Submitted by Viviane Lima da Cunha (viviane@biblioteca.ufpb.br) on 2017-06-16T13:14:49Z No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 13105860 bytes, checksum: d6801e542fe38720e18050b17687cb96 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-16T13:14:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 13105860 bytes, checksum: d6801e542fe38720e18050b17687cb96 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-02-16 / Food insecurity (FI) reaches 22.6% of the Brazilian population, but its prevalence and consequence in people living with HIV/Aids (PLWHA) are little known in Brazil. The consequences were studied in PLWHA, considering its effect on clinical morbidity associated with HIV/Aids, on the metabolic changes of HIV Lipodistrophic Syndrome, cardiovascular risk (CVR) and adherence to treatment. A cohort of 400 PLWHA accompanied on a reference service in the State of Paraíba, between March 2015 to May 2016, which were classified in two groups for exposure to FI, obtained by Brazilian Range of food insecurity and accompanied by a year to evaluate the outcomes. Described if the frequencies of socio-demographic variables, clinical, laboratory and the CVR; through its association with FI, using the Chi square and Mann-Whitney tests. Instrument devised to assess adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Using Kaplan-Meier estimators and Nelson-Aalen to estimate survival. The Logrank test compared the curves for variable, and we used Cox regression model to estimate the risk associated with each outcome. Devised decision tree model to identify individuals with viral load (VL) detectable. The sample was characterized by most male (61.5%), race/color brown (54.8%), mean and median age of 44 years, 57.1% education; incomplete elementary school, 48.5% were retired, 32.8% with per capita incomes between 1/3 to 1/2 minimum wage in force. The average time to diagnosis was 7.8 years and use of HAART was 6.9 years. The prevalence of was 70.7% 399 of PLWHA, being higher in households with children under 18 years old, and FI afflicted 19.5 percent of these people. Moderate or severe FI (MFI/SFI) was associated with female sex, race/color; white, low education, low income per capita, being unemployed, not being adherent to HAART and have undetectable VL. There was no difference between the groups for levels of hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum proteins, glucose, lipid profile and body mass index. Individuals in MFI/SFI were more smokers, sedentary and with higher levels of ultra sensitive protein C. The CVR was classified as high 7.9, 40.7% of PLWHA and when used, respectively, the Framingham risk score and the Overall risk score, and not related to MFI/SFI. The Accession score 42 presented 63% of accuracy to detect the PLWHA with undetectable VL and 58.5 percent ranked as adherents. Poor adherence to HAART increased by 1.6 times the risk for care in the hospital, at 1.7 times the risk to introduce infectious diseases associated with HIV/Aids and immunodeficiencies in 1.9 times the risk to submit to undetectable VL after 12 months. The MFI/SFI was associated with worse survival to seek care at the hospital, introduce infectious diseases associated with HIV/Aids immunodeficiency and have CD4 count less than 350 cells/mm3, during the following 12 months. Individuals adhering to treatment in food safety or FI take had better survival for present undetectable VL. Being in MFI/SFI increased by 1.7 times the risk to seek care at the hospital, 1.9 times the risk for infectious disease associated with HIV/Aids immunodeficiency and 1.7 times the risk for HIV/Aids related diseases not associated with immunodeficiency, during the following 12 months. At the end of this period the VL was undetectable in 76.7 percent of 322 individuals, each with their own new tests. The evaluation of VL, CD4 cell count and treatment adherence was able to predict correctly 80.0% of PLWHA regarding detectable after 12 months VL from rules obtained by the decision tree model. The FI is a stressor that worsens the clinical evolution of PLWHA in the following 12 