Diabetes and Hypertension Are Associated with Food Insecurity in a Cameroonian Population: A Case-Control Study

Diabetes and hypertension are the most prevalent cardiovascular risk factors. Recent studies showed an increase in the prevalence of food insecurity in our country. The aim of this study was to assess how food insecurity affects the dietary habits, socio-demographic characteristics and metabolic profile of individuals with diabetes or hypertension. This case-control study was conducted among diabetic and hypertensive participants (cases) and diabetic and hypertensive normal (controls) during the screening campaigns for nutrition-related chronic diseases. The sociodemographic, clinical and biochemical parameters of the participants were analyzed. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with diabetes and hypertension in the study population. Bivariate analyses showed that male gender (OR = 1.972;95% CI: 1.250 - 3.089), regular alcohol consumption (OR = 2.012;95% CI: 1.294 - 3.130), low fruit consumption (OR = 1.590;95% CI: 1.016 - 2.488), low dietary diversity (OR = 2.915;95% CI: 1.658 - 5.127) and abdominal obesity (OR = 1.893, CI 95% 1.203 - 2.978) were significantly associated with hypertension. In addition, low fruit consumption (OR = 1.829;95% CI 1.092 - 3.064), low legume consumption (OR = 3.515;95% CI 1.861 - 6.635), and hypertriglyceridaemia (OR = 2.241, 95% CI 1.139 - 4.408) were significantly associated with diabetes. The indirect association observed between food insecurity and diabetes and hypertension suggests the need for nutritional policies aimed at popularizing the production and consumption of fruits and legumes. Similarly, health services need to be aware and informed of the important role that food insecurity can play in the development of diabetes and hypertension.

Coping with the Impact of Climate Change: A Dive into Precision Agriculture in the United States

With the continued increase in the number of people that are food insecure globally, which could be increasing because of the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war, leading to reduction in international agribusinesses, coupled with drastic climate change exacerbating the problem of food insecurity, there is a constant need to come up with innovative approaches to solve this global issue. In this article, we articulated how precision agriculture can be a tool for ensuring food security in the United States. This study aims to reiterate the significance of precision agriculture in solving global food insecurity.

Food insecurity increases the risk of overweight and chronic diseases in adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis

To investigate the relationship between food insecurity(FI)and overweight/obesity(OW/OB)or corresponding chronic diseases in adolescents,33 studies with 181135 individuals were included in this meta-analysis.Six studies and 10 studies,reported a higher risk of overweight and obesity in adolescents experiencing FI,respectively(OR 1.38,95%CI 1.20‒1.58,P<0.0001;OR 1.11,95%CI 1.01‒1.22,P=0.035,respectively).Based on the pooled results,adolescents with severe FI had the highest risk of OW/OB(OR 1.45,95%CI 1.20‒1.75,P<0.0001).The pooled OR indicated no signifi cant association between FI and OW/OB,when the adolescents were stratifi ed into those under 6 years old and those between 6 and 18 years old.Eleven studies assessed the relationship between FI and the risk of chronic diseases.The anemia subgroup was significantly associated with FI(OR 1.67,95%CI 1.30‒2.13,P<0.0001).Severe FI was reported to increase the risk of hypertension(OR 1.59,95%CI 1.28‒1.98,P<0.0001).Furthermore,a pooled analysis revealed a signifi cant association between FI and the risk of chronic diseases in both 6 and 6-18-year-old subgroups.

The Effects of Job Insecurity, Emotional Exhaustion, and Met Expectations on Hotel Employees’ Pro-Environmental Behaviors: Test of a Serial Mediation Model

