Demography and Population Studies, Schools of Social Sciences and Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
J Health Popul Nutr. 2023 Sep 12;42(1):96. doi: 10.1186/s41043-023-00441-y.
Perpetual food insecurity has long-term health and development effects on populations. The global pandemic created sub-populations that were newly food insecure, but there exists sub-populations were food insecure, and COVID-19 held that situation. This study seeks to identify the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the perpetually food insecure in South Africa in order to obtain specific evidence of populations to be prioritised in the post-pandemic era.
Secondary data from the South African National Income Dynamics CRAM Survey for rounds (Waves) 1 and 5 are analysed. The study population are those respondents who reported a household member not having enough food to eat in the early stages of the pandemic (1st round) and remained without sufficient food a year later (5th round). The study controls for the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the population but also changes to employment status, social grant access and willingness to be vaccinated. Descriptive and analytical statistical tests are used.
A total of 26.15% of respondents were food insecure at the start of the pandemic. Of these, 41.09% remained food insecure a year later. The drivers of perpetual food insecurity during the pandemic include unemployment (OR = 2.09; CI 1.335293-3.265678), still being unemployed (OR = 1.86; CI 1.308032-2.636252), seven or more (≥ 7) household members (OR = 1.24; CI 1.1611329-1.610126), those with only a primary education (OR = 1.11; CI 1.5051066-2.434695), participants between the ages of 45 and 64 years old (ORs = 1.03 and 1.20; CIs 1.0171956-1.0171956 and 1.1733304-2.144875, respectively) and women (OR = 1.09; CI 1.0745444-1.406035).
South Africa needs to address socioeconomic challenges and inequalities to assist the perpetually food insecure and to ensure that, should there be a pandemic resurgence, or a new pandemic, individuals and households in the country are in a better financial situation and appropriately supported to avoid food insecurity at all costs.
长期的粮食不安全会对人口的健康和发展产生长期影响。全球大流行疫情导致了新的粮食不安全人群,但也存在粮食不安全人群,而且 COVID-19 加剧了这种情况。本研究旨在确定南非长期粮食不安全人群的人口统计学和社会经济特征,以便为后疫情时代需要优先关注的人群提供具体证据。
分析了南非国家收入动态 CRAM 调查第 1 轮和第 5 轮的数据。研究人群是那些在疫情早期报告家庭中有成员没有足够食物吃的受访者(第 1 轮),并且一年后仍然没有足够的食物(第 5 轮)。该研究控制了人口的人口统计学和社会经济特征,但也考虑了就业状况、社会救助金获取情况和接种意愿的变化。使用描述性和分析性统计检验。
在疫情开始时,共有 26.15%的受访者粮食不安全。其中,41.09%的人一年后仍处于粮食不安全状态。疫情期间持续粮食不安全的驱动因素包括失业(OR=2.09;CI 1.335293-3.265678),仍然失业(OR=1.86;CI 1.308032-2.636252),家庭人口 7 人或以上(≥7)(OR=1.24;CI 1.1611329-1.610126),仅受过小学教育(OR=1.11;CI 1.5051066-2.434695),年龄在 45 岁至 64 岁之间的参与者(ORs=1.03 和 1.20;CIs 1.0171956-1.0171956 和 1.1733304-2.144875,分别)和女性(OR=1.09;CI 1.0745444-1.406035)。
南非需要解决社会经济挑战和不平等问题,以帮助长期粮食不安全的人群,并确保在再次发生大流行疫情或出现新的大流行疫情时,该国的个人和家庭能够处于更好的财务状况,并得到适当的支持,以不惜一切代价避免粮食不安全。