
Food security is when "all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preference for an active and healthy life".[1]
Why is this important?
Food security is an important social determinant of health. When a household is food secure, everyone who lives in the household always has "physical, social and economic access to food". This means they can make choices about the amount, type and nutritional value of the food they eat, and that they have access to food that was safely prepared.[2]
Indicators
Cost of Food |
Measure: Cost of Nutritious FoodThe cost of healthy food refers to the amount of money an individual, family or household needs in order to purchase food that meets their dietary and nutritional needs. The nutritious food basket (NFB) is made up of the foods that an individual or household would eat as part of a healthy diet. The local cost of each item is identified to calculate the overall local cost to eat basic nutritious food. Key FindingsWhen compared to families with median incomes, low-income families spend much more of their overall family budget to buy nutritious food. Since 2011, families with income from Ontario Works needed to spend between 35% to 42% of their after-tax income to buy healthy food. A family of four with income from a full-time/full-year minimum wage job spent 25% to 33% and a single parent household with two children spent between 29% and 34% of their income on healthy food. In contrast, a family of four with a median income (after-tax) only spent 11%-13% of their income on healthy food.
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Source: Needham, L. (2016, 2017, 2018). Nutritious Food Basket for WDG 2016, 2017, 2018. Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph, ON: WDG Public Health Key FindingsSince 2009, the actual cost to eat healthy food in Wellington Dufferin Guelph increased almost every year, except from 2014 to 2015 when the cost stayed the same and from 2016 to 2017 and 2017 to 2018 when the cost went down slightly. Since this information was first collected (2009), the cost of a nutritious food basket increased by 26%.
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Source: Needham, L. (2016, 2017, 2018). Nutritious Food Basket for WDG 2016, 2017, 2018. Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph, ON: WDG Public HealthWhy is the Cost of Healthy Food Important?Access to healthy food is directly connected to income. When the cost of food increases, people who are living with low income are impacted most because they are already struggling financially. When people don't have access to safe, nutritious food they may miss out on key nutrients and experience negative physical and mental health outcomes.[3] LimitationsThe cost of a nutritious food basic does not account for unique dietary needs or cultural practices that may influence the type of food a person or family may need to purchase. Looking for more information?For more information about this measure please download the excel file below. |
Food Insecurity |
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Food insecurity refers to "inadequate or insecure access to food because of financial constraints".[4]
Why is Food Insecurity Important?When people live in households without enough food, they are more likely to report poor or fair health, limitations to activity, more than one chronic condition (such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and food allergies), to suffer from major depression and to lack social support.[7] People who experience food insecurity also report feelings of embarrassment, stigma, anxiety and social exclusion.[2] LimitationsWhen comparing the proportion of food insecure households to other regions, it is important to ensure the same food insecurity measure was used. The CCHS measures household food insecurity status using a 12-month timeframe and 18 experiences.[5] The 2020 IPSOS survey used a 30-day timeframe and 7 experiences. The data from these two surveys therefore cannot be compared. The 2020 IPSOS survey may have also underestimated the prevalence of food insecurity. The 30-day timeframe may identify a smaller proportion of food insecure households as compared to surveys that are based on a 12-month timeframe.[8] Marginal food insecurity was also not measured in the 2020 IPSOS survey, which may lead to a smaller proportion of households identified as food insecure. However, the seventh experience added to the survey is one of the experiences used to identify households experiencing marginal food insecurity.[9] Thus, food insecure households may include those households experiencing marginal food insecurity. Looking for more information?Please download the excel file below for more information. |
References
[1] Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (n.d). Chapter 2. Food security: concepts and measurement. Available at: http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/y4671e/y4671e06.htm
[2] Dietitians of Canada (2016). Prevalence, Severity and Impact of Household Food Insecurity: A Serious Public Health Issue. Background Paper. Available at: http://www.dietitians.ca/Downloads/Public/HFI-Background-DC-FINAL.aspx
[3] Holben, D. H., & American Dietetic Association. (2010). Position of the American Dietetic Association: Food insecurity in the United States. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 110(9), 1368–1377. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2010.07.015
[4] Tarasuk, V., Mitchell, A., & Dachner, N. (2014). Household food insecurity in Canada, 2014. http://proof.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Household-Food-Insecurity-in-Canada-2014.pdf
[5] Statistics Canada. (2015). Canadian Community Health Survey - Annual Component (CCHS). http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=3226
[6] Our Food Future, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, & Toward Common Ground. (2021). How COVID-19 impacted food access and food insecurity in Guelph and Wellington County. https://foodfuture.ca/post/how-covid-19-impacted-food-access-and-food-insecurity-guelph-and-wellington-county
[7] Vozoris, N. T., & Tarasuk, V. S. (2003). Household food insufficiency is associated with poorer health. The Journal of Nutrition, 133(1), 120–126. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/133.1.120
[8] Statistics Canada. (2020). Food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic, May 2020. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/45-28-0001/2020001/article/00039-eng.htm
[9] Government of Canada. (2020). Determining food insecurity status. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/food-nutrition-surveillance/health-nutrition-surveys/canadian-community-health-survey-cchs/household-food-insecurity-canada-overview/determining-food-security-status-food-nutrition-surveillance-health-canada.html