Journals A-Z
All Subjects
Free Journals
sciepub.com
Journal of Food Security
ISSN (Print): 2372-0115 ISSN (Online): 2372-0107 Website: https://www.sciepub.com/journal/jfs Editor-in-chief: Apply for this position
Open Access
Journal Browser
Go
Issue 2, Volume 4
Article Metrics
  • 15779
    Views
  • 14083
    Saves
  • 1
    Citations
  • 3
    Likes
Export Article
Journal of Food Security. 2016, 4(2), 42-51
DOI: 10.12691/jfs-4-2-3
Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Food Insecurity on the Health of Colombian Refugees in Ecuador

Michele G. Shedlin1, , Carlos U. Decena2, Hugo Noboa3, Oscar Betancourt3, Stacia B. Birdsall1 and Kaitlyn M. Smith4

1College of Nursing, New York University, New York, USA

2School of Arts and Science, Rutgers State University of New Jersey, USA

3Fundacion Salud Ambiente y Desarrollo (FUNSAD), Quito, Ecuador

4Bucknell University, Lewisburg, USA

Pub. Date: May 12, 2016
View Full Text Full Text PDF (150 KB) Full Text ePUB(46 KB)

Cite this paper:
Michele G. Shedlin, Carlos U. Decena, Hugo Noboa, Oscar Betancourt, Stacia B. Birdsall and Kaitlyn M. Smith. The Impact of Food Insecurity on the Health of Colombian Refugees in Ecuador. Journal of Food Security. 2016; 4(2):42-51. doi: 10.12691/jfs-4-2-3

Abstract

This paper illustrates the salience of the specific factors challenging the food security of a refugee population and the effects on their health and wellbeing. Data presented are part of an NIH/NIDA study that explored the health implications of the forced migration of Colombian refugees in Ecuador. The two-year investigation utilized a qualitative approach and methods including in-depth interviews with refugees (n=96), focus groups (n=5) and interviews with key informants (n=21), permitting the triangulation of data sources and methods. Ethnographic observations and media analysis of the refugee situation were carried out as well. Data were analyzed using Atlas.ti software. Food insecurity emerged as a primary factor affecting all aspects of refugee life, the result of a complex interplay of socio-political forces such as discrimination and high rates of unemployment. The results of the study suggest the need to develop grounded, informed, and situation-specific guidelines to address the burgeoning epidemic of food insecurity in Ecuador and among refugee communities.

Keywords:
Colombian refugees food insecurity health discrimination Ecuador

Creative CommonsThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References:

[1]  Alix-Garcia, J. and Saah, D. (2010) ‘The Effect of Refugee Inflows on Host Communities’. World Bank Economic Review 24(1), 148-170.
 
[2]  Abdollahi, M., Abdollahi, Z., Sheikholeslam, R., Kalantari, N., Kavehi, Z., & Neyestani, T. R. (2015). High occurrence of food insecurity among urban Afghan refugees in Pakdasht, Iran 2008: a cross-sectional study. Ecology of Food and Nutrition, 54(3), 187-199.
 
[3]  Anderson, S.A. (1990) ‘Core Indicators of Nutritional Status for Difficult-to-Sample Populations’. The Journal of Nutrition 120(Suppl.), 1559-1600.
 
[4]  Baez, J. E. (2011). Civil wars beyond their borders: The human capital and health consequences of hosting refugees. Journal of Development Economics, 96, 391-408.
 
[5]  Bermudez, O.L., Palma De Fulladolsa, P., Deman, H., and Melgar-Quinonez, H. (2010) ‘Food Insecurity is Prevalent in Rural Communities of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua’. The FASEB Journal 24(104.7).
 
[6]  Bilsborrow, R.E. and CEPAR. (2006) The Living Conditions of Refugees, Asylumseekers, and Other Colombians in Ecuador: Millennium Development Indicators and Coping Behaviour. NIDI: The Netherlands.
 
[7]  Brees, I. (2010) ‘Burden or Boon: The Impact of Burmese Refugees on Thailand’. The Whitehead Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations: 35-47.
 
