Food insecurity in South Indian households with TB during COVID-19 lockdowns and the impact of nutritional interventions: A qualitative study.

Tuberculosis (TB) mortality rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, as did food insecurity worldwide. Undernourished individuals are at increased risk for incident TB disease and TB mortality. This study examines the impact of COVID lockdowns on the food security of households with TB in Southern India....

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Madeline E Carwile, Komal Jain, Madolyn R Dauphinais, Prakash Babu Narasimhan, Kimberly Maloomian, Manju Rajaram, Chelsie Cintron, C Finn McQuaid, Lindsey M Locks, Lora L Sabin, Subitha Lakshminarayanan, Pranay Sinha
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-01-01
Series:PLOS Global Public Health
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0004242
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849316464586129408
author Madeline E Carwile
Komal Jain
Madolyn R Dauphinais
Prakash Babu Narasimhan
Kimberly Maloomian
Manju Rajaram
Chelsie Cintron
C Finn McQuaid
Lindsey M Locks
Lora L Sabin
Subitha Lakshminarayanan
Pranay Sinha
author_facet Madeline E Carwile
Komal Jain
Madolyn R Dauphinais
Prakash Babu Narasimhan
Kimberly Maloomian
Manju Rajaram
Chelsie Cintron
C Finn McQuaid
Lindsey M Locks
Lora L Sabin
Subitha Lakshminarayanan
Pranay Sinha
author_sort Madeline E Carwile
collection DOAJ
description Tuberculosis (TB) mortality rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, as did food insecurity worldwide. Undernourished individuals are at increased risk for incident TB disease and TB mortality. This study examines the impact of COVID lockdowns on the food security of households with TB in Southern India. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with household contacts enrolled in a nutritional intervention study, conducted in Puducherry and Tamil Nadu (2018-2024), which provided household contacts of persons with TB with a six-month nutritional intervention. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, 78% of households in our study had no income; 67% resorted to distress financing, such as loans, to afford food; and 44% changed their eating habits, such as buying less food or different items. Respondents reported that the provided nutritional intervention improved their food security. Crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic can reduce both food access and diversity, leading to macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies that increase the risk of TB incidence and mortality. Undernutrition due to food insecurity may have been a driver for hastened disease progression or disease-related morbidity and increased mortality during the pandemic. Nutritional support interventions should be implemented as a part of pandemic response.
format Article
id doaj-art-2c73da5047fa45dd9bd2eb11d48390f5
institution Kabale University
issn 2767-3375
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLOS Global Public Health
spelling doaj-art-2c73da5047fa45dd9bd2eb11d48390f52025-08-20T03:51:44ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLOS Global Public Health2767-33752025-01-0154e000424210.1371/journal.pgph.0004242Food insecurity in South Indian households with TB during COVID-19 lockdowns and the impact of nutritional interventions: A qualitative study.Madeline E CarwileKomal JainMadolyn R DauphinaisPrakash Babu NarasimhanKimberly MaloomianManju RajaramChelsie CintronC Finn McQuaidLindsey M LocksLora L SabinSubitha LakshminarayananPranay SinhaTuberculosis (TB) mortality rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, as did food insecurity worldwide. Undernourished individuals are at increased risk for incident TB disease and TB mortality. This study examines the impact of COVID lockdowns on the food security of households with TB in Southern India. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with household contacts enrolled in a nutritional intervention study, conducted in Puducherry and Tamil Nadu (2018-2024), which provided household contacts of persons with TB with a six-month nutritional intervention. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, 78% of households in our study had no income; 67% resorted to distress financing, such as loans, to afford food; and 44% changed their eating habits, such as buying less food or different items. Respondents reported that the provided nutritional intervention improved their food security. Crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic can reduce both food access and diversity, leading to macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies that increase the risk of TB incidence and mortality. Undernutrition due to food insecurity may have been a driver for hastened disease progression or disease-related morbidity and increased mortality during the pandemic. Nutritional support interventions should be implemented as a part of pandemic response.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0004242
spellingShingle Madeline E Carwile
Komal Jain
Madolyn R Dauphinais
Prakash Babu Narasimhan
Kimberly Maloomian
Manju Rajaram
Chelsie Cintron
C Finn McQuaid
Lindsey M Locks
Lora L Sabin
Subitha Lakshminarayanan
Pranay Sinha
Food insecurity in South Indian households with TB during COVID-19 lockdowns and the impact of nutritional interventions: A qualitative study.
PLOS Global Public Health
title Food insecurity in South Indian households with TB during COVID-19 lockdowns and the impact of nutritional interventions: A qualitative study.
title_full Food insecurity in South Indian households with TB during COVID-19 lockdowns and the impact of nutritional interventions: A qualitative study.
title_fullStr Food insecurity in South Indian households with TB during COVID-19 lockdowns and the impact of nutritional interventions: A qualitative study.
title_full_unstemmed Food insecurity in South Indian households with TB during COVID-19 lockdowns and the impact of nutritional interventions: A qualitative study.
title_short Food insecurity in South Indian households with TB during COVID-19 lockdowns and the impact of nutritional interventions: A qualitative study.
title_sort food insecurity in south indian households with tb during covid 19 lockdowns and the impact of nutritional interventions a qualitative study
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0004242
work_keys_str_mv AT madelineecarwile foodinsecurityinsouthindianhouseholdswithtbduringcovid19lockdownsandtheimpactofnutritionalinterventionsaqualitativestudy
AT komaljain foodinsecurityinsouthindianhouseholdswithtbduringcovid19lockdownsandtheimpactofnutritionalinterventionsaqualitativestudy
AT madolynrdauphinais foodinsecurityinsouthindianhouseholdswithtbduringcovid19lockdownsandtheimpactofnutritionalinterventionsaqualitativestudy
AT prakashbabunarasimhan foodinsecurityinsouthindianhouseholdswithtbduringcovid19lockdownsandtheimpactofnutritionalinterventionsaqualitativestudy
AT kimberlymaloomian foodinsecurityinsouthindianhouseholdswithtbduringcovid19lockdownsandtheimpactofnutritionalinterventionsaqualitativestudy
AT manjurajaram foodinsecurityinsouthindianhouseholdswithtbduringcovid19lockdownsandtheimpactofnutritionalinterventionsaqualitativestudy
AT chelsiecintron foodinsecurityinsouthindianhouseholdswithtbduringcovid19lockdownsandtheimpactofnutritionalinterventionsaqualitativestudy
AT cfinnmcquaid foodinsecurityinsouthindianhouseholdswithtbduringcovid19lockdownsandtheimpactofnutritionalinterventionsaqualitativestudy
AT lindseymlocks foodinsecurityinsouthindianhouseholdswithtbduringcovid19lockdownsandtheimpactofnutritionalinterventionsaqualitativestudy
AT loralsabin foodinsecurityinsouthindianhouseholdswithtbduringcovid19lockdownsandtheimpactofnutritionalinterventionsaqualitativestudy
AT subithalakshminarayanan foodinsecurityinsouthindianhouseholdswithtbduringcovid19lockdownsandtheimpactofnutritionalinterventionsaqualitativestudy
AT pranaysinha foodinsecurityinsouthindianhouseholdswithtbduringcovid19lockdownsandtheimpactofnutritionalinterventionsaqualitativestudy