Prevalence and determinants of food insecurity in migrant Sub-Saharan African and Caribbean households in Ottawa, Canada

Abstract

Purpose Food insecurity (FI) is an important social determinant of health and is linked with higher health care costs. There is a high prevalence of FI among recent migrant households in Canada. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the prevalence of FI in Sub-Saharan African and Caribbean migrants in Ottawa, and to explore determinants of FI in that population. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional study was conducted among 190 mothers born in Sub-Saharan Africa or the Caribbean living in Ottawa and having a child between 6 and 12 years old. Health Canada’s Household Food Security Survey Module was used to evaluate participants’ food security in the past 12 months. χ2 tests and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to measure determinants of FI (n=182). Findings A very high rate of FI (45.1 percent) was found among participants. When numerous determinants of FI were included in a multivariate model, household FI was associated with Caribbean origin, low education attainment, lone motherhood, living in Canada for five years or less and reliance on social assistance. Originality/value These findings highlight the need for FI to be explicitly addressed in migrant integration strategies in order to improve their financial power to purchase sufficient, nutritious and culturally acceptable foods. Enhancing migrants’ access to affordable child care and well-paid jobs, improving social assistance programs and providing more affordable subsidized housing programs could be beneficial.

Food Insecurity and Food Label Comprehension among Libyan Migrants in Australia

“…This was significantly higher than that found in a recent study that reported a prevalence rate of 26% among CALD migrants in Tasmania, Australia [ 10 ]. The level of food insecurity found in this study was consistent with those reported in other studies among migrant and refugee populations in Australia [ 11 , 13 , 14 ] and in other high-income countries [ 39 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 ]. A recent systematic review on food insecurity among Australian refugees reported that food insecurity ranged from 35% to 90%, with 11% to 40% of the population having experienced severe hunger [ 14 ].…”

“…A recent systematic review on food insecurity among Australian refugees reported that food insecurity ranged from 35% to 90%, with 11% to 40% of the population having experienced severe hunger [ 14 ]. Research in other developed countries (including Canada, the USA, Norway, Germany, and other European countries) also found that the existence of hunger among such populations ranged from 37% to 93% [ 39 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 ].…”

Prevalence, Determinants, and Effects of Food Insecurity among Middle Eastern and North African Migrants and Refugees in High-Income Countries: A Systematic Review

“…Lawlis et al [ 6 ] recommended, the adoption of a more rigorous measure of food insecurity than the currently used 2-item tool of the 2011–2012 Australian Health Survey which the authors believe may lead to underestimations of food insecurity. A study that included Sub-Saharan African migrants in Ottawa, Canada [ 25 ], echoed the findings of the three included studies in that almost half of the migrants were food insecure. This review found that food insecurity was most highly associated with their ethnicity (more than any other factor).…”

“…This highlighted that a confluence of factors forms ethnically identified disadvantage. These include food availability, affordability, lower levels of migrant/refugee educational attainment (literacy and numeracy), recency of arrival (<5 years), reliance on social security, and lone motherhood [ 25 ]. The disadvantage created impedes food security.…”

“…Food insecurity and nutritional inadequacy among refugees have been recorded in a number of studies, including in the UK [ 21 ] and Australia [ 6 ], as well as in the USA [ 22 , 23 ] and Canada [ 24 , 25 ]. However, studies involving migrants/refugees from MENA countries were relatively few compared to those involving older immigrant populations or populations from other regions in the world (e.g., Liberians [ 22 ], and Cambodians and Brazilians [ 23 ] in the USA, and Latinos in Canada [ 24 ]).…”