[8]  Capurro, M. (2014) ‘The Dilemma that Faces Some Female Colombian Refugees: Telling the Human Story’. UNHCR: Esmeraldas, Ecuador. Available at: http://www.unhcr.org/53738c839.html (Accessed: 21 February 2015).
 
[9]  Chambers, R. (1986) ‘Hidden Losers? The Impact of Rural Refugees on Poorer Hosts’. International Migration Review 20(2), 245-263.
 
[10]  Chaulia, S. S. (2003). Politics of Refugee Hosting in Tanzania: From Open Door to Unsustainability, Insecurity and Receding Receptivity, The [article]. Journal of Refugee Studies, (2), 147.
 
[11]  Coates, J., Frongillo, E.A., Rogers, B.L., Webb, P., Wilde, P.E., and Houser, R. (2006) ‘Commonalities in the Experience of Household Food Insecurity across Cultures: What Are Measures Missing?’. The Journal of Nutrition 136(Suppl.), 1438S-1448S.
 
[12]  Correa-Velez, I., Gifford, S.M., and Barnett, A.G. (2010) ‘Longing to Belong: Social Inclusion and Wellbeing Among Youth with Refugee Backgrounds in the First Three Years in Melbourne, Australia’. Social Science & Medicine 71(8), 1399-1408.
 
[13]  Correa-Velez, I., Spaaij, R., and C, S. (2012) ‘‘We Are Not Here to Claim Better Services Than Any Other’: Social Exclusion among Men from Refugee Backgrounds in Urban and Regional Australia’. Journal of Refugee Studies 26(2), 163-186.
 
[14]  Davies, S. (1993) ‘Are Coping Strategies a Cop Out? IDS Bulletin 24(4), 60-72.
 
[15]  De Vriese, M. (2006) ‘Refugee Livelihoods: A Review of the Evidence’. Evaluation and Policy Analysis Unit. UNHCR: Geneva.
 
[16]  Dharod, J.M., Croom, J.E., and Sady, C.G. (2013) ‘Food Insecurity: Its Relationship to Dietary Intake and Body Weight among Somali Refugee Women in the United States’. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior 45(1), 47-53.
 
[17]  FAO, IFAD, and WFP. (2013) The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2013. The Multiple Dimensions of Food Security. Rome, FAO.
 
[18]  Foley, W., Ward, P., Carter, P., Coveney, J., Tsourtos, G., and Taylor, A. (2010) ‘An Ecological Analysis of Factors Associated with Food Insecurity in South Australia, 2002-7’. Public Health Nutrition 13(2), 215-221.
 
[19]  Food and Agriculture Organization Of The United Nations (FAO). (1996) Rome Declaration on World Food Security and World Food Summit Plan of Action. FAO: Rome.
 
[20]  Gallegos, D., Ellies, P., and Wright, J. (2008) ‘Still There’s No Food! Food Insecurity in a Refugee Population in Perth, Western Australia’. Nutrition & Dietetics 65: 78-83.
 
[21]  Ghattas, H., Sassine, A. J., Seyfert, K., Nord, M., & Sahyoun, N. R. (2015). Prevalence and Correlates of Food Insecurity among Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon: Data from a Household Survey. PLoS ONE, 10(6).
 
[22]  Gillam, L., and Clapham, M. (2009) ‘The Relationship Between Food Insecurity and Practical Food Issues amongst a Sample of Refugees in Edinburgh’. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics 22(3), 258-259.
 
[23]  Gomez, M.P. and Christensen, A. (2011) World Development Report 2011: The Impacts of Refugees on Neighboring Countries: A Development Challenge. World Bank: Washington, DC.
 
[24]  Grabska, K. (2006) ‘Marginalization in Urban Spaces of the Global South: Urban Refugees in Cairo’. Journal of Refugee Studies 19(3), 287-307.
 
[25]  Hacket, M., Zubieta, A.C., Hernandez, K., and Melgar-Quinonez, H. (2007) ‘Food Insecurity and Household Food Supplies in Rural Ecuador’. Archivos Latinoamericanos de Nutrición 57(1), 10-7.
 
