The Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition, Omaha, NE, United States.
Graybill Statistical Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States.
Front Public Health. 2022 Dec 14;10:1048501. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1048501. eCollection 2022.
This study aimed to develop and test novel self-administered measures (Absorptive capacity, Adaptive capacity, and Transformative capacity) of three aspects of a household's resilience to financial shocks (e.g., job loss) that can increase food insecurity risk.
Measures were piloted in a convenience sample of households at risk for food insecurity in the United States. The survey included the new measures, validation variables (financial shock, household food security, general health, personal resilience to challenges, and financial wellbeing), and demographic questions. Exploratory factor analysis was used to assess dimensionality, internal consistency was assessed [Cronbach's alpha (CA)], and construct validity was assessed (Spearman's correlation). Also, brief screener versions of the full measures were created.
Participants in the analytic samples ( = 220-394) averaged 44 years old, 67% experienced food insecurity, 47% had a high school diploma or less, 72% were women, and the sample was racially/ethnically diverse. Scores for Absorptive capacity [one factor; CA = 0.70; Mean = 1.32 (SD = 0.54)], Adaptive capacity [three factors; CAs 0.83-0.90; Mean = 2.63 ( = 0.85)], and Transformative capacity [three factors; CAs 0.87-0.95; Mean = 2.70 ( = 1.10)] were negatively associated with financial shocks (-0.221 to -0.307) and positively associated with food insecurity (0.310-0.550) general health (0.255-0.320), personal resilience (0.231-0.384), and financial wellbeing (0.401-0.474).
These findings are encouraging and support reliability and validity of these new measures within this sample. Following further testing, such as Confirmatory Factor Analysis in future samples, these measures may prove useful for needs assessments, program evaluation, intake screening, and research/surveillance. Widespread adoption in the future may promote a more comprehensive understanding of the food insecurity experience and facilitate development of tailored interventions on upstream causes of food insecurity.
本研究旨在开发和测试家庭应对财务冲击（例如失业）的三个方面的新的自我管理措施（吸收能力、适应能力和转化能力），这些措施可能会增加粮食不安全风险。
在美国易发生粮食不安全的家庭中，对便利性样本进行了试点。调查包括新措施、验证变量（财务冲击、家庭粮食安全、一般健康、个人应对挑战的能力和财务幸福感）和人口统计问题。采用探索性因素分析评估维度，内部一致性采用克朗巴赫系数（CA）评估，结构有效性采用 Spearman 相关性评估。此外，还创建了全措施的简短筛选版本。
分析样本中的参与者（n=220-394）的平均年龄为 44 岁，67%经历过粮食不安全，47%拥有高中学历或以下，72%为女性，样本在种族/民族上具有多样性。吸收能力得分[一个因素；CA=0.70；平均值=1.32（SD=0.54）]、适应能力得分[三个因素；CA 为 0.83-0.90；平均值=2.63（SD=0.85）]和转化能力得分[三个因素；CA 为 0.87-0.95；平均值=2.70（SD=1.10）]与财务冲击呈负相关（-0.221 至-0.307），与粮食不安全呈正相关（0.310-0.550）、一般健康（0.255-0.320）、个人应对能力（0.231-0.384）和财务幸福感（0.401-0.474）。
这些发现令人鼓舞，支持了这些新措施在该样本中的可靠性和有效性。在未来的样本中进行进一步测试，如验证性因素分析之后，这些措施可能会在需求评估、项目评估、入学筛选和研究/监测中证明有用。未来的广泛采用可能会促进对粮食不安全经验的更全面理解，并有助于制定针对粮食不安全上游原因的定制干预措施。