There are a plethora of empirical pieces about employees’pro-environmental behaviors.However,the extant literature has either ignored or not fully examined various factors(e.g.,negative or positive non-green workplace factors)that might affect employees’pro-environmental behaviors.Realizing these voids,the present paper proposes and tests a serial mediation model that examines the interrelationships of job insecurity,emotional exhaustion,met expectations,and proactive pro-environmental behavior.We used data gathered from hotel customer-contact employees with a time lag of one week and their direct supervisors in China.After presenting support for the psychometric properties of the measures via confirmatory analysis in LISREL 8.30,the abovementioned linkages were gauged using the PROCESS plug-in for statistical package for social sciences.The findings delineated support for the hypothesized associations.Specifically,emotional exhaustion and met expectations partly mediated the effect of job insecurity on proactive pro-environmental behavior.More importantly,emotional exhaustion and met expectations serially mediated the influence of job insecurity on proactive pro-environmental behavior.These findings have important theoretical implications as well as significant implications for diminishing job insecurity,managing emotional exhaustion,increasing met expectations,and enhancing ecofriendly behaviors.

Spatial Pattern and Distribution of Crime in Suleja Lga, Niger State, Nigeria

The study examines the Spatial Pattern and Distribution of Crime in Suleja LGA, Niger State, Nigeria. The study used GIS and statistical methods to analyse the pattern and distribution of crime incidence in the study area. The records of each crime incidence were geocoded. Microsoft Excel was used to collate and organise the crime entries before they were imported into the ArcGIS Pro 2.0 environment. A geodatabase was created where the spatial and aspatial data were encoded and geospatial analysis was performed. The study reveals that the crime distribution pattern is generally clustered with a Global Moran’s I index of 0.097, a Z-score of 1.87, and a P-value < 0.06. Furthermore, the study reveals that armed robbery (61), kidnapping (40), car theft (33), culpable homicide (31), rape (29), and robbery (13) cases rank the highest in crime rate. Equally, findings of the study show that Chaza, Kwamba, Madalla, Suleja central, and Gaboda are the major crime hotspot zones at 90% confidence, as analysed using the Getis-Ord Gi* (Hot spot analysis) spatial statistics tool in ArcGIS Pro 2.0. The research therefore recommends that more effort be put into fighting crime, especially in areas where there are low-security formations, as they mostly have the highest record of crimes committed. Also, the patrol units should be equipped with GPS for better surveillance and real-time tracking of criminal activities.

The Effect of Global Insecurities on the Church in the Post-Corona World:A Study Case of the Church in Africa

This paper is on“The Effect of Global Insecurities on the Church in the Post-Corona World:A Study Case of the Church in Africa”.Wuhan,China was where the pandemic started in December 2019.The pandemic spread to all the nations of the world contextually;it has caused human deaths,disrupted health security and social life,hindered African cultural security,caused economic down tone,and plagued religious congregational meetings leading to a decline in the Church’s income,etc.,in Africa.Obviously,the world has not overcome the negative psychological and economic shock caused by this deadly disease.Yet,an increase in the global insecurities from other agents of insecurity in the post-corona world has been recorded.The world,contextually,the church in Africa is plagued by the rise of insecurities that have made development unattainable.Today,Africa is faced with many challenges which have great negative effects on the church and holistic growth.Terrorism,conflict,border closures,health challenges,economic crises,political uproar,and so on have great negative influence on the church in Africa and other sectors of the nations of the world.The paper investigates into the pre-security challenges era of the church in Africa.Moreover,the paper investigates how the church in Africa has deviated from fundamental Christian cultural originality as a consequence of the post-corona effects and negative influence of the other agents of insecurity on the church in Africa.The concomitant effect of the aforementioned agents of insecurity on the church and the general societies in Africa are examined.Furthermore,this paper hopes to give some suggestive panaceas to ameliorate effects of the agents of insecurity on the church in Africa.The research methods utilized in this paper consist of the socio-historical,internet explorations,interviews,and analytical approaches.

