Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T23:16:10.888Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Emergency Food Supplies in Food Secure Households

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2015

Devon L. Golem  and
Carol Byrd-Bredbenner
Devon L. Golem*
Affiliation:
New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico USA
Carol Byrd-Bredbenner
Affiliation:
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey USA
*
Correspondence: Devon L. Golem, PhD, RD, LD New Mexico State University 940 College Avenue Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003 USA E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Introduction

Limited food supply paired with reduced access to food during emergency disasters can lead to malnutrition. To date, research evaluating the adequacy of household emergency food supplies relies on self-reported data from surveys and has not been measured objectively in households in the United States. The main objective of this study was to describe household calorie availability and nutrient density in a normal situation and to project changes that could occur when emergencies (eg, natural disasters) restrict replenishment of food supplies and disrupt water and/or energy needed for food preparation and storage.

Hypothesis

The calorie availability of the food supply within households in New Jersey (USA) is anticipated to be well above the recommended 3-day period. However, it is anticipated that the nutritional density of the food supply within these households will be negative. Additionally, the disaster-related factors that diminish the ability to consume stored food (eg, lack of water, power for cooking, and/or proper storage) will further reduce the caloric and nutritional adequacy of the household food supply.

Methods

The household food supplies of 100 food secure families in New Jersey were inventoried at a non-emergency point in time. The number of days that the inventoried food supply would provide all household members 100% of the daily value (DV) for calories and other nutrients was determined. Additionally, the effects of water and power shortages on nutritional availability of household food supply were estimated.

Results

The households had an average of 33.16 days (SD=21.97; range=8.14-125.17 days) of calories at 100% DV for all household members. Lack of water, energy for cooking, or both would render a decrease in the total household calories by 28%, 35%, or 38%, respectively. Loss of power for greater than five days would reduce availability of household calories by 27%. A positive nutrient density was observed with and without the food-related resources of water and power.

Conclusion

The mean food supply within the sampled households exceeds the current emergency preparedness recommendations, even when considering specific nutrients and emergency-related factors that affect ability to consume the food supply. Cross-sectional observation of the household food supply of food secure families in New Jersey reveals adequate dietary-based emergency preparedness and low vulnerability to emergency-induced food insecurity.

GolemDL , Byrd-BredbennerC . Emergency Food Supplies in Food Secure Households. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2015;30(4):1–6.

