A longitudinal study of food insecurity among low income families in Toronto

Most studies of food insecurity in Canada have been cross‐sectional, yielding little insight into the chronicity or dynamics of food insecurity. Objectives of this study were to examine the experiences of food insecurity among low income families over a two‐year period and identify factors that mitigate or exacerbate severity of food insecurity. In 2006, data on household food security, demographics, and resources were collected from 485 low income, tenant families in Toronto recruited by door‐to‐door sampling in high poverty neighbourhoods. One year later, 76% were re‐interviewed. Working with an analytic sample of 361, fixed and random effects regression models were run to examine factors associated with severity of food insecurity, using a continuous scale based on the Household Food Security Survey Module. Of 290 families who were food insecure at baseline, 86% remained food insecure at follow‐up and 32% experienced more severe insecurity. Lower income, receipt of welfare, lack of employment, less education and lone motherhood were related to more severe food insecurity. Loss of employment or transition onto welfare was associated with an increase in severity of food insecurity. While changes in source of income were associated with shifts in severity, most families remained food insecure, highlighting the static nature of poverty in this group and corresponding chronic food insecurity. Funded by CIHR.