months, such as vulnerability to be better investigated and valued for the effective control of the Aids epidemic. / A insegurança alimentar (IA) atinge 22,6% da população brasileira, porém sua prevalência e consequência em pessoas vivendo com HIV/Aids (PVHA) são pouco conhecidas no Brasil. Estudaram-se as consequências da IA em PVHA, considerando seu efeito sobre a morbidade clínica associada ao HIV/Aids, sobre alterações metabólicas da Síndrome Lipodistrófica do HIV, o risco cardiovascular (RCV) e a adesão ao tratamento. Realizou-se uma coorte de 400 PVHA acompanhadas em serviço de referência no Estado da Paraíba, entre março de 2015 a maio de 2016, que foram classificadas em dois grupos quanto à exposição à IA, obtida pela Escala Brasileira de Insegurança Alimentar e acompanhadas por um ano para avaliação dos desfechos. Descreveram-se as frequências das variáveis sociodemográficas, clínicas, laboratoriais e o RCV; com sua associação com IA, utilizando os testes quiquadrado e Mann-Whitney. Elaborou-se instrumento para avaliar a adesão à terapia antirretroviral (TARV). Utilizaram-se os estimadores de Kaplan-Meier e Nelson-Aalen para estimar a sobrevivência. O teste Logrank comparou as curvas por variável, e utilizou-se modelo de regressão de Cox para estimar o risco associado a cada desfecho. Elaborou-se modelo de árvore de decisão para identificar os indivíduos com carga viral (CV) detectável. A amostra caracterizou-se por maioria do sexo masculino (61,5%), raça/cor parda (54,8%), média e mediana da idade de 44 anos, 57,1% com escolaridade até ensino fundamental incompleto, 48,5% eram aposentados, 32,8% com renda per capita entre 1/3 a 1/2 salário mínimo vigente. O tempo médio de diagnóstico foi de 7,8 anos e de uso de TARV foi de 6,9 anos. A prevalência de IA foi de 70,7% em 399 PVHA, sendo maior nos domicílios com menores de 18 anos, e a IA grave acometeu 19,5% dessas pessoas. A IA moderada ou grave (IAMo/IAG) esteve associada ao sexo feminino, à raça/cor não branca, à baixa escolaridade, baixa renda per capita, estar desempregado, não ser aderente à TARV e ter CV detectável. Não houve diferença entre os grupos para níveis de hemoglobina, hematócrito, proteínas séricas, glicemia, perfil lipídico e índice de massa corporal. Indivíduos em IAMo/IAG eram mais tabagistas, sedentários e com maiores níveis de Proteína C ultrassensível. O RCV foi classificado como alto em 7,9 e 40,7% das PVHA quando se utilizaram, respectivamente, o Escore de Risco de Framingham e o Escore de Risco Global, e não se relacionou com IAMo/IAG. O Escore de Adesão 42 apresentou acurácia de 63% para detectar as PVHA com CV detectável e classificou 58,5% como aderentes. A má adesão à TARV aumentou em 1,6 vezes o risco para atendimento no hospital dia, em 1,7 vezes o risco para apresentar doença infecciosa associada à imunodeficiência do HIV/Aids e em 1,9 vezes o risco para apresentar CV detectável no seguimento de 12 meses. A IAMo/IAG esteve associada com pior sobrevida para procurar atendimento no hospital dia, apresentar doença infecciosa associada à imunodeficiência do HIV/Aids e ter contagem de CD4 menor que 350 células/mm3, durante o seguimento de 12 meses. Indivíduos aderentes ao tratamento em segurança alimentar ou IA leve tiveram melhor sobrevida para apresentar CV detectável. Estar em IAMo/IAG aumentou em 1,7 vezes o risco para procurar atendimento no hospital dia, em 1,9 vezes o risco para doença infecciosa associada à imunodeficiência do HIV/Aids e em 1,7 vezes o risco para doença relacionada ao HIV/Aids não associada à imunodeficiência, durante o seguimento de 12 meses. Ao final deste período a CV estava indetectável em 76,7% dos 322 indivíduos, que dispunham de novos exames. A avaliação da CV, contagem de células CD4 e adesão ao tratamento foi capaz de predizer corretamente 80,0% das PVHA quanto à CV detectável após 12 meses a partir de regras obtidas pelo modelo de árvore de decisão. A IA é um estressor que piora a evolução clínica de PVHA no seguimento de 12 meses, destacando-se como ponto de vulnerabilidade a ser melhor investigado e valorizado para o controle efetivo da epidemia de Aids.