The Comparative Performance of Nutrient-Film Technique and Deep-Water Culture Method of Hydroponics for GREENBOX Technology

With the rising pressures on food security, GREENBOX technology was developed as an avenue for fresh leafy vegetable crop production in urban settings. GREENBOX units were designed to be thermally insulated and climate controlled, with an artificial lighting source that utilized soilless cultivation techniques. Previous studies conducted on GREENBOX technology used the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT);however, various hydroponic methods exist, such as the Deep-Water Culture (DWC) method being the most used. The APS Laboratory for Sustainable Food at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) compared the crop growth performance between DWC and NFT systems using GREENBOX technology. The following study monitored environmental conditions and compared productivity and biomass data of Rex Butterhead Lettuce crops between DWC and NFT systems. We assembled two GREENBOX units using commercially available materials and the standard nutrient solution for fertigation. The crops grown in DWC and NFT were in a 4 × 6 configuration. The DWC and NFT systems were used to grow Lettuce Lactuca sativa “Rex Butterhead” over 30 days to full bloom from prepared plugs grown for 14 days. We collected environmental data including Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD, μmol/m2∙s), Daily Light Integral (DLI, mol/ m2∙d), temperature (˚C), relative humidity (%), and Vapor Pressure Deficit (VPD, kPa). We collected lettuce crop growth data, which included wet weight (g), dry weight (g), leaf area (cm2), and chlorophyll concentration (μmol/m2). We derived data, including the Specific Leaf Area (SLA, cm2/g) and biomass productivity (kg/m2), from previously collected data. We used descriptive statistics to present the collected data. A paired t-test was performed to understand the differences in biomass and productivity parameters between the DWC and NFT-grown lettuce crops. Both the DWC and NFT-grown crops could grow lettuce crops to harvest weight at full bloom. Observed data demonstrated that the biomass parameters and productivity did not differ significantly between the two hydroponics techniques. Therefore, we believe both hydroponic methods may be similar in growth performance and may be used in future iterations of GREENBOX design and prove suitable for fresh vegetable crop production in urban settings.

Obstetrical Emergencies in Ouahigouya Regional Teaching Hospital (Burkina Faso) in the Context of Insecurity Linked to Armed Groups: A Comparative Study between Patients from Precarious Security Zones and Those from Safe Areas

Introduction: Insecurity can be an obstacle to access to emergency obstetric and newborn care, that is why we proposed to study obstetrical emergencies in Ouahigouya Regional Teaching Hospital, a referral hospital in a region plagued by insecurity linked to armed groups. Method: This was an analytical cross-sectional study with prospective data collection over a 4-month period, from June 10 to October 10, 2020. Patients from precarious security areas were compared to those from safer areas. The Chi squared and Fisher tests were used for comparison of variables. Results: Obstetric emergencies accounted for 38.62% of admissions, from which 25.59% came from precarious security zones. Age was similar in both comparison groups. However, patients from unsafe areas were more likely to reside in rural areas (p 0.001) and more likely to be in unpaid occupations (p 0.001). Prenatal visits were less frequent (p 0.01) and women were more often multigravidae (p 0.01) in the precarious security group of patients. Apart from the more frequent uterine rupture (p = 0.02) in the group from precarious security zones, diagnosed complications and maternal mortality were similar in the 2 groups, while perinatal mortality was higher in the group of patients from precarious security zones (p 0.01). Conclusion: The precarious security situation has negative consequences on maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Further studies are needed for better understanding of these consequences, and improvement of health system resilience strategies, to reduce related maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality.

The Assessment of Growth Performance of Brassica rapa var. chinensis ‘Li Ren Choi’, Spinacia oleracea ‘Auroch’, Eruca sativa ‘Astro’, and Brassica rapa var. japonica Using GREENBOX Technology

