Scholars have demonstrated that common ways of performing charitable food aid in high-income countries maintain a powerless and alienated status of recipients. Aiming to protect the dignity of... Show moreScholars have demonstrated that common ways of performing charitable food aid in high-income countries maintain a powerless and alienated status of recipients. Aiming to protect the dignity of recipients, alternative forms of food aid have taken shape. However, an in-depth understanding of dignity in the context of food aid is missing. We undertook a scoping review to outline ways in which the dignity of recipients is violated or protected across various forms of food aid in high-income countries. By bringing scientific results together through a social dignity lens, this paper offers a complex understanding of dignity in the context of food aid. The online database Scopus was used to identify scientific literature addressing food aid in relation to the dignity of recipients in high-income countries. The final selection included 37 articles representing eight forms of food aid in twelve countries. Across diverse forms of food aid, the selected studies report signs of (in)dignity concerning five dimensions: access to food aid, social interactions, the food, the physical space, and needs beyond food. Research gaps are found in the diversity of forms of food aid studied, and the identification of social standards important for recipients. Bringing the results of 37 articles together through a social dignity lens articulates the complex and plural ways in which the dignity of recipients is violated or protected. In addition, this review has demonstrated the usefulness of a social dignity lens to understand dignity across and in particular food aid contexts. Show less
Janssen, J.M.M.; Velde, L.A. van der; Kiefte-de Jong, J.C. 2022
Food insecurity is an important public health concern; however, research into this phenomenon within the Netherlands is limited. Food insecurity is not solely related to individual factors, but can... Show moreFood insecurity is an important public health concern; however, research into this phenomenon within the Netherlands is limited. Food insecurity is not solely related to individual factors, but can also be influenced by various factors in the social and physical environment. Therefore, this study aimed to identify determinants of food insecurity within the personal, social and physical environment, based on the social ecological model (SEM), and to identify their relative importance for experiencing food insecurity. The study population consisted of 307 participants living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods of the Dutch city The Hague, of which approximately one-quarter were food insecure. Participant characteristics showing bivariate associations P < 0.20 were placed in a predetermined level of the SEM, after which a multivariate logistic regression was performed for each level and the Nagelkerke pseudo R-2 was presented. Determinants of food insecurity were BMI, gross monthly income, highest educational attainment, smoking status, diet quality, employment status, marital status and religion (P < 0.05). The results showed that 29.7 % of the total variance in food insecurity status was explained by all included determinants together. The personal, social and physical environment explained 20.6, 14.0 and 2.4 % of the total variance, respectively. Our findings suggest that determinants within the personal environment are most important for explaining differences in experienced food insecurity. The present study contributes to furthering the knowledge about the relative importance of the personal, social and physical environment, indicating that determinants within the personal environment may be most promising for developing targeted interventions to reduce food insecurity. Show less
A landlocked country in Central Africa, Chad has been involved in armed conflicts and civil war since independence in 1960. After the coup d’état in 1990, a certain stability prevailed under a... Show moreA landlocked country in Central Africa, Chad has been involved in armed conflicts and civil war since independence in 1960. After the coup d’état in 1990, a certain stability prevailed under a military democratic regime despite frequent rebels’ incursions, civil unrest, and violations of human rights. Over six decades, structural violence, insecurity, and oppression continue to hamper sociocultural, economic, educational and health improvements. Despite oil revenues and international investments into security and poverty reduction, Chad remains a highly fragile poor country with an alarming hunger situation. Its development is constrained by internal conflicts, instability of neighbouring countries, and perpetual threats by extremists. The weakness of infrastructures, public institutions and bad governance constrain the access of communities to basic goods, services, rights and means of livelihood.In rural areas, harassment and neglect by public authorities increase the vulnerabilities of households to food insecurity and conflicts. This research insighted into the long-term impacts of persistent violence on food production, social organization and access to health services in Guéra in central Chad. Rebels and government authorities exert political stress that is a major driver of sociocultural, demographic and economic change. These acts undermine spheres of livelihoods across the Sahelian region and needs attention. Show less
