Household food insecurity and associated socio-economic factors among recent Syrian refugees in two Canadian cities

Lina Al-Kharabsheh; Samer Al-Bazz; Mustafa Koc; Joe Garcia; Ginny Lane; Rachel Engler-Stringer; Judy White; Hassan Vatanparast

doi:10.33182/bc.v10i2.1161

Authors

Lina Al-Kharabsheh College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Canada
Samer Al-Bazz College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Canada
Mustafa Koc Ryerson University, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3607-8657
Joe Garcia Political Studies, University of Saskatchewan, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3028-4799
Ginny Lane School of Public Health, University of Saskatchewan, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7250-4385
Rachel Engler-Stringer Community Health and Epidemiology, University of Saskatchewan, Canada
Judy White Faculty of Social Science, University of Regina, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8913-095X
Hassan Vatanparast University of Saskatchewan https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2621-8385

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33182/bc.v10i2.1161

Keywords:

Syrian refugee, food security, income, education, resettlement countries

Abstract

In Canada, the prevalence of food insecurity is high among low-income households, particularly recent refugees. We evaluated the prevalence of food security among recent Syrian refugees and the associated factors in two Canadian cities, Toronto and Saskatoon. We collected data using the Household Food ‎Security Model, sociodemographic and socioeconomic questionnaires from 151 families. 84% of the Syrian households were food insecure, with no significant difference in prevalence between Saskatoon and Toronto. The risk of food insecurity was four ‎times higher for households with the annual income below $40,000. Households with educated woman (high school or higher) had four times higher risk of household food insecurity compared to families with less-educated women. ‎Our findings indicate the high prevalence of food insecurity among recently resettled Syrian refugees in Canada. Higher-income directly associated with food security. The inverse association between education and food security in households with highly educated women warrants further investigation.