Obtaining nutritious food is becoming increasingly difficult due to the growing urban population and the degradation of soil, water, and air from mechanized and industrialized agricultural techniques. More than half the global population resides in urban areas, with not enough surrounding agricultural land to meet food requirements. Food traveling long distances, an average of 1020 miles, has resulted in increased food miles for the average food item in the United States of America, representing wasted resources. The novel GREENBOX technology was invented in response to increasing pressures on food security. Previous studies conducted on GREENBOX technology assessed the technical feasibility of utilizing Lettuce Lactuca sativa ‘Rex Butterhead’. We at the APS Laboratory for Sustainable Food at Florida Gulf Coast University assessed the technical feasibility of growing different leafy green vegetable crops. GREENBOX technology consists of thermally insulated climate-controlled enclosures, an artificial lighting source, a soilless cultivation method (hydroponics), and environmental control modules. We assembled two GREENBOX units to assess the environmental conditions and growth performance of Brassica rapa var. chinensis ‘Li Ren Choi’, Spinach Spinacia oleracea ‘Auroch’, Arugula Eruca sativa ‘Astro’, and Mizuna Brassica Brassica rapa var. japonica. Plugs were cultivated and then transplanted in a randomized manner to the nutrient film technique (NFT) channels, subsequently grown for 30 days to full bloom and ready for harvest. Fertigation was carried out using a standard concentration nutrient solution. Crops were arranged in twelve blocks of four species each. We collected environmental data including daily light integral (DLI, mol/m2∙d), temperature (˚C), relative humidity (%), and vapor pressure deficit (VPD, kPa). Collected biomass data included wet weight (g), dry weight (g), leaf area (cm2), and chlorophyll concentration (mg/cm2). We then derived the Specific Leaf Area (SLA, cm2/g). Descriptive statistics were utilized to understand the differences in biomass parameters between the four crops grown. We also compared the performance parameters of our crops with existing peer-reviewed literature and found it superior, if not comparable to commonly found industrial output. We determined that all crops grew to full bloom, demonstrating that GREENBOX technology may be used to grow a variety of different leafy green vegetable crops.

On Security of Quantum Cryptography by Probabilistic Analysis

The existing quantum cryptography is a classical cryptography in nature and basically insecure because of its classical (conventional) bits, classical encryption algorithm and classical (public) channel. A novel topic about successful communication between the legitimate users, Alice and Bob, is discussed with probability of solution uniqueness of Bob’s decryption equation. We find, by probabilistic analysis, that success of communication between Alice and Bob is probabilistic with a probability bigger than 1/2. It is also novel to define insecurity of the quantum cryptography by probability of solution uniqueness of the search equation of Eve, the eavesdropper. The probability of Eve’s success to find the plain-text of Alice (and Bob) is greater than 1/2, and so the quantum cryptography is seriously insecure.

Contribution of attachment insecurity to health-related quality of life in depressed patients

AIM: To examine the individual contributions of insecure attachment styles and depression symptom severity to health-related quality of life(HRQo L) in patients diagnosed with adjustment disorder(AJD) with depressed mood. METHODS: Participants were 67 patients diagnosed with International Classification of Diseases, Tenth edition AJD with depressed mood, who completed standardised self-report questionnaires measuring study variables. Mean scores and SDs were computed for the outcome and predictor measures. Pearson correlations among the measures were computed. The study hypotheses were tested using analysis of variance(ANOVA) and multiple regression analyses. All analyses were performed using the SPSS-17 software package(SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, United States).RESULTS: ANOVA showed a significant main effect of the insecure attachment styles on depression symptom severity and life satisfaction scores. The results suggestthat depressive symptoms were more severe(F = 4.13, df = 2.67, P < 0.05) and life satisfaction was poorer(F = 5.69, df = 2.67, P < 0.01) in both anxious-ambivalently and avoidantly attached patients compared with their securely attached counterparts, whereas the two insecure groups did not significantly differ by these variables. The anxious/ambivalent attachment style and depression symptom severity significantly contributed to HRQo L, accounting for 21.4% and 29.7% of the total variance, respectively [R2 = 0.79; Adjusted R2 = 0.77; F(5, 67) = 33.68, P < 0.0001], even after controlling for gender, marital and employment status confounders.CONCLUSION: The results show that the anxious/ambivalent attachment style together with depression symptom severity substantially and independently predict the HRQo L outcome in AJD with depressed mood.

