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  1. Traditional foodstuffs and household food security in a time of crisis
    Muhialdin BJ, Filimonau V, Qasem JM, Algboory H
    Appetite, 2021 10 01;165:105298.
    PMID: 33989697 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2021.105298
    Traditional foodstuffs play an important role in household food security. No research has, however, attempted to examine traditional foodstuffs in light of disasters and crises. Such research can provide a useful outlook on how traditional foodstuffs can aid households in a situation of disrupted food supply. This outlook becomes relevant in view of future disastrous events that can undermine household food security, especially in poor disadvantaged communities. This study examined the role of traditional foodstuffs during a major crisis. The study adopted an ethnographic perspective and the method of semi-structured household interviews to explore how traditional foodstuffs were used by communities in the city of Mosul, Iraq, under the ISIS administration and during the liberation war (2016-2017). The study showcased the critical role of traditional foodstuffs in survival of local households. It highlighted the importance of cross-generational knowledge of traditional foodstuffs in community preparedness for disasters and crises. The study proposed to integrate traditional foodstuffs into governmental strategies on household food security in Iraq, and beyond. It suggested including traditional foodstuffs in the humanitarian food supply chains in the regions prone to disasters and crises. Future research should examine the prerequisites for such inclusion, especially from the viewpoint of societal and political acceptance of traditional foodstuffs and methods of their production.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Supply*
  2. Patterns of food production and consumption in the ASEAN region
    Khor GL, Tee ES, Kandiah M
    World Rev Nutr Diet, 1990;61:1-40.
    PMID: 2408252
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Supply*
  3. Crops For the Future (CFF): an overview of research efforts in the adoption of underutilised species
    Gregory PJ, Mayes S, Hui CH, Jahanshiri E, Julkifle A, Kuppusamy G, et al.
    Planta, 2019 Sep;250(3):979-988.
    PMID: 31250097 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-019-03179-2
    MAIN CONCLUSION: Crops For the Future (CFF), as an entity, has established a broad range of research activities to promote the improvement and adoption of currently underutilised crops. This paper summarises selected research activities at Crops For the Future (CFF) in pursuit of its mission 'to develop solutions for diversifying future agriculture using underutilised crops'. CFF is a research company focussed on the improvement of underutilised crops, so that they might be grown and consumed more widely with benefits to human food and nutritional security; its founding guarantors were the Government of Malaysia and the University of Nottingham. From its base in Malaysia, it engages in research around the world with a focus on species and system diversification. CFF has adopted a food system approach that adds value by delivering prototype food, feed and knowledge products. Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) was adopted as an exemplar crop around which to develop CFF's food system approach with emphasis on the short-day photoperiod requirement for pod-filling and the hard-to-cook trait. Selective breeding has allowed the development of lines that are less susceptible to photoperiod but also provided a range of tools and approaches that are now being exploited in other crops such as winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus), amaranth (Amaranthus spp.), moringa (Moringa oleifera) and proso (Panicum miliaceum) and foxtail (Setaria italica) millets. CFF has developed and tested new food products and demonstrated that several crops can be used as feed for black soldier fly which can, in turn, be used to feed fish thereby reducing the need for fishmeal. Information about underutilised crops is widely dispersed; so, a major effort has been made to develop a knowledge base that can be interrogated and used to answer practical questions about potential exploitation of plant and nutritional characteristics. Future research will build on the success with Bambara groundnut and include topics such as urban agriculture, rural development and diversification, and the development of novel foods.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Supply
  4. Fulltext Prospects of orphan crops in climate change
    Mabhaudhi T, Chimonyo VGP, Hlahla S, Massawe F, Mayes S, Nhamo L, et al.
    Planta, 2019 Sep;250(3):695-708.