As doenças em plantas podem causar grandes perdas e representar um risco real para a segurança alimentar mundial. Para enfrentar esse desafio, a cooperação entre stakeholders do agronegócio é fundamental. Sendo assim, esta tese tem como proposta mensurar e analisar o papel da cooperação – colaboração científica – no manejo de doenças em plantas, especialmente no trigo e na batata. Para tanto, são apresentados três estudos que abordam tal temática. O primeiro estudo se propõe a caracterizar e estudar o funcionamento de algumas redes de pesquisa agrícola que monitoram patógenos, desenvolvem e distribuem cultivares resistentes a doenças e sequenciam o genoma do trigo e da batata. Nele, discute-se também como alguns patógenos podem ameaçar a estabilidade da produção de trigo e batata no mundo, especialmente o fungo Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici, causador da ferrugem-do-colmo no trigo e o oomiceto Phytophthora infestans, causador da requeima na batata. Diferentes instituições como consórcios, centros de pesquisa e instituições estabelecidas são consideradas para ilustrar seu envolvimento em redes e para discutir suas atividades. O segundo artigo busca mensurar a colaboração científica nas publicações disponíveis na Web of Science por meio da análise de coautoria. O objetivo foi mapear os países que colaboram cientificamente na área de segurança alimentar. Foram considerados artigos publicados no período de 1996 a 2016 e os resultados analisados com o software VOSviewer. O terceiro artigo busca mapear os intercâmbios de germoplasma realizados pelos programas de melhoramento de batata no mundo para medir a colaboração entre países. Neste artigo, foram utilizadas informações somente sobre a batata. Cultivares de batata resistentes à requeima foram selecionadas com base em duas bases de dados, uma europeia – European Cultivated Potato Database (ECPD) - e outra brasileira - Catálogo de Cultivares da Batata da Embrapa 2015. A construção dos mapas, dos gráficos e os procedimentos de cálculo foram feitos no Microsoft Excel, no Tableau 10.1 e com o software RTBMaps. O Cosseno de Salton foi utilizado para normalização dos dados. Os resultados sugerem que pesquisa colaborativa conduzida pelas redes traz mais benefícios do que a pesquisa individual ao evitar a sobreposição de estudos, economizar tempo e recursos e também conectar pesquisadores geograficamente dispersos. A continuidade do desenvolvimento agrícola nos países em desenvolvimento, o menor custo de pesquisa coordenada e o investimento em melhoramento genético como ferramenta complementar ao controle químico também são argumentos que justificam os benefícios trazidos por essas redes. Entre as publicações, o termo “gene” foi o que predominou na análise da densidade de termos. Os autores das áreas de biotecnologia, genética, reprodução de plantas e desenvolvimento de biótipos resistentes são os que mais colaboram e também os que têm maior número de publicações, reafirmando a importância do melhoramento e da cooperação para a segurança alimentar. Nas trocas de germoplasma, o Peru e o México já foram alvos de inúmeras expedições internacionais – especialmente dos países europeus - para coleta de materiais. Ainda assim, a maioria dos países tem ligações consigo mesmos maiores do que com outros países, reforçando a ideia de que os programas de melhoramento nacionais colaboram mais entre si do que com de outros países. Alemanha e Holanda se destacam frente aos demais países com relação à quantidade de cultivares resistentes. Ambos apresentam também o maior número de colaborações mútuas, sinalizando a ocorrência de acordos bilaterais. Já Índia e China, apesar de serem os maiores produtores mundiais de batata, pouco pesquisam sobre o tubérculo. De maneira geral, este estudo contribui para a identificação de “quem colabora com quem” e corrobora a importância do “trabalho conjunto” na solução de desafios coletivos, como o manejo de doenças em plantas. Juntos, os três artigos demonstram que a cooperação tem papel relevante no melhoramento genético de plantas, por ser a essência das redes, ser destaque nas publicações da área do melhoramento genético e também por ter papel central no desenvolvimento de cultivares resistentes a doenças. Assim, suas implicações tornam possível entender a cooperação enquanto abordagem fundamental para a mitigação de doenças em plantas e dos riscos de insegurança alimentar mundial. / Plant diseases can cause heavy losses and pose a real risk to global food security. To meet this challenge, cooperation among agribusiness stakeholders is fundamental. Thus, this thesis aims to measure and analyze the role of cooperation - scientific collaboration - in the management of diseases in plants, specially wheat and potato. Therefore, three studies are presented on this theme. The first study aims to characterize and study the functioning of some agricultural research networks that monitor pathogens, develop and distribute disease resistant cultivars, and sequence wheat and potato genomes. In it, it is also discussed how some pathogens may threaten the stability of wheat and potato production in the world, especially the fungus Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici, that causes stem rust in wheat, and the oomycete