[26]  Hadley, C., and Sellen, D. (2006) ‘Food Security and Child Hunger among Recently Resettled Liberian Refugees and Asylum Seekers: A Pilot Study’. The Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health 8(4), 369-375.
 
[27]  Hadley, C., Zodhiates, A., and Sellen, D.W. (2007) ‘Acculturation, Economics and Food Insecurity among Refugees Resettled in the USA: A Case Study of West African Refugees’. Public Health Nutrition 10(4), 405-412.
 
[28]  Hamelin, A., Habicht, J., and Beaudry, M. (1999) ‘Food Insecurity: Consequences for the Household and Broader Social Implications’. Journal of Nutrition 129(2), 525S-528S.
 
[29]  Hatton, T.J., and Williamson, J.G. (2003) ‘Demographics and Economic Pressure on Emigration out of Africa’. Scandinavian Journal of Economics 105(3), 465-486.
 
[30]  Hendrix, C.S., and Brinkman, H. (2013) ‘Food Insecurity and Conflict Dynamics: Causal Linkages and Complex Feedbacks’. Stability: International Journal of Security and Development 2(2:26), 1-18.
 
[31]  Hidrobo, M., Hoddinott, J., Peterman, A., Margolies, A., and Moreria, V. (2012) Cash, Food, or Vouchers? Evidence from a Randomized Experiment in Northern Ecuador. Discussion Paper 01234. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.
 
[32]  Ibánez, A.M., and Vélez, C.E. (2008) ‘Civil Conflict and Forced Migration: The Micro Determinants and Welfare Losses of Displacement in Colombia’. World Development (36)4: 659-676.
 
[33]  Ibánez, A.M., and Moya, A. (2010) ‘Vulnerability of Victims of Civil Conflicts: Empirical Evidence for the Displaced Population in Colombia’. World Development 38(4), 667-663.
 
[34]  Idemudia, E. S., Williams, J. K., & Wyatt, G. E. (2013). Migration challenges among Zimbabwean refugees before, during and post arrival in South Africa. Journal of Injury and Violence Research, 5(1), 17-27.
 
[35]  Kibreab, G. (2003) ‘Displacement, Host Governments’ Policies, and Constrainsts on the Cosntruction of Sustainable Livelihoods’. International Social Science Journal 55(175), 57-67.
 
[36]  Kim, I. (2015). Beyond Trauma: Post-resettlement Factors and Mental Health Outcomes Among Latino and Asian Refugees in the United States. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health / Center for Minority Public Health.
 
[37]  Kiptiness, C. and Dharod, J. (2011) ‘Bhutanese Refugees in the US: Their Dietary Habits and Food Shopping Practices Upon Resettlement’. Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition 6(1), 1-11.
 
[38]  Lamkaddem, M., Essink-Bot, M.-L., Devillé, W., Gerritsen, A., & Stronks, K. (2015). Health changes of refugees from Afghanistan, Iran and Somalia: the role of residence status and experienced living difficulties in the resettlement process. European Journal of Public Health, 25(6), 917-922.
 
[39]  Lavik, N.J., Hauff, E., Skrondal, A., and Solberg, O. (1996) ‘Mental Disorder among Refugees and the Impact of Persecution and Exile: Some Findings from an Out-Patient Population’. British Journal of Psychiatry 169(6), 726-732.
 
[40]  Mabiso, A., Maystadt, J., Vandercasteelan, J., and Hirvonen, K. (2014) ‘Refugees, Food Security, and Resilience in Host Communities: Transitioning from Humanitarian Assistance to Development in Protracted Refugee Situations’. 2020 Resilience Conference Paper 2: Building Resilience for Food & Nutrition Security, May 15-17, 2014, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. International Food Policy Research Institute: Washington, D.C.
 
[41]  Maharaj, V., Tomita, A., Thela, L., Mhlongo, M., & Burns, J. K. (2016). Food Insecurity and Risk of Depression Among Refugees and Immigrants in South Africa. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health / Center for Minority Public Health.
 