    PMID: 30868238 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-019-03129-y
    Orphan crops can contribute to building resilience of marginal cropping systems as a climate chnage adaptation strategy. Orphan crops play an important role in global food and nutrition security, and may have potential to contribute to sustainable food systems under climate change. Owing to reports of their potential under water scarcity, there is an argument to promote them to sustainably address challenges such as increasing drought and water scarcity, food and nutrition insecurity, environmental degradation, and employment creation under climate change. We conducted a scoping review using online databases to identify the prospects of orphan crops to contribute to (1) sustainable and healthy food systems, (2) genetic resources for future crop improvement, and (3) improving agricultural sustainability under climate change. The review found that, as a product of generations of landrace agriculture, several orphan crops are nutritious, resilient, and adapted to niche marginal agricultural environments. Including such orphan crops in the existing monocultural cropping systems could support more sustainable, nutritious, and diverse food systems in marginalised agricultural environments. Orphan crops also represent a broad gene pool for future crop improvement. The reduction in arable land due to climate change offers opportunities to expand the area under their production. Their suitability to marginal niche and low-input environments offers opportunities for low greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from an agro-ecosystems, production, and processing perspective. This, together with their status as a sub-set of agro-biodiversity, offers opportunities to address socio-economic and environmental challenges under climate change. With research and development, and policy to support them, orphan crops could play an important role in climate-change adaptation, especially in the global south.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Supply
  5. Crop Diversity: An Unexploited Treasure Trove for Food Security
    Massawe F, Mayes S, Cheng A
    Trends Plant Sci, 2016 05;21(5):365-368.
    PMID: 27131298 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2016.02.006
    The prediction is that food supply must double by 2050 to cope with the impact of climate change and population pressure on global food systems. The diversification of staple crops and the systems in which they grow is essential to make future agriculture sustainable, resilient, and suitable for local environments and soils.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Supply*
  6. Climate Change, Food Supply, and Dietary Guidelines
    Binns CW, Lee MK, Maycock B, Torheim LE, Nanishi K, Duong DTT
    Annu Rev Public Health, 2021 04 01;42:233-255.
    PMID: 33497266 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-012420-105044
    Food production is affected by climate change, and, in turn, food production is responsible for 20-30% of greenhouse gases. The food system must increase output as the population increases and must meet nutrition and health needs while simultaneously assisting in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Good nutrition is important for combatting infection, reducing child mortality, and controlling obesity and chronic disease throughout the life course. Dietary guidelines provide advice for a healthy diet, and the main principles are now well established and compatible with sustainable development. Climate change will have a significant effect on food supply; however, with political commitment and substantial investment, projected improvements will be sufficient to provide food for the healthy diets needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Some changes will need to be made to food production, nutrient content will need monitoring, and more equitable distribution is required to meet the dietary guidelines. Increased breastfeeding rates will improve infant and adult health while helping to reduce greenhouse gases.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Supply*
  7. Psychosocial Factors as Mediator to Food Security Status and Academic Performance among University Students
    Ahmad NSS, Sulaiman N, Sabri MF
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 May 03;19(9).
    PMID: 35564930 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095535
    The interrelation between food security, academic performance, and psychosocial factors remains unclear. This study aims to identify psychosocial factors as mediators of food security status and academic performance among university students at one of Malaysia’s public universities. Respondents included 663 bachelor’s degree students from seven randomly selected programmes at the university. Data on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, food security status (US Adult Food Security Survey Module, FSSM), psychosocial factors (DASS-21), and academic performance were collected using an online survey. The SPSS PROCESS macro was used to perform mediation analysis. The result (β = −0.0182, p < 0.001) indicates that food insecurity is associated with poor academic performance. As well as that, an increase in anxiety (β = −0.0027, p < 0.05) and depression (β = −0.0025, p < 0.05) was significant associated with a decrease in academic performance. Furthermore, anxiety and depression serve as significant mediators in the relationship between food security and academic performance. Alleviating food insecurity is not only a way to improve academic performance; it can also improve academic performance by reducing anxiety and depression.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Supply*
  8. The global palm oil sector must change to save biodiversity and improve food security in the tropics
    Azhar B, Saadun N, Prideaux M, Lindenmayer DB
    J Environ Manage, 2017 Dec 01;203(Pt 1):457-466.