Climate Change, Adaptive Strategies and Rural Livelihoods in Semiarid Tanzania

Climate change is a global challenge to both sustainable livelihoods and economic development. In Tanzania as in most African countries, farming depends almost entirely on rainfall, a situation that makes agriculture and thus rural livelihoods especially in semiarid environments particularly vulnerable to climate change. This study analyses the impacts of climate change and variability on rural livelihoods with particular focus on agricultural production, food security and adaptive capacities in semiarid areas of Tanzania. The methods used in this study included focus group discussions, key informant interviews, household surveys and field observations. Results from the study indicate that communities understood climate change in terms of variability in rainfall patterns and amount, temperature patterns, wind, water availability, increased incidences of drought and decreased agricultural productivity. Communities in the study area acknowledged that while rainfall amounts have decreased over the last thirty years, temperatures have increased;an experience is also supported by meteorological data. Such changes were claimed to have reduced agricultural productivity particularly due to prolonged drought, inadequate and uneven distribution of rainfall as well as unpredictable onset and ending of rains. Stressors such as crop diseases and pests, low soil fertility and inadequate extension services were also reported to contribute to the decline in agricultural productivity and re-occurrence of food insecurity. In response, communities have developed multiple adaptation strategies, including growing of drought tolerant and early maturing crop varieties, increasing wetlands cultivation, water harvesting for small-scale irrigation and livestock keeping. However, households with limited livelihood assets are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and food insecurity. The study argues that diversification of adaptive strategies, such as water harvesting for small-scale irrigation, integration of livestock and crop production are crucial to ensuring sustainable livelihood in a changing climate.

Factors Influencing Household Food Security Status

Poor nutrition can lead to reduced immunity, impaired physical and mental development and reduced productivity. The objectives of this study were to determine the Influencing factors on the household food insecurity status. This cross-sectional study conducted on 2500 households selected from Qaresoo region in the northwest of Iran. Household food security status measured by a validated short questionnaire including six questions and other required data (influencing factors) obtained alongside the validated questionnaire. Chisquare and logistic regression used for data analysis using SPSS software. Forty Percent of households suffered from low food insecurity and twenty percent had experienced very low food insecurity. Severity of household food insecurity increased with increasing distance from the city (Exp (B) = 1.05, 95% C.I = 1.03-1.07). It decreased with increasing centers that provides food (Exp (B) = 0.97, 95% C.I = 0.97-0.98) Residential infrastructure (Exp (B) = 0.99, 95% C.I = 0.98-0.99) Family size (Exp (B) = 0.92, 95% C.I = 0.87-0.98) and the presence of both parents in comparison the presence of single parent at home (Exp (B) = 0.46, 95% C.I = 0.32-0.66). Spearman correlation test also showed that mean per capita income had a significant inverse correlation with household food insecurity status. (Correlation coefficient = –0.3, P < 0.05). Socioeconomic factors were affecting the household food insecurity status. More studies seem to be essential in order to provide practical solutions to reduce the severity of food insecurity.

Food and Nutritional Insecurity before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Households of Women Belonging to a Social Program

Introduction: According to the National Health and Nutrition Survey, the Mexican households in 2018 had food insecurity at 55.5% while in 2012 it was 70%. Food insecurity is a global health problem and now with the COVID-19 pandemic, it has increased. Objective: To compare the levels of food and nutritional insecurity in women’s households from two Social Impulse Centers of the Secretary for Human Social Development (SEDESHU) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A comparative and cross-sectional study was carried out in 41 women participating in a nutritional intervention program in two social promotion centers. Food security was measured with the Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale (ELCSA), comparing it in a period from January to April 2020: before and during the health contingency. Socio-economic and demographic variables were also measured, as well as access to water during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Food insecurity levels during the COVID-19 contingency were found to have increased by more than 60% (from 31.7% to 93%);the main risk factors associated with unemployment and access to healthy food. The COVID-19 contingency reflects impacts on households, but because women participated in the nutritional intervention program, it could influence by observing that, at least, the use of food was adequate since apparently food waste was minimal. Conclusions: The implementation of an educational nutrition program can be a strategy in the face of contingencies or extraordinary situations. In this way, the negative impact could be less in the population that does not have any type of food education.

