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Food Insecurity Among Latin American Recent Immigrants in Toronto

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Abstract

Food security is an important social determinant of health. The 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey, Cycle 2.2 reported high prevalence of food insecurity among low income households and those formed by recent immigrants. Exploration of the extent and correlates of food insecurity among recent Latin Americans (LA) immigrants is essential considering they encompasses an increasing number of young immigrants, many of whom, despite relatively high education, are unemployed or have low wage positions. This study examines the extent of food insecurity and its correlates among recent Latin American (LA) immigrants in Toronto. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenience sample of 70 adult LA recent immigrants. Participants were recruited from selected community health centres across Toronto using snow ball sampling. Data were collected using questionnaires in face-to-face interviews with primary household care givers. A considerably high rate of food insecurity (56%) was found among participants. Household food insecurity was highly related to: being on social assistance; limited proficiency in English; and the use of foodbanks. Our findings indicate that the primary correlate of a household’s food security status is income, which suggests the potential for strategies to improve the financial power of new immigrants to purchase sufficient, nutritious, and culturally acceptable food. Enhancing the employability of new immigrants, reforming the income structure for working adults beyond social assistance, and providing more subsidized English language and housing programs may be effective.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support for this study was provided in part by CERIS-SSHRC Sub Grant, Ryerson Faculty of Community Services CERIS-Matching grant and Ryerson Faculty of Community Services SRC grant. The funding agreement ensured the authors’ independence in designing the study, interpreting the data, writing, and publishing the report.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Community Services-Daphne Cockwell, School of Nursing, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON, M5B 2K3, Canada

    Mandana Vahabi

  2. Centre for Studies in Food Security, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Mandana Vahabi & Cecilia Rocha

  3. Toronto, ON, Canada

    Cynthia Damba

  4. Faculty of Community Services, School of Nutrition, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Cecilia Rocha

  5. The Meighen Health Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Elizabeth Cristina Montoya

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  1. Mandana Vahabi
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  2. Cynthia Damba
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  3. Cecilia Rocha
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  4. Elizabeth Cristina Montoya
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Correspondence to Mandana Vahabi.

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Vahabi, M., Damba, C., Rocha, C. et al. Food Insecurity Among Latin American Recent Immigrants in Toronto. J Immigrant Minority Health 13, 929–939 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-010-9384-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-010-9384-y

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