    PMID: 28837912 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.08.021
    Most palm oil currently available in global markets is sourced from certified large-scale plantations. Comparatively little is sourced from (typically uncertified) smallholders. We argue that sourcing sustainable palm oil should not be determined by commercial certification alone and that the certification process should be revisited. There are so-far unrecognized benefits of sourcing palm oil from smallholders that should be considered if genuine biodiversity conservation is to be a foundation of 'environmentally sustainable' palm oil production. Despite a lack of certification, smallholder production is often more biodiversity-friendly than certified production from large-scale plantations. Sourcing palm oil from smallholders also alleviates poverty among rural farmers, promoting better conservation outcomes. Yet, certification schemes - the current measure of 'sustainability' - are financially accessible only for large-scale plantations that operate as profit-driven monocultures. Industrial palm oil is expanding rapidly in regions with weak environmental laws and enforcement. This warrants the development of an alternative certification scheme for smallholders. Greater attention should be directed to deforestation-free palm oil production in smallholdings, where production is less likely to cause large scale biodiversity loss. These small-scale farmlands in which palm oil is mixed with other crops should be considered by retailers and consumers who are interested in promoting sustainable palm oil production. Simultaneously, plantation companies should be required to make their existing production landscapes more compatible with enhanced biodiversity conservation.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Supply*
  9. Fulltext Recognize fish as food in policy discourse and development funding
    Bennett A, Basurto X, Virdin J, Lin X, Betances SJ, Smith MD, et al.
    Ambio, 2021 May;50(5):981-989.
    PMID: 33454882 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-020-01451-4
    The international development community is off-track from meeting targets for alleviating global malnutrition. Meanwhile, there is growing consensus across scientific disciplines that fish plays a crucial role in food and nutrition security. However, this 'fish as food' perspective has yet to translate into policy and development funding priorities. We argue that the traditional framing of fish as a natural resource emphasizes economic development and biodiversity conservation objectives, whereas situating fish within a food systems perspective can lead to innovative policies and investments that promote nutrition-sensitive and socially equitable capture fisheries and aquaculture. This paper highlights four pillars of research needs and policy directions toward this end. Ultimately, recognizing and working to enhance the role of fish in alleviating hunger and malnutrition can provide an additional long-term development incentive, beyond revenue generation and biodiversity conservation, for governments, international development organizations, and society more broadly to invest in the sustainability of capture fisheries and aquaculture.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Supply*
  10. Fulltext Introduction to robotics agriculture in pest control: a review
    Hassan, Ahmed, Abdul Shukor Juraimi, Muhammad Saiful Ahmad Hamdani
    The Pertanika Journal of Scholarly Research Reviews, 2016;2(2):80-93.
    MyJurnal
    Agriculture is one of the latest industries that uses robotic technologies. Cultivation of crops
    with high yield and quality can be enhanced when technological sustenance is involved. Pests are
    nuisance and cannot be completely eliminated, but with effective control and management. damages
    caused by pests could be minimized below economic threshold. Automation in agriculture is stable and
    accurate and is mainly incorporated in mechanized farming system. However its numerous application in
    different agricultural practices is not well noticed. Hence this paper attempts to provide profound
    awareness on robotic technology in agriculture. Robots could have a specific or multiple functions and,
    most commonly, they are made up of five basic components; sensors, effectors, actuators, controller and
    arms. Use of automation in weeding, weed mapping, micro spraying, seeding, irrigation and harvesting
    are progressions which promote sustainable agriculture and food security. In future, solar robots with
    battery inverter may be invented.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Supply
  11. Fulltext Food security: concepts and definitions
    Norhasmah, S., Zalilah, M.S., Asnarulkhadi, A.S.
    Malaysian Journal of Community Health, 2010;16(2):2-9.
    MyJurnal
    Introduction: The purpose of this article is to review the definitions of food security and food insecurity as well as the concepts related to food security.
    Methodology: This is a systematic review on a few papers, research, and articles according to studies and research by various organizations, experts, scholars on food security in developed and developing countries.
    Result: The first definition of food security was given to reflect the comprehensive concerns on the availability of world food supplies. The definition was expanded to incorporate accessibility of food for all people at all times. Then, the complex definitions of food security incorporated food accessibility and availability as well as the quality of food intake. Latest definition integrates the social aspect of food that should be accessed in a socially acceptable way. Broad definition of food insecurity and several terms that closely related were also discovered. The four main concepts of food security from these definitions were identified; availability, accessibility, acceptability and adequacy. These concepts of food security are relevant to micro, meso and macro levels of social and administrative organizations. Conclusion: Understanding definitions and concepts of food security can assist researchers, policy makers and program implementers to conduct research that address the issues of food security.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Supply
  12. Fulltext The contribution of nearshore fish aggregating devices (FADs) to food security and livelihoods in Solomon Islands
    Albert JA, Beare D, Schwarz AM, Albert S, Warren R, Teri J, et al.