Phytophthora infestans, that causes late blight in potato. Different institutions, such as consortia, research centers and established institutions are considered to illustrate their involvement in networks and to discuss their activities. The second article seeks to measure scientific collaboration in publications available in Web of Science through co-authorship analysis. The objective was to map countries that collaborate scientifically in the area of food security. We considered articles published in the period from 1996 to 2016 and the results were analyzed using VOSviewer software. The third article seeks to map the germplasm exchanges conducted by potato breeding programs in the world to measure collaboration between countries. In this article, information was only used on the potato. Cultivars of potato resistant to late blight were selected based on two databases, a European - European Cultivated Potato Database (ECPD) - and another Brazilian - Embrapa 's Potato Cultivars Catalog 2015. The construction of maps, charts and procedures was made in the Microsoft Excel, in the Tableau 10.1 and with RTBMaps version 1.0 software. Salton's measure was used for data normalization. The results suggest that collaborative research conducted by networks can be more beneficial than individual research by avoiding overlapping studies, saving time and resources, and also connecting dispersed researchers. The continuity of agricultural development in developing countries, the lower cost of coordinated research and the investment in genetic improvement as a complementary tool to chemical control are also arguments that justify the benefits brought by these networks. Among the publications, the term "gene" was the one that predominated in the analysis of the density of terms. The authors of biotechnology, genetics, plant breeding and the development of resistant biotypes are those who collaborate most, as well as those with the largest number of publications, reaffirming the importance of breeding and cooperation for food security. In the germplasm exchange, Peru and Mexico have already been targets of numerous international expeditions - especially European countries - for the collection of materials. Still, most countries have connections with themselves higher than other countries, reinforcing the idea that national breeding programs work more closely with one another than with other countries. Germany and the Netherlands stand out against the other countries in relation to the number of resistant cultivars. Both also have the largest number of mutual collaboration, signaling the occurrence of bilateral agreements. India and China, despite being the world's largest potato producers, do not research on the crop. Overall, this study contributes to the identification of "who collaborates with whom" and confirms the importance of "working together" in solving collective challenges such as plant disease management. Together, the three articles show that cooperation plays a significant role in the genetic improvement of plants, being the essence of the networks, being prominent in publications in the area of genetic improvement and also for having a central role in the development of cultivars resistant to diseases. Thus, its implications make it possible to understand cooperation as a fundamental approach to the mitigation of plant diseases and the risks of global food insecurity.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / In recent times, debates on the connection between migration and development surfaced as essential discourses in contemporary development issues. Consequently, this led to the birth of what is currently popularly acknowledged or coined as the migration-development nexus. In addition, there has been an evolution of the food security topic in various developmental discussions. Nevertheless, little attention has been given to the relationship between international migration and food security in the context of development. Moreover, missing in the literature is the conversation on migration and food security with particular attention to youths who constitute a vulnerable yet economically active group. Furthermore, there has been an ongoing engaging debate on the impact of remittances, on one side macro-economists argue that remittances are important for the economies of migrant sending and receiving countries and view the use of remittances at the household level as destruction to growth and development. On the other, microeconomists are skeptical about the naïve view of the macroeconomists; on the contrary, they argue that the use of remittances at the household level is very vital for the livelihood of the poor and vulnerable societies. This thesis empirically investigated the link between youth migration and food security in the setting of Zimbabwean youths in Cape Town, South Africa, in the perspective of south-south migration, the New Economics of Labour Migration and Livelihood Approaches, consequently introducing what the researcher identifies as the youth migration-food security nexus. The thesis focused on three key themes: 1) reasons for youth migration in connection to food security 2) the importance of remittances on food security in the place of origin 3) levels of food insecurity