[42]  Mann, G. (2012). On Being Despised: Growing up a Congolese Refugee in Dar es Salaam. In J. Boyden & M. Bourdillon (Eds.), Childhood Poverty (pp. 185-199). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9780230362796_12.
 
[43]  Maxwell, D. (1996) ‘Measuring Food Insecurity: The Frequency and Severity of “Coping Strategies”’. Food Policy 21(3), 291-303.
 
[44]  Maystadt, J.-F., & Verwimp, P. (2014). Winners and Losers among a Refugee-Hosting Population. Economic Development & Cultural Change, 62(4), 769-809.
 
[45]  Melgar-Quinonez, H.R., Zubieta, A.C., Mknelly, B., Nteziyaremye, A., Gerardo, M.F., and Dunford, C.J. (2006) ‘Household Food Insecurity and Food Expenditure in Bolivia, Burkina Faso, and the Philippines’. The Journal of Nutrition 136(5), 1431S-1437S.
 
[46]  Melgar-Quinonez, H., Alvarez Uribe, M.C., Paras, P., and Pérez-Escamilla, R. (2010) ‘Assessing Differences in the Psychometric Characteristics of the Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale in Colombia and Mexico’. The FASEB Journal 24(104.8).
 
[47]  Mendelsohn, J. B., Rhodes, T., Spiegel, P., Schilperoord, M., Burton, J. W., Balasundaram, S., … Ross, D. A. (2014). Bounded agency in humanitarian settings: A qualitative study of adherence to antiretroviral therapy among refugees situated in Kenya and Malaysia. Social Science & Medicine, 120, 387-395.
 
[48]  Patil, C.L., Hadley, C., and Nahayo, P.D. (2009) ‘Unpacking Dietary Acculturation among New Americans: Results from Formative Research with American Refugees’. The Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health 11(5), 342-358.
 
[49]  Patil, C.L., Mcgown, M., Nahayo, P.D., and Hadley, C. (2010) ‘Forced Migration: Complexities in Food and Health for Refugees Resettled in the United States’. NAPA Bulletin 34: 141-160.
 
[50]  Paul, A., Doocy, S., Tappis, H., & Funna Evelyn, S. (2014). Preventing malnutrition in post-conflict, food insecure settings: a case study from South Sudan. PLoS Currents, 6.
 
[51]  Pelletier, D.L., Olson, C.M., and Frongillo, E.A. (2012) ‘Food Insecurity, Hunger, and Undernutrition’. In Erdman Jr., J.W., Macdonald, I.A., and Zeisel, S.H. (eds) Present Knowledge in Nutrition, Tenth Edition. Iowa, USA: John Wiley & Sons, pp. 1165-1181.
 
[52]  Pérez-Escamilla, R., Segall-Corréa, A.M., Kurdian Maranha, L., Sampaio Md. Mde. F., Marín-León, L., and Panogasso, G. (2004) ‘An Adapted Version of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Insecurity Module is a Valid Tool for Assessing Household Food Insecurity in Campinas, Brazil’. The Journal of Nutrition 134(8), 1923-8.
 
[53]  Pérez-Escamilla, R., Melgar-Quinonez, H.R., Nord, M., Alvarez, M.C., and Segall-Corréa, A.M. (2007) ‘The Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale (Escala Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Seguridad Alimentaria (ELCSA)), Proceedings of the 1st Latin American Conference on Household Food Security Measurement’. Perspectivas en Nutrición Humana (supplement), 117-134.
 
[54]  Peterman, J.N., Wilde, P.E., Silka, L., Bermudez, O.I, and Rogers, B.L. (2013) ‘Food Insecurity Among Cambodian Refugee Women Two Decades Post Resettlement’. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health 15(2), 372-380.
 
[55]  Piwowarczyk, L., Keane, T.M., and Lincoln, A. (2008) ‘Hunger: The Silent Epidemic among Asylum Seekers and Resettled Refugees’. International Migration 46(1), 59-77.
 
