The Influence of Community Characteristics on Food Insecurity Korean Adults

Abstract

Background:This study was conducted to analyze the influence of socioeconomic characteristics of community on the food insecurity under the control of personal socioeconomic factors which may be influence to the food security. Methods: Food insecurity and individual socioeconomic characteristics were obtained from 2012 community health survey. Socioeconomic characteristics of communities were extracted from the data of Statistics Korea and local governments. Personal socioeconomic factors were sex, age, educational status, job, and monthly family income. Socioeconomic characteristics of communities were administrative district (urban vs. rural), senior population rate, degree of financial self reliance, degree of financial independence, portion of welfare budget, number of welfare facilities, and unemployment rate. We analysed the relationships between the food insecurity and socioeconomic characteristics of community using multi-level analysis under the control of personal characteristics. Results: On personal level age, sex, education status, and monthly family income were related with food insecurity. On community level administrative district (urban vs. rural), degree of financial independence, unemployment rate, and proportion of welfare budget among local general government accounts were related to individual food insecurity. Rural area, district with low levels of financial independence, low portion of welfare budget, and greater unemployment rate showed a higher level of food insecurity. Conclusion: To reduce the level of food insecurity in a community it is necessary to decrease the unemployment rate, in addition to providing support from the central government by increasing the proportion of the welfare budget so that both factors contribute to raising the degree of financial independence.

The Health and Nutritional Status of Children (10–18 years) Belonging to Food Insecure Households: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2012–2019)

“…According to the Canada Food Insecurity Report and the "Household Food Security in the United States 2020" published by the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS), the prevalence of FI was higher in low-income households with children [34,35]. In Korean studies, vulnerable populations, such as poor households, individuals with low education, individuals with disabilities, members of vulnerable households, divorced individuals, and women, are consistently facing a higher risk of FI [36][37][38]. Similar results were found in Nigerian survey, which evidenced that household food security status was highly vulnerable to income loss, and in the United States food insecurity study, FI households were associated with lower levels of education, lower incomes, and lower access to health care.…”

Changes in food sufficiency among Korean adults in urban and rural areas during the COVID-19 pandemic: an analysis of the 7th and 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

“…Maeng et al (20) found that individuals aged 65 years and older were less likely to experience food sufficiency compared to adults aged 19-64 years. Additionally, prior findings have indicated that food insufficiency tends to be more prevalent in rural areas than in urban regions as age increases (21). Evidence also suggests that food insufficiency is more common among low-income households,…”