    PLoS One, 2014;9(12):e115386.
    PMID: 25513808 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115386
    Fish aggregating devices, or FADs, are used widely in developing countries to concentrate pelagic fish, making them easier to catch. Nearshore FADs anchored close to the coast allow access for rural communities, but despite their popularity among policy makers, there is a dearth of empirical analysis of their contributions to the supply of fish and to fisheries management. In this paper we demonstrate that nearshore FADs increased the supply of fish to four communities in Solomon Islands. Estimated total annual fish catch ranged from 4300 to 12,000 kg across the study villages, with nearshore FADs contributing up to 45% of the catch. While it is clear that FADs increased the supply of fish, FAD catch rates were not consistently higher than other fishing grounds. Villages with limited access to diverse or productive fishing grounds seemingly utilized FADs to better effect. Villagers believed FADs increased household income and nutrition, as well as providing a source of fish for community events. FADs were also perceived to increase intra-household conflict and reduce fishers' participation in community activities. FADs need to be placed within a broader rural development context and treated as another component in the diversified livelihoods of rural people; as with other livelihood options they bring trade-offs and risks.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Supply/statistics & numerical data*
  13. Diversifying crops for food and nutrition security - a case of teff
    Cheng A, Mayes S, Dalle G, Demissew S, Massawe F
    Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc, 2017 Feb;92(1):188-198.
    PMID: 26456883 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12225
    There are more than 50000 known edible plants in the world, yet two-thirds of global plant-derived food is provided by only three major cereals - maize (Zea mays), wheat (Triticum aestivum) and rice (Oryza sativa). The dominance of this triad, now considered truly global food commodities, has led to a decline in the number of crop species contributing to global food supplies. Our dependence on only a few crop species limits our capability to deal with challenges posed by the adverse effects of climate change and the consequences of dietary imbalance. Emerging evidence suggests that climate change will cause shifts in crop production and yield loss due to more unpredictable and hostile weather patterns. One solution to this problem is through the wider use of underutilised (also called orphan or minor) crops to diversify agricultural systems and food sources. In addition to being highly nutritious, underutilised crops are resilient in natural and agricultural conditions, making them a suitable surrogate to the major crops. One such crop is teff [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter], a warm-season annual cereal with the tiniest grain in the world. Native to Ethiopia and often the sustenance for local small farmers, teff thrives in both moisture-stressed and waterlogged soil conditions, making it a dependable staple within and beyond its current centre of origin. Today, teff is deemed a healthy wheat alternative in the West and is sought-after by health aficionados and those with coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity. The blooming market for healthy food is breathing new life into this underutilised crop, which has received relatively limited attention from mainstream research perhaps due to its 'orphan crop' status. This review presents the past, present and future of an ancient grain with a potential beyond its size.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Supply/standards*
  14. Aspects of ecology of food and nutrition in Peninsular Malaysia
    Chong YH
    J Trop Pediatr Environ Child Health, 1976 Oct;22(5):238-56.
    PMID: 1051830
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Supply*
  15. Halal authenticity issues in meat and meat products
    Nakyinsige K, Man YB, Sazili AQ
    Meat Sci, 2012 Jul;91(3):207-14.
    PMID: 22405913 DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2012.02.015
    In the recent years, Muslims have become increasingly concerned about the meat they eat. Proper product description is very crucial for consumers to make informed choices and to ensure fair trade, particularly in the ever growing halal food market. Globally, Muslim consumers are concerned about a number of issues concerning meat and meat products such as pork substitution, undeclared blood plasma, use of prohibited ingredients, pork intestine casings and non-halal methods of slaughter. Analytical techniques which are appropriate and specific have been developed to deal with particular issues. The most suitable technique for any particular sample is often determined by the nature of the sample itself. This paper sets out to identify what makes meat halal, highlight the halal authenticity issues that occur in meat and meat products and provide an overview of the possible analytical methods for halal authentication of meat and meat products.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Supply*
  16. Bridging the food security gap: an information-led approach to connect dietary nutrition, food composition and crop production
    Azman Halimi R, Barkla BJ, Andrés-Hernandéz L, Mayes S, King GJ
    J Sci Food Agric, 2020 Mar 15;100(4):1495-1504.
