Associations Between Food Security, Housing and Health in South Australia

Issue Addressed

Food security is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve for many households. Research has shown that food insecurity is associated with socioeconomic disadvantage, including housing pressures, and may contribute to poor health outcomes. There is lack of data on these associations in the South Australian setting, where food security is not consistently monitored.

Methods

A population health survey was administered to South Australian participants in April 2023. Descriptive analysis was conducted on data regarding food insecurity, housing circumstances, chronic and mental health conditions. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess associations between food security and health outcomes.

Results

From a sample of 3002 participants, 16.4% reported low and very low food security. These participants tended to be renting, facing housing cost pressures, and lacking infrastructure to store and prepare food. When controlling for confounders, food insecurity was found to be associated with increased likelihood of having at least one chronic condition, mental health condition, and decreased overall wellbeing.

Conclusion

Food security is itself a determinant of health. Regular monitoring of the prevalence of household food insecurity and addressing the structural factors influencing food affordability and availability are required. Further research on its links to health outcomes is warranted.

So What?

Evidence-based action to address food insecurity will become more pressing as the crises of cost-of-living, housing, health system pressures and environmental disasters converge.