Population Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States of America.
Centro Boliviano de Investigación y Desarrollo Socio Integral, San Borja, Bolivia.
Sci Total Environ. 2024 Dec 1;954:176705. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176705. Epub 2024 Oct 9.
Globally, challenges with water and food are two of the most pressing problems people face. Yet hydrologically water-rich environments and rural environments are often overlooked in these discussions due to abundance of natural water resources. Here we test the relationship between water and food insecurity among 270 Tsimane' households in the Bolivian Amazon. Water challenges were evaluated with the Household Water Insecurity Experiences Scale (HWISE), water quality perception, objective water quality analyses, and water access via the JMP drinking water ladder. Food insecurity was measured with the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), and quantitative measures of food frequency recall were used to further test the water and food insecurity relationship. Using multilevel mixed-effects linear regression, each point increase in HWISE score was associated with 0.47 point (95 % CI: 0.30, 0.62, p < 0.001) higher food insecurity, and households with access to improved water sources had between 1.25 and 1.36 points (95 % CI: -2.61, -0.01, p < 0.05) lower food insecurity compared to households reliant on surface water. These relationships held true independent of quantitative measures of both fish and meat consumption. Using mixed-effects logistic regression analyses, each point increase in HWISE score was associated with 43 % (95 % CI: 1.25-1.66, p < 0.001) increased odds of experiencing severe food insecurity. Households changing what was eaten due to experienced water problems was associated with 2.33 points (95 % CI: 0.41, 4.25, p < 0.05) higher food insecurity. This relationship held true independent of perceived water quality, indicating other structural water problems may be important here in the household water and food insecurity relationship. These results demonstrate that even in water-rich environments, like the Amazon, water and food insecurity are interconnected. Further, despite the challenging conditions, equitable structural interventions, like the development of improved water infrastructure, are critical for the provision of clean drinking water and may simultaneously help alleviate food insecurity.
从全球范围来看，水和粮食问题是人类面临的两个最紧迫的问题。然而，在这些讨论中，由于自然水资源丰富，水文上水资源丰富的环境和农村环境往往被忽视。在这里，我们测试了玻利维亚亚马逊地区 270 户提斯曼人的水和粮食不安全之间的关系。用水不安全体验量表（HWIE）评估用水挑战，用水质量感知，客观水质分析，以及通过 JMP 饮用水阶梯获得用水。粮食不安全程度用家庭粮食不安全获取量表（HFIA）衡量，并用定量的食物频率回忆法来进一步测试水和粮食不安全的关系。使用多级混合效应线性回归，HWIE 评分每增加一个点，与粮食不安全程度增加 0.47 分（95%置信区间：0.30，0.62，p<0.001）相关，与依赖地表水的家庭相比，获得改进水源的家庭粮食不安全程度低 1.25 至 1.36 分（95%置信区间：-2.61，-0.01，p<0.05）。这些关系在不考虑鱼类和肉类消费的定量测量的情况下仍然成立。使用混合效应逻辑回归分析，HWIE 评分每增加一个点，与严重粮食不安全的风险增加 43%（95%置信区间：1.25-1.66，p<0.001）相关。由于水问题而改变饮食的家庭，粮食不安全程度增加 2.33 分（95%置信区间：0.41，4.25，p<0.05）。这种关系在不考虑感知水质的情况下仍然成立，这表明其他结构性水问题可能在家庭水和粮食不安全关系中很重要。这些结果表明，即使在像亚马逊这样水资源丰富的环境中，水和粮食不安全也是相互关联的。此外，尽管条件具有挑战性，但公平的结构性干预措施，如改进水资源基础设施的发展，对于提供清洁饮用水至关重要，同时可能有助于缓解粮食不安全。
