Social Vulnerability and Child Food Insecurity in Developed Countries: A Systematic Review.
Liyuwork Mitiku Dana1, César Ramos-García2, Deborah A Kerr3
1School of Population Health, Faculty of Health Science, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia.
Advances in Nutrition (Bethesda, Md.)
|January 12, 2025
Summary
Child food insecurity (CFI) is linked to social vulnerability factors like income and parental depression. Understanding these factors is crucial for targeted interventions in developed nations. Future research needs consistent measures for better analysis.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Sociology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Food insecurity (FI) is a significant public health issue in developed countries, exacerbated by unequal resource distribution.
- Child food insecurity (CFI) disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, necessitating identification of contributing social factors.
- Understanding social vulnerability is key to developing effective, targeted interventions for CFI.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically identify key social vulnerability contributors to child food insecurity (CFI) in economically developed countries.
- To analyze these factors within the framework of the socio-ecological model.
- To highlight gaps in current research and propose future directions.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review of observational studies published from 2000 onwards was conducted.
- Five research databases were searched for studies on social vulnerability factors related to FI in children in developed countries.
- Data screening, extraction, and risk of bias assessment (QualSyst) were performed by two independent reviewers.
Main Results:
- 49 articles, primarily from the US and Canada, met the inclusion criteria from 5689 identified studies.
- Social vulnerability factors were categorized into five levels: individual child, parental, household, community, and societal.
- Income was the most frequently reported household factor; other key factors included child's age, parental depression, household crowding, social connection, poverty, and residential instability.
Conclusions:
- Social vulnerability significantly contributes to child food insecurity across multiple socio-ecological levels.
- Inconsistent measurement of social vulnerability and CFI hinders comprehensive analysis and intervention planning.
- Future research should employ standardized measures to better understand CFI severity, trajectories, and the interplay with social vulnerability.
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