Ecology of Food and Nutrition (EFN) promotes scholarly discussion and engagement on the holistic and cross-cultural dimensions of food and nutrition. Articles published in this journal focus on foods and food systems in terms of their utilization to satisfy human nutritional needs and improve health and well-being. The journal also publishes articles that examine how ecological, social, and cultural factors relate to food, food cultures, and nutrition. Only a handful of journals publish articles that explicitly address the intersections of food and nutrition, biology and culture, and policy and practice from a holistic and global perspective. It is this kind of scholarship that EFN seeks to promote. This issue of EFN includes ten articles representing studies conducted in Ethiopia, India, South Africa, Turkey, USA, and Tanzania. The articles included in this issue focus on a range of issues, including food insecurity, child nutrition, cultural factors associated with dietary preference, fasting during pregnancy, and the dietary and health impact of isolation due to COVID-19.
The article by Wright et al. presents the results of an exploratory study examining the impact of food insecurity on cultural identity and well-being in second-generation American and international university students. Based on thirty-one semi-structured interviews with university students, the authors report a close relationship betweenfoodways and cultural identity in a university setting. The authors also discuss how the availability of cultural/ethnic food influences identity in second-generation American and international college students.
Ozdena and Kilic present the results of a descriptive study examining the effect of social isolation during the COVID-19 on nutrition and exercise among nursing students in Turkey. The authors collected data on 671 nursing students using the Questionnaire of Descriptive Characteristics and the Nutrition Exercise Behavior Scale. The authors report that the isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic results in students engaging in negative eating behaviors and not exercising on a regular basis.
The article by Iradukunda and Poudel-Tandukar presents the results of an exploratory study of perceptions of a healthy diet and the sources of dietary information in Sub-Saharan African pregnant women living in the U.S. The authors used innovative qualitative data collection strategies, including photo-food diaries, to comprehend women’s understanding of dietary information and recommendation. The authors reinforce the importance of incorporating culture-specific information into dietary recommendations to pregnant women.
Walch and Holland report the results of a study examining sociodemographic factors associated with food insecurity and obesity among food pantry clients in Alaska. This article is based on data collected using on-site surveys with 148 food pantry clients (45 years Or older). Based on the results of their study the authors recommend that, in addition to providing emergency food assistance, such programs should also address the underlying causes of food insecurity and obesity.
The article by Goosen and Blaauw focuses on iron nutrition in schoolchildren in Cape Town, South Africa. The authors used an iron quantified food frequency questionnaire (QFFQ) to obtain dietary intake information on iron nutrition in 8 to 13 years old children from resource-limited settings. This was followed up by interviews with students. The authors provide a detailed description of the QFFQ development process and how data collection processes can be implemented to optimize participant motivation, engagement, and active participation.
The article by Daniel and colleagues presents the results of a qualitative study of the dietary and health outcomes associated with opening a new grocery store in a low-income community in Baltimore, Maryland. In particular, the article focuses on the reasons for the low usage of the grocery store by community members and store staff. The authors identify several reasons including high prices of store commodities and limited variety of products for this outcome.
The article by Stotz et al. presents the result of a study examining the recommendations of multiple stakeholders to improve the cultural adaptation of evidence-based nutrition and physical activity education curriculum for Spanish-speaking adults. The authors collected data using focus groups and telephone interviews with diverse stakeholders. Based on the results of their study, the authors make strong recommendations for developing culturally relevant health promotion and preventive nutrition and physical activity education through the USDA SNAP-Ed program.
Tadesse and colleagues present the results of a study examining the recovery time and its determinants among children (6–59 months) recovering from severe acute malnutrition in northeast Ethiopia. The authors collected data using a retrospective cohort study model including 501 patient charts of children with severe acute malnutrition. Although the average recovery time was within the internationally recognized standards, the authors report that the average recovering time was significantly longer in children (6–23 months old) with severe wasting.
The article by Bonatti and colleagues presents the results of an extensive community-based study aimed at examining food insecurity and malnutrition in rural communities in Tanzania. The authors report that problems associated with community perceptions and local knowledge regarding food play a major role in the persistence of food insecurity in rural communities.
Finally, the article by Placek and colleagues focuses on developing a biocultural framework to examine fasting during pregnancy in India. The authors used in-depth interviews conducted with Muslim women residing in Mysore, India to understand their experience and knowledge of fasting during Ramadan. The authors report that women’s reasons for fasting during pregnancy are culturally contextualized and do not conform to evolutionary theories of pregnancy diet.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.