During the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in fall 2020, about 1 in 10 Canadians (9.6%) said they experienced food insecurity in their household because of financial constraints. This proportion was lower than the approximately one in eight Canadians (12.6%) who reported food insecurity in the pre-pandemic period of 2017/2018. Household food insecurity is a well-established determinant of health and is tightly linked with financial hardship.
The study "Household food insecurity in Canada early in the COVID-19 pandemic," released today in Health Reports, presents data on levels of household food insecurity in the 10 provinces from the September to December 2020 cycle of the Canadian Community Health Survey. In this survey, household food security status within the previous 12 months was measured using a scale that has been routinely used to monitor levels of household food insecurity in Canada. This provided the ability to draw comparisons with pre-pandemic levels.
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