Prevalence and socio-demographic predictors of food insecurity in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic

Authors

Katherine Kent
Sandra Murray
Beth Penrose
Stuart Auckland
Denis Visentin
Stephanie Godrich, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Elizabeth Lester

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Title

Nutrients

Volume

12

Issue

9

PubMed ID

32887422

Publisher

MDPI

School

School of Medical and Health Sciences

RAS ID

32116

Comments

Kent, K., Murray, S., Penrose, B., Auckland, S., Visentin, D., Godrich, S., & Lester, E. (2020). Prevalence and Socio-Demographic Predictors of Food Insecurity in Australia during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Nutrients, 12(9), 2682. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12092682

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated economic vulnerabilities and disrupted the Australian food supply, with potential implications for food insecurity. This study aims to describe the prevalence and socio-demographic associations of food insecurity in Tasmania, Australia, during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional survey (deployed late May to early June 2020) incorporated the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module: Six-Item Short Form, and fifteen demographic and COVID-related income questions. Survey data (n = 1170) were analyzed using univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression. The prevalence of food insecurity was 26%. The adjusted odds of food insecurity were higher among respondents with a disability, from a rural area, and living with dependents. Increasing age, a university education, and income above $80,000/year were protective against food insecurity. Food insecurity more than doubled with a loss of household income above 25% (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 2.02; 95% CI: 1.11, 3.71; p = 0.022), and the odds further increased with loss of income above 75% (AOR: 7.14; 95% CI: 2.01, 24.83; p = 0.002). Our results suggest that the prevalence of food insecurity may have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among economically vulnerable households and people who lost income. Policies that support disadvantaged households and ensure adequate employment opportunities are important to support Australians throughout and post the COVID-19 pandemic.

DOI

10.3390/nu12092682

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.