Keywords

disaster planningemergency-induced food insecurityemergency preparednessfood supplyhousehold calorie days
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 30 , Issue 4 , August 2015 , pp. 359 - 364
Copyright
© World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Becker, M. Enough already: storm-ravaged region sees death toll hit 12 as roofs start caving in. The Buffalo News Web site. http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/erie-county/enough-already-storm-ravaged-region-sees-death-toll-hit-12-as-roofs-start-caving-in-20141120. Published November 20, 2014. Accessed January 5, 2015.Google Scholar
2. Schweber, N, Bidgood, J. Anxiety grows as thousands remain stranded and in the dark after storm. The New York Times Web site. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/11/us/after-the-big-snowfall-the-struggle-to-dig-out.html?_r=0. Published February 10, 2013. Accessed January 5, 2015.Google Scholar
3. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. 2013 World Disaster Report Web site. http://worlddisastersreport.org/en/. Accessed January 5, 2015.Google Scholar
4. World Disaster Report Web site. http://worlddisastersreport.org/en/data/index.html. Accessed January 5, 2015.Google Scholar
5. Inglesby, TV. Progress in disaster planning and preparedness since 2001. JAMA. 2011;306(12):1372-1373.Google Scholar
6. National Health Security Strategy Web site. http://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/planning/authority/nhss/Pages/default.aspx. Accessed June 13, 2014.Google Scholar
7. Federal Emergency Management Agency Web site. http://www.fema.gov/national-response-framework. Accessed February 3, 2014.Google Scholar
8. National Incident Management System Web site. http://www.fema.gov/national-incident-management-system. Accessed June 27, 2014.Google Scholar
9. National Disaster Medical System Web site. http://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/responders/ndms/Pages/default.aspx. Accessed June 13, 2014.Google Scholar
10. Khan, AS. Public health preparedness and response in the USA since 9/11: a national health security imperative. Lancet. 2011;378(9794):953-956.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11. Kleinpeter, MA. Disaster preparedness of dialysis patients for Hurricanes Gustav and Ike 2008. Adv Perit Dial. 2009;25:62-67.Google ScholarPubMed
12. Levac, J, Toal-Sullivan, D, O'Sullivan, TL. Household emergency preparedness: a literature review. J Community Health. 2012;37(3):725-733.Google Scholar
13. Wright, ME, Vesala-Husemann, M. Nutrition and disaster preparedness: focusing on vulnerability, building capacities. Online J Issues Nurs. 2006;11(3):6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14. Federal Emergency Management Agency. Ready Campaign. Ready: prepare, plan, stay informed. Build a Kit Web site. http://www.ready.gov/food. Accessed April 5, 2014.Google Scholar
15. CDC Emergency Preparedness and Response Web site. http://emergency.cdc.gov/preparedness/kit/food/. Accessed May 15, 2014.Google Scholar
16. Katzki, D, Katzki, L. Disaster preparedness: it's never to early to plan ahead! Diabetes Self-Management. 2009;26:27-31.Google Scholar
17. Good, EJ, Lee, AJ, McKenzie Lewis, FL. Better prepared next time: considering nutrition in an emergency response. Med J Aust. 2013;198(9):480.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18. Falkiner, L. Impact analysis of the Canadian Red Cross. Expect the Unexpected Program Web site. http://www.redcross.ca/cmslib/general/impact_analysis_full_version.pdf. Published 2003. Accessed May 15, 2014.Google Scholar
19. CDC. Household preparedness for public health emergencies--14 states, 2006-2010. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2012;61(36):713-719.Google Scholar
20. Der-Martirosian, C, Strine, T, Atia, M, Chu, K, Mitchell, MN, Dobalian, A. General household emergency preparedness: a comparison between veterans and nonveterans. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2014;29(2):134-140.Google Scholar
21. Byrd-Bredbenner, C, Maurer Abbot, J, Cussler, E. Nutrient profile of household food supplies of families with young children. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009;109:2057-2062.Google Scholar
22. Stevens, G, Cho, JH. Socioeconomic indexes and the new 1980 census occupational classification scheme. Social Science Research. 1985;14(2):142-168.Google Scholar
23. Bredbenner, C, Byrd-Bredbenner, C. FoodWorks Professional Edition. Long Valley, New Jersey USA: The Nutrition Company; 1997-2009.Google Scholar
24. US Department of Agriculture Web site. http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=8964. Accessed September 8, 2008.Google Scholar
25. US Department of Agriculture. USDA Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies, 3.0. Washington, DC, USA: USDA Agricultural Research Service, Food Surveys Research Group; 2008.Google Scholar
26. Gladson Interactive. Nutrition Database. Lisle; Illinois USA; 2007.Google Scholar
27. Foodfacts.com. Nutrient Database. Edison, New Jersey USA; 2007.Google Scholar
28. Byrd-Bredbenner, C, Maurer Abbot, J. Differences in food supplies of U.S. households with and without overweight individuals. Appetite. 2009;52:479-484.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
29. Byrd-Bredbenner, C, Bryant, M, Stevens, J. Universal Product Code (bar code) scanning technology for home food inventories. J Am Diet Assoc. June 2009:109.Google Scholar
30. Byrd-Bredbenner, C, Bredbenner, C. Assessing the home food environment using mobile barcode (Universal Product Code) scanning technology. Nutrition & Food Science. 2010;40:305-313.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
31. Yates, A. Which dietary reference intake is best suited to serve as the basis for nutrition labeling for daily values? J Nutr Educ. 2006;136:2457-2462.Google Scholar
32. Food Labeling Guide Web site. http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/LabelingNutrition/ucm2006828.htm. Accessed January 5, 2015.Google Scholar
33. Ransley, J, Donnelly, J, Botham, H, Khara, T, Greenwood, D, Cade, J. Use of supermarket receipts to estimate energy and fat content of food purchased by lean and overweight families. Appetite. 2003;41:141-148.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
34. Ransley, J, Donnelly, J, Khara, T, et al. The use of supermarket till receipts to determine the fat and energy intake in a UK population. Public Health Nutr. 2001;4:1279-1286.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
35. Guthrie, H, Scheer, J. Validity of a dietary score for assessing nutrient adequacy. J Am Diet Assoc. 1981;78:240-245.Google Scholar
36. State and County QuickFacts of US Census Bureau. US Census Bureau Web site. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html. Accessed January 5, 2015.Google Scholar
37. Beeghley, L. The Structure of Social Stratification in the United States. New York, New York USA: Pearson; 2004.Google Scholar
38. Gazibara, T, Jia, H, Lubetkin, EI. Disaster preparedness: a comparative study of North Carolina and Montana. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2014;8(3):239-242.Google Scholar
39. Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistnace Program. Disaster Assistance Web site. http://www.disasterassistance.gov/disaster-assistance/forms-of-assistance/5769/0/D08. Accessed January 5, 2015.Google Scholar
40. Hutton, D. Putting the puzzle together: reducing vulnerability through people-focused planning. Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2009;134:193-196.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
41. He, W, Sengupta, M, Velkoff, V, DeBarros, K. “65+ in the United States: 2005.” In: Current Population Reports. Washington, DC, USA: US Census Bureau; 2005.Google Scholar
42. Kleinpeter, M. Disaster preparedness of dialysis patients for Hurricanes Gustave and Ike 2008. Advances in Peritoneal Dialysis. 2009;25:62-67.Google Scholar