Healthy Eating in Jamaica: The Cost Factor

Fj, Henry; Caines, D; Eyre, Sheerin

doi:10.7727/wimj.2015.116

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…The cost of healthy eating is considered a major threat for diet-related chronic diseases and weight-related disorders among people across the world. Recent studies using different methodologies have highlighted the debate on whether healthy eating can be achieved and maintained by the poor (5)(6)(7)(8)(9).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative cost of diets for low-income families in the Caribbean

Henry

Lawrence

Nelson

2022

Revista Panamericana De Salud Pública

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Objective. To assess the ability of low-income families to obtain a standard basket of healthy foods before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods. The costs of 191 food items were averaged from supermarkets, municipal markets, wholesalers, and community food outlets in high- and low-income areas in three Caribbean countries. The analysis compared foods not only by selecting high- and low-ranked commodities but by the proportions of those foods, by food group, that will be required to meet a low-cost, nutritionally balanced diet of 2 400 kcal. Results. The main finding was that low-income households will need between 22% and 47% of their earnings to obtain a healthy diet. Despite higher food prices in Saint Kitts and Nevis, low-income households there will need a smaller proportion of their income to obtain a similar basket of foods than in Jamaica or Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Conclusions. While the COVID-19 pandemic has added economic stressors to low-income households the basic vulnerability of the poor to obtain a healthy diet remains. Despite country variations, the findings point to the need for an increase in the minimum wage, particularly in Jamaica. It is essential to embed policies that ensure reduced economic and social vulnerability at the household level.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative cost of diets for low-income families in the Caribbean

Henry

Lawrence

Nelson

2022

Revista Panamericana De Salud Pública

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“…Table 3 highlights the health benefits of several Caribbean staples such as breadfruit, sweet potato, yam, banana, plantain, among others. These foods are low-cost and excel in terms of various health criteria [17]. We contend that Caribbean agriculture and food security strategy must include cost and health as imperatives in advancing the food policy in the region.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Low-cost superfoods in the caribbean

Henry¹,

Allen²,

Caines³

et al. 2016

Integr Food Nutr Metab

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Commonly consumed foods in the Caribbean were ranked according to a wide range of classical nutritional criteria. The costs of those foods in relation to their rank were also highlighted. Some foods, however, have other natural beneficial effects on body function and maintenance that go beyond the classical nutritional criteria and are relevant to an improved state of health or reduction of the risk of disease. This paper also presents those additional health benefits in the context of the classical ranking and cost of commonly consumed Caribbean foods. The challenges and requirements for the expansion of such foods are presented.

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“…Each has a different food system with varying levels of agricultural capacity, and food importation [6] but share high rates of overweight and obesity, persistent stunting in children, and micronutrient deficiency, particularly iron, driven in large part by an unhealthy diet (characterized by low fruit and vegetable intake and high intake of highly processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages) (see Table 1). The costs of these imported foods tend to be lower than those needed for a healthy diet and thus the poorest households are the most affected [26].…”

Section: Settingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Group Model Building to Describe the System Driving Unhealthy Eating and Identify Intervention Points: A Participatory, Stakeholder Engagement Approach in the Caribbean

et al. 2020

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Many Small Island Developing States of the Caribbean experience a triple burden of malnutrition with high rates of obesity, undernutrition in children, and iron deficiency anemia in women of reproductive age, driven by an inadequate, unhealthy diet. This study aimed to map the complex dynamic systems driving unhealthy eating and to identify potential points for intervention in three dissimilar countries. Stakeholders from across the food system in Jamaica (n = 16), St. Kitts and Nevis (n = 19), and St. Vincent and the Grenadines (n = 6) engaged with researchers in two group model building (GMB) workshops in 2018. Participants described and mapped the system driving unhealthy eating, identified points of intervention, and created a prioritized list of intervention strategies. Stakeholders were also interviewed before and after the workshops to provide their perspectives on the utility of this approach. Stakeholders described similar underlying systems driving unhealthy eating across the three countries, with a series of dominant feedback loops identified at multiple levels. Participants emphasized the importance of the relative availability and price of unhealthy foods, shifting cultural norms on eating, and aggressive advertising from the food industry as dominant drivers. They saw opportunities for governments to better regulate advertising, disincentivize unhealthy food options, and bolster the local agricultural sector to promote food sovereignty. They also identified the need for better coordinated policy making across multiple sectors at national and regional levels to deliver more integrated approaches to improving nutrition. GMB proved to be an effective tool for engaging a highly diverse group of stakeholders in better collective understanding of a complex problem and potential interventions.

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Healthy Eating in Jamaica: The Cost Factor

Abstract: ABSTRACT

Cited by 6 publications

References 10 publications

Comparative cost of diets for low-income families in the Caribbean

Comparative cost of diets for low-income families in the Caribbean

Low-cost superfoods in the caribbean

Using Group Model Building to Describe the System Driving Unhealthy Eating and Identify Intervention Points: A Participatory, Stakeholder Engagement Approach in the Caribbean

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