Social vulnerability and its association with food insecurity in the South African population: findings from a National Survey

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Abstract

Social vulnerability refers to the attributes of society that make people and places susceptible to natural disasters, adverse health outcomes, and social inequalities. Using a social vulnerability index (SVI), we investigated social vulnerability prevalence and its relationship with food insecurity in South Africa (SA). In this nationally representative cross-sectional survey, we calculated SVI scores from 3402 respondents (median age, 35 (26–46) years) using an SVI developed by the United States (US) Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) adapted for a South African context. We measured food insecurity using a modified Community Childhood Hunger Identification Project. Findings classified 20.6% and 20.4% of adults as socially vulnerable and food insecure, respectively. The risk of food insecurity was almost threefold higher in the social vulnerability group (OR 2.76, 95% CI 2.76–2.77, p < 0.001) compared to their counterparts. The SVI could be a useful tool to guide government and policymakers in the facilitation of social relief initiatives for those most vulnerable.

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Author and article information

Contributors

Asanda Mtintsilana:

ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0045-0648

Asanda.Mtintsilana@wits.ac.za

Bio :

Asanda Mtintsilana

Siphiwe N. Dlamini: siphiwe.dlamini2@wits.ac.za

Bio :

Siphiwe N. Dlamini

Witness Mapanga: wmapanga@witshealth.co.za

Bio :

Witness Mapanga

is a Postdoctoral Researcher at SA MRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Clinical Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa and Postdoctoral Researcher at the Noncommunicable Diseases Research Division, Wits Health Consortium (PTY) Ltd, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Ashleigh Craig: Ashleigh.Craig@wits.ac.za

Bio :

Ashleigh Craig

Justin Du Toit: justin.dutoit@wits.ac.za

Bio :

Justin Du Toit

is a Centre and Research Manager at the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.

Lisa J. Ware: lisa.ware@wits.ac.za

Bio :

Lisa J. Ware

is an Associate Director at SA MRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Clinical Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa and a Senior Researcher at the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.

Shane A. Norris: Shane.Norris@wits.ac.za

Bio :

Shane A. Norris

is a Professor and Director at SA MRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Clinical Medicine at University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Director at the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa, and Professorial Fellow at the Global Health Research Institute, School of Human Development and Health, University of Southampton, United Kingdom.

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): J Public Health Policy

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): J Public Health Policy

Title: Journal of Public Health Policy

Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan UK (London )

ISSN (Print): 0197-5897

ISSN (Electronic): 1745-655X

Publication date (Electronic): 17 October 2022

Pages: 1-18

Affiliations

[1 ]GRID grid.11951.3d, ISNI 0000 0004 1937 1135, SA MRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Clinical Medicine, , University of the Witwatersrand, ; Private Bag X3, Johannesburg, 2050 South Africa

[2 ]GRID grid.11951.3d, ISNI 0000 0004 1937 1135, Noncommunicable Diseases Research Division, , Wits Health Consortium (PTY) Ltd, ; Johannesburg, South Africa

[3 ]GRID grid.11951.3d, ISNI 0000 0004 1937 1135, DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development, , University of the Witwatersrand, ; Johannesburg, Gauteng South Africa

[4 ]GRID grid.5491.9, ISNI 0000 0004 1936 9297, Global Health Research Institute, School of Human Development and Health, , University of Southampton, ; Southampton, UK

Author information

Asanda Mtintsilana http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0045-0648

Article

Publisher ID: 370

DOI: 10.1057/s41271-022-00370-w

PMC ID: 9574173

PubMed ID: 36253433

SO-VID: ead55f69-7f94-4c43-8b36-392b5359b8ac

Copyright © © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited 2022, Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

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This article is made available via the PMC Open Access Subset for unrestricted research re-use and secondary analysis in any form or by any means with acknowledgement of the original source. These permissions are granted for the duration of the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic.

History

Date accepted : 25 September 2022

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