[56]  Radimer, K.L., Olson, C.M., Greene, J.C., Campbell, C.C., and Habicht, JP. (1992) ‘Understanding Hunger and Developing Indicators to Assess It in Women and Children’. The Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior 24(1), 36S-45S.
 
[57]  Sellen, D.W., and Tedstone, A. (2000) ‘Nutritional Needs of Refugee Children in the UK’. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 93: 360-364.
 
[58]  Sellen, D.W., Tedstone, A.E., and Frize, J. (2002) ‘Food Insecurity among Refugee Families in East London: Results of a Pilot Assessment’. Public Health Nutrition 5(5), 637-644.
 
[59]  Shedlin, M.G., Decena, C.U., Noboa, H., and Betancourt, Ó. (2014) ‘Sending-Country Violence and Receiving-Country Discrimination: Effects on the Health of Colombian Refugees in Ecuador’. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health 16(1), 119-124.
 
[60]  Simich, L., Beiser, M., & Mawani, F. N. (2003). Social Support and the Significance of Shared Experience in Refugee Migration and Resettlement. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 25(7), 872-891.
 
[61]  Siriwardhana, C., Abas, M., Siribaddana, S., Sumathipala, A., & Stewart, R. (2015). Dynamics of resilience in forced migration: a 1-year follow-up study of longitudinal associations with mental health in a conflict-affected, ethnic Muslim population. BMJ Open, 5(2).
 
[62]  Strauss, A. and Corbin, J. (1994) ‘Grounded Theory Methodology: An Overview’. In Denzin, N.K. and Lincoln, Y.S. (eds) Handbook of Qualitative Research. London: Thousand Oaks: Sage, pp. 273-285.
 
[63]  Tusiime, H.A., Renard, R., and Smets, L. (2013) ‘Food Aid and Household Food Security in a Conflict Situation: Empirical Evidence from Northern Uganda’. Food Policy 43: 14-22.
 
[64]  UNHCR (UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES). (2012a) Ecuador: 2012 Global Report. UNHCR: Geneva.
 
[65]  UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). (2012b) Statistical Yearbook 2012. UNHCR: Geneva.
 
[66]  UNHCR (UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES). (2013) UNHCR Global Appeal 2014-2015 – Ecuador. UNHCR: Geneva.
 
[67]  UNHCR, Joint Idp Profiling Service (JIPS), and Feinstein International Center, Tufts University (FIC). (2014) Urban Profiles of the Colombian Population in Quito: Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and Other Migrants, Main Results and Recommendations. UNHCR: Geneva.
 
[68]  Vozoris, N., and Tarasuk, V. (2003) ‘Household Food Insufficiency is Associated with Poorer Health’. Journal of Nutrition 133: 120-126.
 
[69]  Webb, P., and Harinarayan, A. (1999) ‘A Measure of Uncertainty: The Nature of Vulnerability and Its Relationship to Malnutrition’. Disasters 23(4), 292-305.
 
[70]  Whitaker, B.E. (2002) ‘Refugees in Western Tanzania: The Distribution of Burdens and Benefits among Local Hosts’. Journal of Refugee Studies 15(4), 339-358.
 
[71]  Women’s Refugee Commission. (2006) Caught in the Crossfire: Displaced Colombians at Risk of Trafficking. Available at: http://www.refworld.org/pdfid/48aa82ea0.pdf (Accessed 22 February 2015).
 
[72]  WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO). (2016) Food Security. Available at: http://www.who.int/trade/glossary/story028/en/.
 
[73]  World Health Organization (WHO). (2013) Ecuador: Country Cooperation Strategy at a Glance. Available at: http://www.who.int/countryfocus/cooperation_strategy/ccsbrief_ecu_en.pdf (Accessed: 27 March 2015).
 
[74]  WFP. (2014) Terms of Reference End of Term Operations Evaluation: Ecuador – PRRO – 200275 – Assistance to Refugees and Persons Affected by the Conflict in Colombia (2011-2014). WFP Office of Evaluation: Evaluation Quality Assurance System. Available at: http://documents.wfp.org/stellent/groups/public/documents/tor/wfp269209.pdf (Accessed 9 March 2015).
 
Manuscript template