of Zimbabwean youths in Cape Town. A combination of quantitative and qualitative research approach was applied in this study, where STATA version 12 statistical software was used for quantitative data analysis. The findings of this thesis reveal that there is an assenting link between youth migration and food security. Firstly, results point out that food insecurity or food shortage is one of the main causes of youth migration. Secondly, migration decision making is a collective and cooperative livelihood strategy used by many households or families. Thirdly, remittances from youths are vital for the livelihood of the people left in the place of origin and are primarily sent and used for food consumption. Lastly, although food security levels were still low there was an improvement of food security for youth migrants in Cape Town. Moreover, this research recognized a number of challenges that face migrant youths in their need for food security, which include (a) lack of reliable income to buy food, (b) poor utilization of food or consumption of unbalanced diet, and (c) limited research on migration and food security issues. In contextualizing these challenges, the study concludes with remarks and recommendations for policy makers, governments and nongovernmental establishments among other organizations.

A concerning public health issue in America is about food deserts urban and rural communities that lack grocery retailers that offer affordable, nutritious, and diverse foods. Empirical evidence has shown significant associations between neighborhood disadvantage/disorder risk factors of high poverty and high percentages of ethnic minority residents with presence/ absence of healthy food retailers in food deserts. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study, framed by the disparities in food safety conceptual model, was to examine if county-level poverty, number of African American residents, number of elderly (i.e., age 65 or older) residents, vehicle ownership, and crime rates were significantly associated with presence/absence of healthy food retail environments in a stratified random sample of 160 Mississippi Delta Region counties. Variables were measured using SPSS 25.0 data set from federal sources. Data were analyzed using binary logistic regression. Findings indicated that the percentage of households below poverty level was significantly associated with absence of healthy food retailers, (Wald X2 = 7.62, p = .006). Logistic regression findings further showed that the county percentage of households with at least one vehicle was significantly associated with the presence of healthy food retailers, (Wald X2= 8.75, p = .003). As a result of this study, residents of the Mississippi Delta Region (MDR) may begin to petition their local, county, and state governments to enhance access to healthy foods, and in turn, such government institutions may develop programs and initiatives that help to make healthy foods affordable.

Aims: Opioid use disorder (OUD) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and opioid agonist treatment (OAT) with methadone or buprenorphine represents the most efficacious treatment. However, data suggest that chronic administration of opioids may be associated with significant weight gain, possibly by altering an organism’s perception of and preference for sweet foods. The primary aim of this laboratory study was to rigorously examine sucrose subjective response among adults receiving OAT and a comparison sample without OUD. As secondary outcomes, we also sought to compare the groups on additional baseline characteristics that may influence subjective sucrose response and weight gain during treatment. Methods: Participants were 40 adults receiving treatment for OUD (OUD+) and a comparison sample of 40 adults without OUD (OUD-). All participants completed an initial screening visit that included questionnaires on eating behaviors, diet and nutrition, recent substance use, and measurement of body mass index. Eligible participants completed two, same-day outpatient laboratory sessions during which they sampled six experimenter-administered concentrations of sucrose solution (0, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0M in distilled water) each three times under double-blind counterbalanced conditions. Following each exposure, participants rated the pleasantness and intensity of each sample using 100-point visual analog scales. Results: OUD+ participants rated sucrose solutions as less pleasant than OUD- participants (p<0.001). However, this effect was limited to the three lowest sucrose concentrations (0, 0.1, 0.25M), and at higher concentrations there were no group differences. There were no between-group differences on ratings of intensity (p=0.35). Given these baseline group differences in placebo (0M) responding, sucrose response was also examined in terms of change from baseline. In this analysis, there was a significant group effect, with a higher magnitude of change in pleasantness ratings and a lower magnitude of change in intensity ratings from 0M in OUD+ vs. OUD- participants (p’s<0.05). With regard to baseline characteristics that may influence sucrose response and eating behavior more generally, the OUD+ group had a higher prevalence of