Process of becoming a mother in women receiving donated egg: Based on the grounded theory

Objective:To elucidate theoretically the safety and identity of mothers receiving egg and the process of becoming a mother.Methods:This study was conducted during 7 months from July 2018 to January 2019 by using a grounded theory approach.Infertile women at the gestational age who received oocyte were selected with purposive sampling method and then entered the study using theoretical sampling.Mothers who had not decided definitely to participate and had not started the treatment course yet were excluded from the study.The participating mothers were 28-44 years old with a mean age of(37.00±2.49)years.A total of 30 interviews were performed.Data were collected by unstructured deep interviews and field notes.The interview duration ranged between 19 to 74 min with a mean time of 40 min and they were performed individually.Results:Data analysis showed that"feeling of insecurity in personal and familial identity"formed in the context of"exposure to socio-cultural constraints"was the main problem of mothers receiving donated oocyte.This led to a set of coping strategies as"gradual acceptance","attempts to maintain the marital life","sensitivity in selecting donor","sensitivity in fetal care","seeking information and consultation","challenging the internal restlessness",and"treatment follow-up",all indicating the concept of"protection of personal and familial identity"as the core variable.Conclusions:The challenge faced by Iranian mothers receiving donated oocyte in the constrained sociocultural context forms a multilateral and all-inclusive insecurity.

Food insecurity and other possible factors contributing to low birth weight: A case control study in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Objective: To determine the association between low birth weight and household food insecurity at government hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Methods: A case control study was carried out on 468 mothers with term neonates from February 1, 2017 to May 15, 2017. The cases were women who gave term babies weighing less than 2500 g and the controls were those having 2500 g or above. In the included hospitals, choices of cases were done as the cases found and the next three eligible newborns in the maternity room were the controls. Data were collected by using pretested and structured questionnaire. Standard beam balance was used to measure the neonatal weight by trained midwifery. The data were entered into a computer using Epi-Data 3.1 and exported to Stata version 14 for data management and analysis. Results: Mothers having food insecurity [adjusted odd ratio (AOR) 3.58;95% confidence interval (CI) (1.79-7.16)], mid-upper arm circumference [AOR 7.70;95% CI (4.39-13.60)], hypertension [AOR 4.81;95% CI (2.33-9.93)], and early age [AOR 3.88;95% CI (1.35-11.15)] showed statistically significant association with low birth weight. Conclusions: Household food insecurity, hypertension, mid-upper arm circumference and early age in women were significant predictors of low birth weight. The provision of adequate nutrient for pregnant mothers having household food insecurity should be assured in order to prevent adverse birth weight outcomes.

Lipid and Diabetic Profiles of School Teachers in Afghanistan Facing Food Insecurity and Their Association with Knowledge Relating to Healthy Lifestyle

Objectives: To investigate lipid and diabetic profiles of school teachers in Kabul, Afghanistan, who face food insecurity, and examine the association of those with the teachers’ knowledge of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Methods: A survey to examine biochemical indicators of NCDs (triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), blood pressure, height, weight, waist circumference), food insecurity, lifestyle and knowledge of NCDs was conducted among 600 school teachers. Analyses were made of biochemical indicators of NCDs, blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, obesity, and subject’s lifestyle in relation to food security and the subject’s knowledge of NCDs. Results: Thirty-nine percent of school teachers experienced food insecurity. The percentage of TC ≥ 200 mg/dL;HbA1c ≥ 5.5%;hypertension and metabolic syndrome were 20.2%, 29.7%, 32.2% and 33.7%, respectively. Food insecurity was associated with lower fruit and vegetable consumption and higher potato consumption. Food insecurity was associated with increased TC (AOR 2.03;95%CI: 1.23 - 3.34), decreased HDL (AOR 1.70;95%CI: 1.12 - 2.58), increased HbA1c (AOR 1.73;95%CI: 1.14 - 2.64), hypertension (AOR 1.68;95%CI: 1.01 - 2.80) and diagnosis of metabolic syndrome (AOR 1.78;95%CI: 1.18 - 2.68), after adjustment by demographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle variables. Among people living under condition of food insecurity, greater NCD knowledge was associated with smaller prevalence of TG ≥ 150 mg/dL, HDL Conclusions: Under conditions of food insecurity, diets have less variety and individuals are more likely to exhibit biomedical risk factors of NCDs. Even under conditions of food insecurity, people with knowledge of NCDs may have better coping strategies for their choice of lifestyles and exhibited a lower percentage of risk factors of NCDs.

