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Food insecurity is associated with poor social capital, perceived health, and perceived diet among adult food bank users in and around the lower mainland of British Columbia, Canada
Author(s) -
Hill Ryan Wayne,
Holben David H
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.631.8
Subject(s) - food insecurity , food security , mainland , medicine , environmental health , demography , geography , archaeology , agriculture , sociology
Adult clients from 4 food banks in British Columbia (Surrey, Richmond, TriCities, Nanaimo) were surveyed for differences between food security situation among adults (FSSAA), social capital (SC), perceived health (HLTH), and perceived diet (DIET). Of 1,064 invited, 528 (49.6% response rate) completed the study. For FSSAA, only 5.5% were food secure; 26.3% and 68.2% were food insecure (moderate) and food insecure (severe), respectively. 42.2% had high SC, while 57.8% had low. 34.9% considered their HLTH to be poor/fair, while 65.1% considered it to be good/very good/excellent. 50.3% considered their DIET to be poor/fair, while 49.7% considered it to be good/very good/excellent. FSSAA [Kruskal‐Wallis (K‐W), p=.046], SC (K‐W, p=.003), and DIET (K‐W, p=.030) significantly differed by food bank, while HLTH did not (K‐W.341). Considering all participants, FSSAA was significantly related (Kendall's Tau b) to SC (−0.141, p<.001), HLTH (−0.196, p<.001), and DIET (−0.290, p<.001). This study confirms that food bank users are food insecure and have poor SC, HLTH, and DIET. It also underscores the negative relationship of food insecurity to those constructs.