Division of Epidemiology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
Institute of Research and Education Development, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic.
BMJ Open. 2022 Jun 2;12(6):e055935. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-055935.
We assessed the relative difficulty in meeting food needs during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with before; determined the relationship between pandemic-associated difficulties in food access and household, maternal and child food security; and identified resiliency-promoting strategies.
A cross-sectional survey of households undertaken in November 2020.
Rural districts of Luang Prabang Province, Lao People's Democratic Republic.
Households (N=1122) with children under 5 years.
Survey respondents reported the relative ease of access of food and healthcare as well as changes in income and expenditures compared with before March 2020. We determined indicators of food security and source of foods consumed for households, women and children, as well as prevalence of malnutrition in children under 5.
Nearly four-fifths (78.5%) found it harder to meet household food needs during the pandemic. The most common reasons were increased food prices (51.2%), loss of income (45.3%) and decreased food availability (36.6%). Adjusting for demographics, households with increased difficulty meeting food needs had lower food consumption scores and child dietary diversity. Over 85% of households lost income during the pandemic. Decreased expenditures was associated with reliance on more extreme coping strategies to meet food needs. The households who experienced no change in meeting food needs produced a greater percentage of their food from homegrown methods (4.22% more, 95% CI 1.28 to 7.15), than households who found it more difficult.
Pandemic-associated shocks may have large effects on food insecurity. Action is needed to mitigate consequences of the pandemic on nutrition. Local food production and safety net programmes that offset income losses may help.
评估与疫情前相比，在新冠大流行期间满足食物需求的相对难度；确定与疫情相关的食物获取困难与家庭、孕产妇和儿童粮食安全之间的关系；并确定促进复原力的策略。
2020 年 11 月进行的一项横断面调查，调查对象为家庭。
老挝人民民主共和国琅勃拉邦省农村地区。
有 5 岁以下儿童的家庭（N=1122）。
调查对象报告了与 2020 年 3 月之前相比，获取食物和医疗保健的相对容易程度以及收入和支出的变化。我们确定了家庭、妇女和儿童的粮食安全指标以及消耗食物的来源，以及 5 岁以下儿童营养不良的流行率。
近五分之四（78.5%）的人发现大流行期间更难满足家庭的食物需求。最常见的原因是食品价格上涨（51.2%）、收入损失（45.3%）和食品供应减少（36.6%）。在调整人口统计学因素后，发现难以满足食物需求的家庭的食物消费得分和儿童饮食多样性较低。超过 85%的家庭在疫情期间收入减少。支出减少与更多极端的应对策略有关，以满足食物需求。家庭在满足食物需求方面没有变化，他们从自家种植的方法中生产的食物比例更高（增加 4.22%，95%CI 1.28 至 7.15），而那些发现更难满足食物需求的家庭则更低。
与疫情相关的冲击可能对粮食不安全产生重大影响。需要采取行动减轻疫情对营养的影响。地方粮食生产和弥补收入损失的安全网方案可能会有所帮助。
