Initiatives and exposures associated with food security in remote and isolated communities: a scoping review

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic household food insecurity (HFI) and lack of review. The most common types of initiatives evaluated included food availability and accessibility in isolated communities are school-based programs, market subsidies, and education longstanding public health crises. This review aims to paint a more initiatives, though a small number (<5) of other programs were fulsome picture of food security initiatives in remote and isolated evaluated, including traditional food programs and greenhouses. communities by examining programs across circumpolar countries, Though multiple programs resulted in lower food costs or Australia, and Aotearoa New Zealand. This synthesis of research increases in healthy food consumption in remote regions, the cost will contribute to an understanding of what types of initiatives of a healthy diet in these areas remained high, as do levels of HFI. exist and aid in the identification of best practices. Factors associated with improved food security outcomes included Methods: The authors conducted a scoping review identifying higher income level, access to adequate housing, higher education articles that include either (1) an evaluation of an initiative with a level, access to transportation for harvesting, and the level of quantitative food security outcome in remote and isolated remoteness of a community. The studies included in this review communities, or (2) quantitative associations between exposure also stressed the importance of access to and affordability of factors with food security outcomes. Inclusion criteria included harvesting traditional foods in these regions. English and French articles focused on remote and isolated Conclusion: Those living in remote and isolated communities are communities in Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, particularly vulnerable to food insecurity and lack of access and Norway, Finland, Greenland, and Russia from January 1997 to July availability of healthy foods, which are compounded by a variety of 2022. socioeconomic factors. This study highlights the lack of Results: The article search yielded 1882 results, of which 96 quantitative evaluations of food security initiatives in remote and fulfilled the inclusion criteria, including 26 studies evaluating isolated communities, as well as the wide variety in measured initiatives, 66 studies evaluating exposure factors, and four studies outcomes. Authors of several of the included articles note that that included both initiatives and exposure factors. The majority of community-led initiatives, with strong partnerships and local the studies included in this review were conducted in Canada and champions, were recommended in these populations, given the Australia. No initiative studies conducted in Russia, Greenland, culturally and geographically diverse groups living in remote and Norway, Finland, or Sweden fulfilled the criteria for inclusion in this isolated areas.