Food Insecurity and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents Aged 12–15 Years from Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Purpose:Little is known about the role of food insecurity(FIS)on depressive symptoms among adolescents.Thus,this study aimed to explore the association between FIS and depressive symptoms among adolescents aged 12–15 years from low-and middle-income countries across the world.Methods:Data from the Global school-based Student Health Survey were analyzed in 51,702 adolescents[mean(SD)age 13.8(1.0)years;49.3% girls].Self-reported measures assessed depressive symptoms during the past 12 months,and food insecurity.Partici-pants reporting yes for depressive symptoms.FIS was categorized intofive levels,including‘never’,‘rarely’,‘some-times’,‘most of the time’and‘always’.Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed,and a country-wise meta-analysis was undertaken to compare country difference in the associations between FIS and depressive symptoms.Results:The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 30.0%,respectively.Compared with those reporting never for FIS,adolescents with increased severity of FIS were more likely to report depressive symptoms regardless of gender.Country-wise meta-analysis demonstrated that having FIS versus not having FIS was asso-ciated with 60%greater odds for depressive symptoms(OR=1.60;95%CI:1.52–1.69)but with a moderate between-country heterogeneity(I^(2)=12.7%).Conclusion:The current study indicates that alleviating FIS may be an effective prevention against depressive symptoms among adolescents from LMICs.Future studies should adopt improved study design to confirm or negate our researchfindings,which informs more efficient public mental health interventions.

A Systematic Review of the Literature on the Relationships between Chronic Diseases and Food Insecurity

Background: The association between food insecurity (FI) and obesity is now so well documented that scholars have dubbed it the “‘new’ food insecurity” and cited it as a leading cause of increased chronic disease (CD) risk. Here, the chain of causality is assumed to be FI → obesity → CD. However, this model overlooks the possible direct associations between FI and CD independent of obesity. Aim: This study assessed the literature on relationships between FI and CD. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review of electronic databases. Selection criteria were designed to elicit studies that assessed FI and CD using a measure of CD other than obesity. Results: Fifty-one articles met the inclusion criteria. Forty-five studies (87%) reported a statistically significant association between FI and CD, but only 15 adjusted for obesity. The association was less consistent for asthma and dyslipidemia than for diabetes, hypertension, and other dietrelated CDs, and most were conducted in the USA or Canada. Conclusion: There is a body of literature documenting relationships between FI and CD, but it is heavily biased toward Western nations, ecological study designs, and type 2 diabetes as the CD of focus. A small subset of the literature controls for BMI, demonstrating that a portion of the FI-CD relationship cannot be fully explained by obesity. Possible direct pathways linking FI and CD include systematic effects of poverty that accompanies FI, micronutrient deficiencies, and environmental exposure to toxins;however, exploration of these alternative pathways is limited by study designs that fail to include obesity as a control variable.

Measures for Mitigating the Effects of Climate Change on Crop Production in Nigeria

This paper examined the causes, effects and measures for mitigating climate change to ensure adequate supply of food through crop production to address the food insecurity which has occupied a central focus of the Nigerian economy. Unfortunately, crop production is fraught with many ecological challenges including climate change. This climate change which occurs as a result of the buildup of Green House Gases (GHGs) occasioned by industrialization, technological modeling and agriculture, exert significant effects on crop yield, water availability, ecosystem disequilibrium resulting in cases of drought, flood earthquake among others. For crop production to be scaled-up to meet the food requirement of the ever growing Nigerian population amidst these challenges, there is need to mitigate these adverse effects of climate change through the adoption of sustainable land management practices that can reduce the atmospheric stock of GHGs such as zero-tillage, appropriate use of fertilizers, avoidance of bush burning, graze land management, improved water management among others. Achieving great success in these areas requires that Nigerian government should be more proactive in their policies that hold promise for sustainable cultures in agricultural production as well as evolving global partnerships on ecological issues.