obesity, food insecurity, unhealthy eating behaviors, high sugar consumption, and nutrition knowledge deficits compared to the OUD- group (p’s<0.05). Conclusion: Data from preclinical and clinical research have suggested that opioid agonist medications may enhance subjective response to sweet flavors. In the present study, OUD+ participants exhibited a higher magnitude of change in pleasantness ratings from placebo compared to OUD- participants. However, this effect was largely driven by pronounced group differences in perceived pleasantness of essentially unsweet solutions. On the outcome of sucrose intensity, findings were more mixed with no consistent differences between OUD+ and OUD- participants. In contrast, group differences were far more pronounced in participants’ daily eating behaviors and nutrition knowledge, with OUD+ participants presenting with a consistently more severe profile. These data highlight the significant risk factors experienced by OUD+ individuals that extend beyond drug-related risks and may inform future scientific and clinical efforts to improve health outcomes in this vulnerable population.

<p>Inadequate nutrition in childhood can inhibit optimal growth and development, and is also associated with increased risk of chronic diseases later in life. Children living in households with limited financial resources may face a number of challenges to meet nutrient needs through unhealthy eating patterns, which may lead to health inequalities throughout the life-course. Therefore, improving low-income children’s diet would be an effective strategy for their health promotion and disease prevention, and potentially for narrowing health inequalities. The essential step for an efficient intervention would be to identify the unique nutrition risk that low-income children have. Therefore, the overarching aim of research in this dissertation was to identify nutrition risk of U.S. infants and children with low income or food insecurity, or participating in federal nutrition assistance programs using data from nationally representative surveys. An additional aim was to assess whether the inclusion of micronutrient intake from dietary supplements impacts micronutrient inadequacy in children. </p><p>For low-income infants and young children up to the age of 5 years, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides tailored food packages to improve dietary intake that may be inadequate due to economic constraints. Therefore, it is expected that nutrient intake of WIC participants would be more like those of higher-income nonparticipants and higher than those of lower-income nonparticipants who are likely to be eligible for WIC. The results from the Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study 2016 data analysis supported the hypothesis for several nutrients of concern, although WIC participants were more likely to exceed the recommended limits for sodium and added sugars compared to higher-income nonparticipants. However, higher-income nonparticipants were more likely to use dietary supplements than both WIC participants and lower-income nonparticipants, which can impact total nutrient intake (i.e., nutrient intake from all sources). </p><p>Systematic differences in dietary supplement use by income and WIC participation were also observed in a nationally representative sample of children aged 18 years and younger from the 2011-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Dietary supplement use was lower among children in low-income families compared to those in higher-income families. Among children in low-income families, those participating in WIC were less likely to use dietary supplements compared to nonparticipants. In addition, food insecurity and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation were associated with lower use of dietary supplements. Overall, one-third of children used any dietary supplements, mostly multivitamin-minerals, with primary motivations for use as “improve” or “maintain” health. </p><p>The following analysis of the 2011-2014 NHANES data showed that the inclusion of dietary supplements in nutrient intake assessments may lead to wider disparities in dietary intake by food security. This study also demonstrated the dose-response relationship between food security status and mean adequacy ratio, a summary measure of micronutrient adequacy. The mean adequacy ratio, inclusive of dietary supplements, was the highest in high food-security group (mean of 0.77), lower in marginal and low food security group (mean of 0.74), and the lowest in very low food security group (mean of 0.66), based on classification by food security among household children. However, the mean adequacy ratio does not reflect the usual intake (i.e., a long-term, habitual intake). </p><p>Therefore, another analysis of the 2011-2016 NHANES data estimated total usual nutrient intake of U.S. children 18 years and younger by food security status, using the National Cancer Institute method that adjusts for random error by statistical modeling. The results suggested that food insecurity was associated with higher risks of inadequate intakes for some nutrients, such as vitamins D and E and magnesium among boys and girls and vitamin A and calcium among girls only. Poor overall dietary quality and excessive sodium intake were of concern, regardless of food security status. </p><p>Collectively, the results from the studies in this dissertation add value to the evidence base about the adverse association of low income level and food insecurity status with dietary intake and extend the finding to include nutrient intakes from dietary supplements, which widens the disparity in nutrition risk. These findings highlight a need for interventions to reduce nutrient inadequacies and improve dietary quality among children across all socioeconomic levels, but especially among those with low income or food insecurity.</p><div><br></div>

