Objective The present paper investigated the impact of the 2008 financial crisis on food security in Mexico and how it disproportionally affected vulnerable households. Design A generalized ordered logistic regression was estimated to assess the impact of the crisis on households’ food security status. An ordinary least squares and a quantile regression were estimated to evaluate the effect of the financial crisis on a continuous proxy measure of food security defined as the share of a household’s current income devoted to food expenditures. Setting Both analyses were performed using pooled cross-sectional data from the Mexican National Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2008 and 2010. Subjects The analytical sample included 29 468 households in 2008 and 27 654 in 2010. Results The generalized ordered logistic model showed that the financial crisis significantly (P < 0·05) decreased the probability of being food secure, mildly or moderately food insecure, compared with being severely food insecure (OR = 0·74). A similar but smaller effect was found when comparing severely and moderately food-insecure households with mildly food-insecure and food-secure households (OR = 0·81). The ordinary least squares model showed that the crisis significantly (P < 0·05) increased the share of total income spent on food (β coefficient of 0·02). The quantile regression confirmed the findings suggested by the generalized ordered logistic model, showing that the effects of the crisis were more profound among poorer households. Conclusions The results suggest that households that were more vulnerable before the financial crisis saw a worsened effect in terms of food insecurity with the crisis. Findings were consistent with both measures of food security – one based on self-reported experience and the other based on food spending.
Background: Older adults in Mexico are a growing share of the population and are a largely vulnerablegroup with increased risk of food insecurity and potential detrimental health effects stemming from it.Objectives:This study assesses the face validity of the Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale(ELCSA) among Mexican urban older adults of low socioeconomic status. Design: Qualitative study based on 4focus groups. Setting: The focus groups were conducted in community organizations for the elderly in an areaof Mexico City with a high proportion of poverty. Participants: The focus groups included a total of 36 olderadults aged 65 and over who consented to participate. Measurements:Two initial focus groups were conductedto assess how older adults understood the food security construct and each of the ELCSA items. Based on thesefindings, ELCSA was modified and retested for face validity through two additional focus groups. Results:Theinitial focus groups suggested that several of the scale items were not well understood, leading to editorialmodifications of the scale. The final focus groups indicated that the modified version of the scale improvedsubstantially ELCSA’s face validity in this sample. Conclusions: The modified ELCSA led to a greaterunderstanding of most scale items. Further qualitative research is needed to improve food insecuritymeasurements among older adults in Latin America.
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