“I worry if I will have food tomorrow”: a study on food insecurity among asylum seekers living in Norway

Abstract

Background High prevalence of food insecurity has been observed among asylum seekers resettled in high-income countries. Economic constraints, lack of knowledge about new foods, difficulties with shopping, challenges with language, as well as problems complying with various religious food rules are associated with the occurrence and severity of food insecurity. However, no data on food security among asylum seekers in Norway currently exist. Thus, the aim of the study was to assess food security among asylum seekers living in Norwegian reception centers. Methods Using convenience sampling, we selected eight reception centers in the southeastern part of Norway and included 205 asylum seekers, including 41 families with children < 18 years of age. We measured food security using the 10-item version of the Radimer/Cornell Hunger and Food Insecurity Scale. Food insecure participants were divided into three groups: food insecurity without hunger, food insecurity with hunger, or food insecurity with child hunger. Using logistic regression models, we analyzed the association between food insecurity status and socioeconomic variables. Results 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). Conclusions The prevalence of food insecurity among asylum seekers in Norway was high, in contrast to low prevalence of food insecurity in the Norwegian population. Asylum seekers are a particularly vulnerable group and initiatives to ameliorate the opportunities for an adequate diet are of the outmost importance.

“I Feel like I’m Eating Rice 24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week”: Dietary Diversity among Asylum Seekers Living in Norway

“…Participants were categorized as food-insecure if they responded “sometimes” or “often” to at least one question. The method used to measure food insecurity in this population has been described in detail in a previous publication [2]. To collect data on income, we asked every participant to self-report their total monthly budget.…”

“…Poor nutrition among immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers living in Western countries is widespread and regarded as a serious problem [1,2,3,4]. In particular, inadequate dietary intake may have serious implications on health, such as impaired work capacity, nutrient deficiency diseases, and an increased risk of pregnancy-related complications in women [5,6,7].…”

Asylsøkeres helse og bruk av helsetjenester i Norge

“…Én artikkel beskrev at nylig ankomne innvandrere fra Afrika og Asia hadde lave nivåer av vitamin D sammenlignet med referanseverdier (32). Henjum og kolleger har publisert to tverrsnittsstudier om nyankomne asylsøkeres kosthold og matsikkerhet (33,34). I den ene fant man at asylsøkere bekymret seg for å ha nok mat (33), i den andre at kostholdsvariasjonen hos asylsøkerne var mangelfull (34).…”

Welfare State Spending, Income Inequality and Food Insecurity in Affluent Nations: A Cross-National Examination of OECD Countries

“…However, Riches ([8], p. 7) observes, "reduced access to food is a growing phenomenon in affluent First World countries." While research on food insecurity in affluent nations has predominately used a case study approach [9][10][11][12], a better statistical understanding of the drivers of food availability and access among affluent countries is necessary [3,[13][14][15][16][17]. Currently few studies examine the cross-national patterns in the international political economy that shape the distribution of food both within and between nations (except see, for example, [18,19]).…”