Charles, I., Salinger, A., Sweeney, R., et al, 2023, The Journal of Nutrition

Read: Joint food and water insecurity had a multiplicative effect on women’s depression in urban informal settlements in Makassar, Indonesia

Summary

As primary caregivers, women tend to be most affected when household resources are limited. They are more likely to make sacrifices like skipping meals to alleviate financial stress for their families. Global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic can exacerbate such gender disparities, particularly in resource-limited environments such as urban informal settlements.

In our investigation amid the pandemic, RISE researchers uncovered profound insights into the intersection of food and water insecurity as they relate to women's mental health. Interestingly, while each insecurity independently affected the likelihood of depressive symptoms, the convergence of both wielded a multiplicative effect — where the factors interacted in a way that their combined impact was greater than the sum of their individual effects — notably amplifying women's experiences of depression.

This revelation underscores the need for a unified approach to address food and water  insecurities. Traditionally public health and development interventions have treated food and water insecurity outcomes in silo. Our study illuminates the inter-relationship with these resource insecurities and highlights the need for holistic strategies to combat these challenges in informal settlements, especially during crises like the pandemic.

Further, there is a strong body of evidence demonstrating that women face a disproportionate burden of food and water insecurity globally; this study not only adds to that body of research, but underlines the importance of nuance when designing gender-sensitive initiatives. Within the framework of initiatives like RISE, which focus on addressing various community challenges, considering the causal and often gendered pathways of these challenges in research and program design is crucial to maximize impact.

Recognizing how water initiatives might shape the food environment, and vice versa, alongside how women uniquely interact with these environments, can support improved health outcomes for women, forming a crucial facet often disregarded in current practice and projects.

The implications extend beyond this study, inviting further exploration in diverse settings spanning other urban informal settlements globally, and non-urban contexts as well.

Researchers can delve deeper into these relationships, broadening the scope for better understanding of resource insecurities and their impact on wellbeing.

Practitioners can also benefit by incorporating insights from our findings into their work addressing food and water insecurities. Adapting these considerations into practical interventions holds promise for more effective and nuanced strategies, catering to the complex needs of vulnerable communities worldwide.