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Food Insecurity and Subjective Wellbeing Among Arab Youth Living in Varying Contexts of Political Instability

  • Farah Asfahani
    Affiliations
    Center for Research on Population and Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon

    Department of Population Health, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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  • Suneetha Kadiyala
    Affiliations
    Department of Population Health, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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  • Hala Ghattas
    Correspondence
    Address correspondence to: Hala Ghattas, Ph.D., Center for Research on Population and Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236/EPHD, Riad El Solh, Beirut 1107-2020, Lebanon.
    Affiliations
    Center for Research on Population and Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
    Search for articles by this author

      Abstract

      Purpose: To investigate associations between food insecurity experience and subjective wellbeing in Arab youth, across different political stability settings.
      Methods: Data from the Gallup World Poll (2014–2015) were extracted for youth aged 15–24 years living in 19 Arab countries (n = 8,162). Food insecurity was assessed using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale. Life Evaluation Score and Affect Balance were used as indicators of youth wellbeing. The 2014 Political Stability and Absence of Violence and Terrorism score was used to stratify Arab countries into three categories; high, medium, and low political stability. Multivariable regressions were performed to explore the relationship between food insecurity and wellbeing indices adjusting for socio-demographic and socio-economic factors, across different political stability settings.
      Results: The prevalence of food insecurity among Arab youth ranged between 3.1% in Lebanon to 91.3% in South Sudan. Food insecurity (moderate and severe) was negatively correlated with life evaluation (β: −0.74 for moderate food insecurity; −1.28 for severe food insecurity, p-value <0.001), and affect balance (β: −22.03 for moderate food insecurity; −33.88 for severe food insecurity, p-value <0.001). These results were consistent across political stability groups, independently from socio-demographic and socio-economic factors.
      Fewer factors were correlated with life evaluation and affect balance in low as compared to medium and high political stability settings.
      Conclusions: Food insecurity is an independent risk factor for Arab youth wellbeing. Efforts to improve youth wellbeing can be channelled through food security interventions.

      Keywords

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