    PMID: 31756768 DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.10157
    BACKGROUND: Food security is recognized as a major global challenge, yet human food-chain systems are inherently not geared towards nutrition, with decisions on crop and cultivar choice not informed by dietary composition. Currently, food compositional tables and databases (FCT/FCDB) are the primary information sources for decisions relating to dietary intake. However, these only present single mean values representing major components. Establishment of a systematic controlled vocabulary to fill this gap requires representation of a more complex set of semantic relationships between terms used to describe nutritional composition and dietary function.

    RESULTS: We carried out a survey of 11 FCT/FCDB and 177 peer-reviewed papers describing variation in nutritional composition and dietary function for food crops to identify a comprehensive set of terms to construct a controlled vocabulary. We used this information to generate a Crop Dietary Nutrition Data Framework (CDN-DF), which incorporates controlled vocabularies systematically organized into major classes representing nutritional components and dietary functions. We demonstrate the value of the CDN-DF for comparison of equivalent components between crop species or cultivars, for identifying data gaps and potential for formal meta-analysis. The CDN-DF also enabled us to explore relationships between nutritional components and the functional attributes of food.

    CONCLUSION: We have generated a structured crop dietary nutrition data framework, which is generally applicable to the collation and comparison of data relevant to crop researchers, breeders, and other stakeholders, and will facilitate dialogue with nutritionists. It is currently guiding the establishment of a more robust formal ontology. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

    Matched MeSH terms: Food Supply*
  17. Common carp, Cyprinus carpio, prefer branchial ionoregulation at high feeding rates and kidney ionoregulation when food supply is limited: additional effects of cortisol and exercise
    Liew HJ, Pelle A, Chiarella D, Faggio C, Tang CH, Blust R, et al.
    Fish Physiol Biochem, 2020 Feb;46(1):451-469.
    PMID: 31773438 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-019-00736-0
    This study aims to examine ionoregulatory parameters during exercise and cortisol elevation in common carp fed different food rations. Fish subjected to two different feeding regimes (0.5 or 3.0% body mass (BM) daily) received no implant or an intraperitoneal cortisol implant (250 mg/kg BM) or sham, and were monitored over a 168-h post-implant (PI) period under resting, low aerobic swimming or exhaustive swimming conditions. Plasma osmolality was maintained at relatively stable levels without much influence of feeding, swimming or cortisol, especially in low feeding groups. Nevertheless, a transient hyponatremia was observed in all low feeding fish implanted with cortisol. The hyponatremia was more pronounced in fish swum to exhaustion but even in this group, Na+ levels returned to control levels as cortisol levels recovered (168 h-PI). Cortisol-implanted fish also had lower plasma Cl- levels, and this loss of plasma Cl- was more prominent in fish fed a high ration during exhaustive swimming (recovered at 168 h-PI). Cortisol stimulated branchial NKA and H+ ATPase activities, especially in high ration fish. In contrast, low ration fish upregulated kidney NKA and H+ ATPase activities when experiencing elevated levels of cortisol. In conclusion, low feeding fish experience an ionoregulatory disturbance in response to cortisol implantation especially when swum to exhaustion in contrast to high feeding fish.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Supply*
  18. Winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC.) for food and nutritional security: synthesis of past research and future direction
    Tanzi AS, Eagleton GE, Ho WK, Wong QN, Mayes S, Massawe F
    Planta, 2019 Sep;250(3):911-931.
