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Table 2 Prevalence of household food insecurity, demographic, and socioeconomic characteristics, September 2012 and May 2013, Iqaluit, Canada

From: Food insecurity and food consumption by season in households with children in an Arctic city: a cross-sectional study

Characteristics Households with children Households without children Presence of children
All September 2012 May 2013 P value* All September 2012 May 2013 P value* P value†
Sample   
 Total participating households (n) 488 231 257   497 259 238   
 Food security questionnaire, completed (n) 431 203 228   468 243 225   
Food insecurity statusa     0.52     0.76 0.001
 Food insecureb          
  % 32.9 34.5 31.6   23.3 23.9 22.7   
  95% CI 28.5, 37.4 27.9, 41.1 25.5, 37.6   19.4, 27.1 18.5, 29.3 17.2, 28.2   
Demographic characteristics   
 Agec     0.93     0.68 <0.001
  18–40 years old          
   % 65.5 64.8 66.1   41.1 41.6 40.4   
   95% CI 61.3, 69.7 58.6, 71.0 60.3, 72.0   36.7, 45.4 35.6, 47.7 34.1, 46.7   
  41–54 years old          
   % 27.9 28.3 27.6   30.5 28.8 32.3   
   95% CI 23.9, 31.9 22.4, 34.1 22.1, 33.1   26.4, 35.6 23.2, 34.4 26.3, 38.3   
  55 years old and over          
   % 6.6 7.0 6.2   28.5 29.6 27.2   
   95% CI 4.4, 8.8 3.7, 10.3 3.3, 9.2   24.5, 32.5 24.0, 35.2 21.5, 33.0   
 Genderc     0.14     0.67 0.011
  Female          
   % 66.4 69.7 63.4   58.6 59.5 57.6   
   95% CI 62.2, 70.6 63.7, 75.7 57.5, 69.3   54.2, 62.9 53.5, 65.5 51.3, 63.9   
 Ethnic origind     0.22     0.27 <0.001
  Inuit          
   % 70.9 73.6 68.5   50.5 52.9 47.9   
   95% CI 66.9, 74.9 67.9, 79.3 62.8, 74.2   46.1, 54.9 46.8, 59.0 41.5, 54.3   
Socioeconomic characteristics   
 Formal education: Incomplete secondary schoole   0.006     0.79 0.009
  % 42.4 48.9 36.6   34.3 33.7 34.9   
  95% CI 38.0, 46.8 42.4, 55.4 30.7, 42.5   30.1, 38.5 27.9, 39.5 28.8, 41.0   
 Employment status: Employedf    0.36     0.36 0.84
  % 57.2 55.0 59.1   56.6 58.5 54.4   
  95% CI 52.8, 61.6 48.5, 61.5 53.1, 65.2   52.2, 60.9 52.5, 64.6 48.1, 60.8   
 Income supportg     0.29     0.83 0.70
  % 23.8 26.0 21.9   22.8 23.2 22.4   
  95% CI 20.0, 27.6 20.3, 31.7 16.8, 27.0   19.1, 26.5 18.0, 28.3 17.0, 27.7   
 Home in need of major repairsh    0.90     0.001 0.65
  % 11.4 11.6 11.2   12.4 17.3 7.2   
  95% CI 8.5, 14.3 7.4, 15.8 7.3, 15.2   9.4, 15.3 12.6, 22.0 3.9, 10.5   
 Household crowdingi     0.99     0.54 <0.001
  % 17.6 17.6 17.6   2.5 3.0 2.1   
  95% CI 14.1, 21.1 12.4, 22.8 12.9, 22.3   1.1, 4.0 0.8, 5.2 0.3, 3.9   
 Retail food expensesj: Over $451 in past week   0.06     0.64 <0.001
  % 32.4 36.6 28.6   12.4 13.1 11.7   
  95% CI 28.2, 36.6 30.3, 42.9 23.0, 34.2   9.5, 15.4 8.9, 17.3 7.5, 15.9   
 Local food expensesk: Over $451 in past week   0.17     0.17 0.003
  % 8.3 6.7 10.8   3.1 2.1 4.9   
  95% CI 5.4, 11.2 3.3, 10.1 5.6, 16.0   1.3, 4.9 0.3, 4.0 1.0, 8.7   
 Other household expensesl: Over $1401 in past month   0.31     0.08 <0.001
  % 57.7 55.2 60.0   40.4 36.6 44.8   
  95% CI 53.1, 62.4 48.5, 62.0 53.6, 66.4   35.9, 45.0 30.4, 42.7 38.1, 51.5   
  1. *P value determined using χ2, H0: Prevalence of characteristic is the same in September 2012 and May 2013
  2. † P value determined using χ2, H0: Prevalence of characteristic is the same in households with and without children
  3. aFood secure includes high food security and marginal food security
  4. bFood insecure includes low food security and very low food security
  5. cAge and gender of the person responsible for food preparation
  6. dEthnic origin of the household was assumed to be the same as of the person responsible for food preparation
  7. eFormal education of the person responsible for food preparation
  8. fEmployment status of the person responsible for food preparation. Includes part-time and full-time employment
  9. gIncludes income support received by any household member
  10. h “Does your home have a problem with mold or is it in need of major repairs (for example: a new roof, plumbing repairs, structural repairs)?” was asked to the household respondent
  11. iCrowding is defined as “more than one person per room in the dwelling” [74]
  12. j‘Retail food expenses’ include household spending in an average week for food bought from the retail store
  13. k‘Local food expenses’ include household spending in an average week for obtaining or buying local food (e.g. gas, ammunition, supplies, equipment and/or local food)
  14. l‘Other household expenses’ include household spending in the last month for rent, mortgage, electricity, heating fuel, gas, water and sewage, garbage, skidoo parts and oil, bullets, naphtha, and material
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