on vulnerable subgroups, such as pregnant women and mothers, women at risk of homelessness, refugees, and those who had been exposed to violence or substance abuse. Overall, this review supports a link between food insecurity and mental health (and other factors, such as housing circumstances and exposure to violence) among women in high-income countries and underscores the need for comprehensive policies and programs that recognize complex links among public health challenges. |
| Place and food insecurity: A critical review and synthesis of the literature | Megan Ann Carter, Lise Dubois and Mark S Tremblay [64] |
2014 | Public Health Nutrition | 18-item HFSSM; 6-item HFSSM; Community Childhood Hunger Identification Project; Radimer Cornell measure; adapted version of Radimer Cornell measure | N/A(systematic review) | The present review sought to synthesize and critically appraise the existing literature examining local environmental characteristics in relation to individual/household-level food insecurity in the general population. | Households and individuals | This review chose those research studies for inclusion if they examined the relationship between features of place and self-reported food insecurity (either at the household/family or individual level). | After obtaining full-text articles, eighteen primary studies met the eligibility criteria. Most studies were conducted in the USA and all but one was cross- sectional. Seven of the eleven studies that examined location of residence found that rural living was inversely associated with food insecurity. Mixed results were seen for other place measures such as social capital and distance to food stores. Conclusions: Studies were heterogeneous and had various limitations that preclude definitive conclusions from being drawn. Recommendations for future research are provided. |
| Investigating food insecurity measurement globally to inform practice locally: A rapid evidence review | Emma Beacom, Sineéad Furey, Lynsey Hollywood and Paul Humphreys [22] |
2020 | Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition | 18-item HFSSM; 6-item HFSSM; FIES; USDA Food Insufficiency Question; 10-item AFSSM; adapted HFSSM; Australian National Health Survey single-item measure; Household Food and Nutrition Security Survey (HFNSS); USDA Food Insecurity and Hunger Scale | N/A(systematic 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. | Households and individuals | Focus groups, surveys, secondary data analysis, and interviews | 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. |
| Identifying a potential tool to measure household food insecurity in the UK: A systematic review | G. Nguyen, L. Aucott, G. McNeill, F. Douglas [21] |
2017 | Proceedings of the Nutrition Society | Twenty different tools were identified with the most commonly used being the USDA Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM) (66%), the Canadian HFSSM (8%). Other tools such as the Radimer/Cornell Hunger Scale, FAO Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), etc. had only been used in a small proportion of the included studies | N/A(systematic review) | to identify the measurement instruments which have been used to measure HFI in developed/high income countries which would be suitable for use in the UK context. | Households and individuals | NA | There are a number of structured scales available in the literature for measuring HFI, the USDA HFSSM stands out as the most commonly used tool in high income countries. Additional work to develop questions to better capture the psychological and social components of HFI is required. |
| Measuring food insecurity | Castetbon, K. [16] |
2016 | Book chapter | Radimer/Cornell Cornell Child Food Security Measure Community Childhood Hunger Identification Project (CCHIP) tool Food Security Core Module (FSCM), also named US HFSS |
N/A(systematic review) | reviews studies into food security at the level of the household and of the individual, focusing especially on the question of how to define and measure the complex concept of food insecurity. | Households and individuals | NA | The concept of ‘food security’ has been under discussion since the 1970s, and an extensive literature on it has existed since the early 1990s. • Research into food insecurity has focused primarily on the developing world, but food insecurity also exists in the developed world. Questionnaires designed to measure food insecurity most commonly focus on the level of the individual and of the household. • Questionnaires designed to measure food insecurity have become progressively more sophisticated. • The definition of ‘food insecurity’ is still in flux. • Existing data on food insecurity are too diverse to admit a simple synthesis, but further research will generate findings that will permit a thoroughgoing analysis of the phenomenon. |
| Measurement of household food security in the USA and other industrialised countries | Kathy L. Radimer [60] |
2002 | Public Health Nutrition | 18-item HFSSM (USDA); 6-item HFSSM; USDA Food Insufficiency Indicator; 8-item Food Security Survey (Reid, New Zealand); 2-item adapted from Radimer Cornell (Australia); National Population Health Survey (Canada) | USA, New Zealand, Australia, Canada | To describe the history and current status of household food security measurement in the USA and other industrialised countries. | Households and individuals | N/A | Current research on food security measurement includes measurement of individual food insecurity and hunger, module performance regarding hunger duration and frequency, performance of the module in population sub- groups, and the effect of translations on module meaning and performance. National surveys in Canada, New Zealand and Australia also have measured food security. |
| Measurement of the dimensions of food insecurity in developed countries: A systematic literature review | Ashby, Stephanie; Kleve, Suzanne; McKechnie, Rebecca; Palermo, Claire [23] | 2016 | Public Health Nutrition | Radimer/Cornell Cornell Child Food Security Measure Community Childhood Hunger Identification Project (CCHIP) tool Hager two-item screen Girard four-point tool Kuyper part food insecurity Household Food Insecurity Access Scal (HFIAS) Townsend Food Behavior Checklist | N/A(systematic review) | The aim of the present study was to conduct a systematic literature review to identify all multi-item tools that measure food insecurity and explore which of the dimensions they assess. | Households and individuals | NA | Eight multi-item tools were identified. All of the tools assessed the ‘food access’ dimension and two partially assessed the dimensions ‘food utilization’ and ‘stability over time’, respectively. ‘Food availability’ was not assessed by existing tools. Conclusions: Current tools available for measuring food insecurity are subjective, limited in scope, with a majority assessing only one dimension of food insecurity (access). To more accurately assess the true burden of food insecurity, tools should be adapted or developed to assess all four dimensions of food insecurity |
Note. Galluop surveys: Gallup uses telephone surveys in countries where telephone coverage represents at least 80% of the population or is the customary survey methodology. In the developing world, including much of Latin America, the former Soviet Union countries, nearly all of Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, Gallup uses an area frame design for face-to-face interviewing in randomly selected households.