JENNIFER TAYLOR DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED HUMAN SCIENCES MAR 11, 2014 AN APPLE A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY? Food Insecurity and Health Inequities

OUTLINE 1. A Sad State of Affairs 2. Why are Islanders struggling to put food on the table? 3. Health inequities and food insecurity 4. What can we do?

1. A SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS

FOOD INSECURITY inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints

Global

Local National Regional

Household

ATLANTIC PROVINCES WORST IN COUNTRY-EXCEPT FOR TERRITORIES, NUNAVUT

Tarasuk et al.

2. WHY ARE SO MANY ISLANDERS STRUGGLING TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE?

IN CANADA, THE MAJORITY OF FOOD INSECURE HOUSEHOLDS ARE WORKING Tarasuk et al.

Tarasuk et al. !

Housing Heating costs Prescription drugs Childcare Transportation RISING COSTS STEAL GROCERY $

Healthier diets cost $1.48 /person/ day more Family of 3: $133/month MORE

PEI FOOD BANK AND FOOD COSTING STUDY Food costing in Charlottetown grocery stores Same method as 2005 (last time!) Charlottetown Food Bank clients 51 mothers Food insecurity rates? Dietary intakes? Which factors buffer impact of food insecurity? Data collection complete by September Report release in 2014 Taylor, Walton, Oickle,Yeudall

Walton, C, Taylor, J, Oickle, J. Prince Edward Island Pilot Food Costing Report. University of Prince Edward Island, 2013 FOOD PRICES HAVE ESCALATED

Walton, C, Taylor, J, Oickle, J. Prince Edward Island Pilot Food Costing Report University of Prince Edward Island, 2013 MONTHLY DEFICITS

edward-island/story/2012/11/14/pei-gettingby2-f- food-584.html

3. HEALTH INEQUITIES AND FOOD INSECURITY Nutrition Disease Mental Health Education & Literacy Health Inequities: unfair and unjust differences in health status

NUTRITION Qualitative compromises in food selection Quantitative compromises in food intake, hunger Dietary inadequacies Tarasuk, V

NUTRITION

DISEASE Higher rates of diabetes, heart disease Depression Children: more illness, medications More obesity Conflicting evidence

“HUNGER OVERWEIGHT PARADOX”

Health OutcomeFood Insecure Marginal food insecure Food Secure Child health fair/poor Hospitalized since birth Overweight Developmental concern ≥ Developmental concern ≥ Caregiver depression Caregiver health fair/poor

MENTAL HEALTH

Other health professional care Primary care physician expenses Rehabilitation Terminal care Hospitalization Medications Emergency Care Specialist Care Home care Counseling Direct Costs Self reported poor health Depression Anxiety Suicide Migraines Iron Deficiencies Hospitalizations Upper gastrointestinal disorders Colds $130.5 Billion

EDUCATION AND LITERACY Children K to Gr 3 with food stamp participation reading and math scores by 3 points Hungry children twice as likely to have repeated a grade

FAILING TO ENSURE THE ‘RIGHT TO FOOD’: TOO HIGH A PRICE Health care Mental health Education Productivity Quality of life

4. WHAT CAN WE DO?

FOOD BANKS AND SOUP KITCHENS: EMERGENCY CHARITY RESPONSES

COMMUNITY KITCHENS Fund.aspx

COMMUNITY GARDENS

FOOD BOXES, CSA,CO-OPS

EVALUATION

policy-canada

ADDRESSING SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DETERMINANTS MUST BE A KEY FOCUS

ACTION NEEDED.

IF WE WANT TO SEE IMPROVEMENTS IN Eating habits Heart disease Cancer Obesity Children’s school performance Mental health We need to address the root cause: food insecurity

THE RIGHT THE RIGHT TO TO GOOD FOOD GOOD HEALTH