Despite the severity of food insecurity in Afghanistan, little is known about the factors contributing to household food insecurity (HFI) under the Taliban regime. Therefore, this paper investigated the social determinants of severe HFI in rural areas of Afghanistan. We used the fifth-round survey of 6019 rural households from 25 provinces, collected between July and August 2022 by the Food and Agriculture Organization. We used binary logistic regression to examine the association between household characteristics and HFI. The majority of household heads were male (97.8%) with no education (62.8%). The findings showed that female-headed households had significantly higher odds of severe HFI. Household heads with any level of formal education had significantly reduced odds of severe HFI, while the odds of severe HFI was not different among those with religious/informal household-head education compared to those with no education. Likewise, engagement in any type of agricultural activity decreased the odds of severe HFI. Additionally, household income per member was negatively, while household size was positively associated with severe HFI. In summary, interventions to alleviate HFI among rural households should prioritize income-generating opportunities and skills targeting households with female heads, low levels of household-head education, larger size, no agricultural activities, and low income.

Purpose: Examine the predictors of food security and perceived stress among international students. Design: Cross-sectional Design. Settings: A public university in the Southwest United States. Subjects: Sample size of Seventy-three participants (≥18 years). Measures: Self-report measures of food insecurity and perceived stress. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Adult Food Security Survey Module (AFSSM) to assess food security status, and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) questionnaire to evaluate stress levels. Analysis: Logistic regression was performed to identify predictors of food security and perceived stress. Results: Duration of stay in the U.S. was a predictor of food security status, while gender was a predictor of perceived stress. International students in the U.S. for less than a year had a lower chance of being food secure [OR (95% CI) = 0.22 (0.05 - 0.74)]. Female international students had a lower chance of experiencing low perceived stress [OR (95% CI) = 0.07 (0.00 - 0.51)]. Conclusion: In supporting international students, targeted nutrition and stress management interventions should be emphasized, particularly for females and those who recently moved to the U.S.

Health SA Gesondheid promotes communication, collaboration and teamwork between professions and disciplines within the health sciences to address problems that cross and affect disciplinary boundaries.

Objective: Examine the predictors of food insecurity and the association between food security status and dietary intake among students attending an HBCU in the Gulf Coast Region of Texas. Participants: Students (n = 571) enrolled at the university during the Fall 2022 academic semester. Methods: Participants completed an online survey. The USDA Adult Food Security Survey was used to evaluate food security status. Diet History Questionnaire III to determine the frequency of fruit and vegetable intake. Chi-square tests and logistic regressions were performed to assess factors associated with food insecurity. Results: Sophomores had higher odds of being food insecure compared to freshmen, while graduate students had a lesser likelihood of experiencing food insecurity. Food-insecure students consumed fewer fruits and vegetables daily compared to food-secure students. Conclusions: Food insecurity persists among HBCU students. Sophomores are more susceptible to food insecurity than freshmen, while graduate students are less likely to experience food insecurity.