    PMID: 30911885 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-019-03141-2
    MAIN CONCLUSION: Winged bean is popularly known as "One Species Supermarket" for its nutrient-dense green pods, immature seeds, tubers, leaves, and mature seeds. This underutilised crop has potential beneficial traits related to its biological nitrogen-fixation to support low-input farming. Drawing from past knowledge, and based on current technologies, we propose a roadmap for research and development of winged bean for sustainable food systems. Reliance on a handful of "major" crops has led to decreased diversity in crop species, agricultural systems and human diets. To reverse this trend, we need to encourage the greater use of minor, "orphan", underutilised species. These could contribute to an increase in crop diversity within agricultural systems, to improve human diets, and to support more sustainable and resilient food production systems. Among these underutilised species, winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) has long been proposed as a crop for expanded use particularly in the humid tropics. It is an herbaceous perennial legume of equatorial environments and has been identified as a rich source of protein, with most parts of the plant being edible when appropriately prepared. However, to date, limited progress in structured improvement programmes has restricted the expansion of winged bean beyond its traditional confines. In this paper, we discuss the reasons for this and recommend approaches for better use of its genetic resources and related Psophocarpus species in developing improved varieties. We review studies on the growth, phenology, nodulation and nitrogen-fixation activity, breeding programmes, and molecular analyses. We then discuss prospects for the crop based on the greater understanding that these studies have provided and considering modern plant-breeding technologies and approaches. We propose a more targeted and structured research approach to fulfil the potential of winged bean to contribute to food security.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Supply/methods
  19. Fulltext Exploration of Food-Seeking Behaviour, Food Preparation, and Restrictions to Sufficient Food among the Jahai Sub-Tribe (Indigenous People) in Gerik, Malaysia
    Gan WY, Sulaiman N, Law LS, Zalbahar N, Ahmad Fuzi SF, Wilkes MA
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2020 01 04;17(1).
    PMID: 31947907 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17010348
    Access to food has been determined to be a factor that strongly influences the dietary intake and eating habit of indigenous people (Orang Asli, OA). This study explored food acquisition and the barriers in obtaining traditional and market foods among the Jahai subtribe (within the Negrito ethnic group) via a qualitative approach. Twenty-eight OA (14 males and 14 females) from Gerik, Perak, Malaysia participated in four focus group discussions (FGDs; two male-only and two female-only groups; seven informants in each FGD). Thematic analysis was adopted to analyse the gathered data. The results found that the Jahai applied both modern (buying and receiving food assistance) and traditional (gathering, farming, fishing, and hunting) methods in obtaining food. The barriers they faced in gathering sufficient food supply included low purchasing power, high demand for food, high transport costs, depletion of food supplies in their surroundings, threats from wild animals on the farm and during food searching activities, and food sharing. Food preparation methods practiced by the OA include roasting and grilling, frying, simmering (gulai), and boiling. In conclusion, this study enhances our understanding of the dietary behaviour of the Jahai subtribe and highlights restricted food access among the OA, which demands urgent attention.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Supply/statistics & numerical data*
  20. Fulltext Does Food Insecurity Contribute towards Depression? A Cross-Sectional Study among the Urban Elderly in Malaysia
    Mesbah SF, Sulaiman N, Shariff ZM, Ibrahim Z
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2020 04 30;17(9).
    PMID: 32365772 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17093118
    With the aging of the population worldwide, there is an increasing concern for the mental health status as well as physical health. Depression is a common mental health problem among the elderly populations. Since the elderly are susceptible to food insecurity, this cross-sectional study is aimed to determine an association between food insecurity and depression among elderly people. A total of 220 elderly people- aged 60 years and above, residing in the Petaling district of Selangor, were included in this study. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to obtain the pertinent information on demographic background, food security status (six items USDA FSSM), functional status (IADL, EMS), psychosocial status (LSNS-6), and depression status (GDS-15). Binary logistic regression was used to assess the factors that were associated with depression. The median age of the elderly sample was 65.5 years. The prevalence of depression and food insecurity that was recorded were 13.2% and 19.5%, respectively. Social isolation (AOR = 5.882, 95% CI: 2.221, 15.576), food insecurity (AOR = 3.539, 95% CI: 1.350, 9.279), and unsafe mobility (AOR= 3.729, 95% CI: 1.302, 10.683) increased the odds of depression. In conclusion, social isolation, food insecurity, and unsafe mobility are factors associated with depression among the elderly people. Plans such as health interventions as well as grocery and financial aid among the qualifying elderly are suggested to improve this depression and food insecurity.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Supply*
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