Post-disaster food insecurity: Hurricane Maria as a case study
Background: Food insecurity is traditionally defined as a chronic condition linked to insufficient income, but in post-disaster contexts the condition may differ significantly, often with sudden onset and temporary nature. There is no specific definition for post-disaster food insecurity, making acc...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-01-01
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| Series: | The Journal of Climate Change and Health |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266727822400066X |
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| author | Jill Mark David de Angel Sola Nicolas Rosario-Matos Leyao Wang |
| author_facet | Jill Mark David de Angel Sola Nicolas Rosario-Matos Leyao Wang |
| author_sort | Jill Mark |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Food insecurity is traditionally defined as a chronic condition linked to insufficient income, but in post-disaster contexts the condition may differ significantly, often with sudden onset and temporary nature. There is no specific definition for post-disaster food insecurity, making accurate data collection and development of effective interventions difficult. Methods: To explore this issue, we performed a pilot survey study (n = 22) in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria to evaluate food insecurity status, duration, and causes. Results: Over half of respondents self-reported experiencing food insecurity following Hurricane Maria. In general, food insecure respondents experienced more specific food group shortages that lasted longer than food secure respondents. The duration of food shortages significantly influenced participants' perceptions of food insecurity. The primary causes of food insecurity were identified as grocery store closures, a lack of food in stores, or other reasons not listed in the survey. These findings support what is known about the post-disaster setting with supply chain issues being a prominent mechanism of food insecurity as well as there being multiple mechanisms difficult to describe due to the complexity of the situation. Conclusions: Results highlight the need for refined definitions and assessments of post-disaster food insecurity that account for the temporal aspects of food shortages and the complexity of post-disaster settings. As climate change exacerbates the frequency and severity of natural disasters, addressing the nuances of post-disaster food insecurity is increasingly urgent to mitigate associated health risks. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9a750517602447a89590f2d486090945 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2667-2782 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Journal of Climate Change and Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-9a750517602447a89590f2d4860909452025-02-11T04:35:35ZengElsevierThe Journal of Climate Change and Health2667-27822025-01-0121100363Post-disaster food insecurity: Hurricane Maria as a case studyJill Mark0David de Angel Sola1Nicolas Rosario-Matos2Leyao Wang3Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USASan Juan City Hospital Department of Pediatrics, San Juan, Puerto RicoSan Juan City Hospital Research Unit, San Juan, Puerto RicoDivision of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA; Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA; Corresponding author at: Room 411, Arnold House, 715 N Pleasant St., Amherst, MA, USA, 01003.Background: Food insecurity is traditionally defined as a chronic condition linked to insufficient income, but in post-disaster contexts the condition may differ significantly, often with sudden onset and temporary nature. There is no specific definition for post-disaster food insecurity, making accurate data collection and development of effective interventions difficult. Methods: To explore this issue, we performed a pilot survey study (n = 22) in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria to evaluate food insecurity status, duration, and causes. Results: Over half of respondents self-reported experiencing food insecurity following Hurricane Maria. In general, food insecure respondents experienced more specific food group shortages that lasted longer than food secure respondents. The duration of food shortages significantly influenced participants' perceptions of food insecurity. The primary causes of food insecurity were identified as grocery store closures, a lack of food in stores, or other reasons not listed in the survey. These findings support what is known about the post-disaster setting with supply chain issues being a prominent mechanism of food insecurity as well as there being multiple mechanisms difficult to describe due to the complexity of the situation. Conclusions: Results highlight the need for refined definitions and assessments of post-disaster food insecurity that account for the temporal aspects of food shortages and the complexity of post-disaster settings. As climate change exacerbates the frequency and severity of natural disasters, addressing the nuances of post-disaster food insecurity is increasingly urgent to mitigate associated health risks.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266727822400066XClimate changeExtreme weatherHurricaneDisasterFood insecurityNutrition |
| spellingShingle | Jill Mark David de Angel Sola Nicolas Rosario-Matos Leyao Wang Post-disaster food insecurity: Hurricane Maria as a case study The Journal of Climate Change and Health Climate change Extreme weather Hurricane Disaster Food insecurity Nutrition |
| title | Post-disaster food insecurity: Hurricane Maria as a case study |
| title_full | Post-disaster food insecurity: Hurricane Maria as a case study |
| title_fullStr | Post-disaster food insecurity: Hurricane Maria as a case study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Post-disaster food insecurity: Hurricane Maria as a case study |
| title_short | Post-disaster food insecurity: Hurricane Maria as a case study |
| title_sort | post disaster food insecurity hurricane maria as a case study |
| topic | Climate change Extreme weather Hurricane Disaster Food insecurity Nutrition |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266727822400066X |
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