Food insecurity (not having continuing access to nutritious food to maintain health) is common in the United States, especially in working poor households. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a well-documented safety net for individuals and families struggling with food insecurity. Little is known about the effect of SNAP policy on food insecurity in working poor military households. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate the lived experiences of food-insecure Army families and the perceived influence of SNAP policy on their food-insecurity. The theoretical framework was policy feedback theory. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 13 Army heads of households. Data were coded and categorized to identify 3 themes: impact of Army culture, federal programs as stabilization, and limiting SNAP policy. Participants struggle with food insecurity due to unique aspects of military culture, such as transition, and the limitations of current SNAP policy. Findings may be used to inform policymakers of the influence of SNAP policy on food insecurity in the U.S. Army.

Food banks have become an institutionalized response to helping individuals and families gain access to food as wages have stagnated, employment becomes more precarious, and social entitlements have dramatically declined over the years. Food banks were supposed to be a temporary stop gap measure in response to the recession of 1980. Thirty-three years later, food banks have proliferated across Canada in assisting a growing population in need of their services. I present an analysis of how food bank suppliers use the concept of hunger in a fundraising campaign called Canstruction® to understand how it relates to people’s perception of this social problem in our society. This qualitative research study uses discourse analysis to unpack the solicitation discourse used at Canstruction® events held in Waterloo and Toronto, Ontario in 2014. I have collected data from three different groups: persons who designed and installed their artwork at the Canstruction® Toronto event; persons who volunteer at a food bank; and people who have food insecurity experience. The findings indicate a differentiated understanding of hunger within the solicitation discourse for each research group: Canstruction® participants, food bank volunteers, and persons with food insecurity experience. The Canstruction® participants’ absorption of the solicitation discourse produced a limited understanding about hunger in our society. The food bank volunteer group agreed with the solicitation discourse but their images of hunger illustrated deeper criticisms of the event and food bank system. The participant group with food insecurity experience expressed the greatest amount of criticism against the food bank’s solicitation discourse and their images of hunger reflected their psycho-social experience of living in poverty. Also, an overwhelming majority of research participants with food insecurity wanted a food bank system that was more responsive to their needs and that honoured human dignity. My study on the social construction of hunger portrayed by food banks highlights how this knowledge is reinforced, reproduced and challenged through a food drive that creates packaged food items into artwork and from images described by research participants. These insights have the potential to shift the discourse away from the branding of hunger as a matter of charity and move towards discussing its fundamental causes: poverty and social inequality. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

Mississippi leads the United States in food insecurity, with 15.3% of Mississippians experiencing food insecurity in a given year. To determine the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the food insecurity of Mississippians, a survey containing the USDA Household Food Security Questionnaire was distributed to adult Mississippi residents. By employing the USDA Household Food Security Scale and the Foster-Greer-Thorbecke Methodology, this study finds that the food insecurity rate, food insecurity gap, and squared food insecurity gap have worsened in Mississippi since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, this study finds that households which were food insecure prior to March 2020 are more likely to be food insecure after March 2020, as well as households that experienced job loss after March 2020, households that do not purchase groceries online, and households where the survey respondent identifies as a minority besides Black or African American.

No description available.