Community and Public Health Nutrition Food Insecurity Study Assignment Sample

Introduction: Food Insecurity Strategies for Homeless Men in Australia

Public health nutrition is concerned with enhancing nutrition in people in both industrialised and poor countries, connecting with the society's nutrition and other complementary disciplines. This helps in increasing the knowledge and improving the skills regarding nutrition, which helps in minimising the costs of medical care and also enhances the quality of life. This report will be based on the Matthew Talbot hostel, which provides services and accommodation to people who face nutritional problems. It is one of the well-known support service providers for men who are homeless. This hostel was incorporated in 1938 in central Sydney, Australia (Australian Catholic University, 2024). In the current times, people are facing several nutritional problems that directly affect their health & well-being. In addition to this, the key purpose of the report is to understand the nutrition problems and needs of a specific population group. For enhancing the health and growth as well as development of the people, it is crucial to take action to solve the nutritional problems.

Along with this, in the context of demographics, Matthew Talbot hostel provides specialised support and accommodation to men who are aged more than 21. This hostel provides services to men who are facing the risk of homelessness. Additionally, the chosen hostel is providing accommodations to the men with nutritious meals, basic medical, clothing, showers, educational, recreational and spiritual needs as well as admittance to specialised health care, legal, housing and case management supports. Age is considered one of the significant factors that directly affects the nutritional status of people. Additionally, iron deficiency, depression, reduced appetite, and food insecurity is the significant nutritional problems that are faced by the majority of people, especially me, and they directly affect the development and growth of health.

On the other hand, food insecurity is considered one of the major nutrition problems that is faced by people, specifically men. Generally, the food insecurity problem is faced the people who are homeless, and this directly affects their health & well-being. Lack of access to affordable nutrition and food insecurity can increase the risk of some malnutrition forms such as micronutrient deficiencies, stunting in children and obesity in children (Kent et al, 2020). This nutrition problem is concerned with increased risk for various chronic health circumstances such as heart diseases, diabetes, mental health disorders and other chronic diseases.

Apart from this, food insecurity and poor mental health have direct as well as strong relationships. This nutritional problem directly affects the mental health of the target group, and they are experiencing anxiety disorders, suicidal thoughts and mood disorders. On the other hand, there is are wide range of causes from which the men of Australia are facing the nutritional problem, i.e. food insecurity, and they are likely to leave the hostel to fulfil their needs as well as requirements (Yii, Palermo and Kleve, 2020).

Unemployment, poverty and low wages are considered the significant causes that the men of Australia are facing the issue of food insecurity. Then, they are likely to live in a hostel to improve their health and well-being. The chosen nutritional problem has various behavioural, environmental and social causes that directly affect the health & well-being of men. Climate change and water shortage are the major environmental causes of increasing the issue of food insecurity that influences the lifestyle and health of the targeted problem (Seivwright, Callis and Flatau, 2020). On the other hand, conflict and politics are the major social causes of food insecurity, which is crucial for Matthew Talbot Hostel to address to improve the nutrition issue for the specific target group. Thus, 23% respondents reported that they experienced severe food insecurity in 2023 (Statista Research Department, 2024).

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

For resolving the chosen nutritional problem, it is important to adopt various strategies and solutions in order to minimise the negative influence on the target group. In Australia, it is considered one of the biggest problems that directly affects the health and safety of the people, especially men who are more than 21. To address food security, the chosen hostel will need to build the capacity of the community in order to manufacture, produce and consume food in an equitable and sustainable way. This strategy can include supporting the system of local food, such as community gardens, urban farms and food co-operatives, as well as farmers' markets. For redressing the nutritional problem of food insecurity, Matthew Talbot Hostel will need to focus on enabling participation of the community and engagement initiatives related to foods such as food justice coalition, policy councils and rescue programs.

In addition to this, reducing unnecessary food waste is another solution that will be crucial for the adoption to solve the nutritional problem to which the targeted population of Australia is affected (Whatnall, Hutchesson and Patterson, 2020). For the reduction of food waste, the organisations and community of Australia will need to emphasise on integration of innovation in food storage, food production and consumption that helps in lessening pressure on systems of food systems and eliminating needless spoiling & wastage. On the other hand, another strategy is increasing education and knowledge sharing regarding food insecurity in order to solve the nutritional problem. To solve the nutritional problem, it will be crucial for the chosen hostel to provide sufficient education regarding the food problems that directly affect the health and well-being of men. Along with this, to address the nutritional problem of food insecurity in Australia, the community will need to emphasise diversifying protein sources. Proteins are essential for growth and development, which are found in foods that directly affect people. Innovation will help in determining affordable alternatives for food production in an effective way.

Apart from this, in Australia, the majority of men are facing the issue of food insecurity compared to women, so the Australian government is also focusing on emergency food relief initiatives. In this initiative, the community engagement companies are funded to make sure the items of food are accessible for emergency relief providers who are competent to deliver to people and families at the time of need (Kent et al, 2022). To solve the issue of food insecurity, Matthews Talbot Hostel needs to implement the National Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991. This is one of the significant existing programs of Australia that is implemented by the community organisation in order to overcome the chosen nutrition problem that men are facing the issue. Adoption of this program is beneficial for the community engagement company because it helps in protecting the safety and health of people, assists Australians to make potential choices about the food they eat (Carrillo-Álvarez et al, 2021).

Additionally, the government of Australia also launched a national preventive health strategy for improving the health of the homeless men who suffer from food insecurity because of malnutrition. This approach is also adopted by Matthews Talboat hostel in order to protect the health of men by offering nutrition and food security for all Australians with a commitment to equitable action. The key aim of this strategy is to offer more balance to the system of health by improving the focus on prevention and developing the system-based change for more the 10 years. This strategy helps in enhancing the health and well-being of all Australians at all phases of life through approach of system-based in order to prevent and resolve the broader factors of health, minimise health inequities and decrease the burden of disease (Department of Health and Aged Care, 2021). This strategy offers the long term and overarching approach to the prevention of Australia by developing systematic modifications to ensure better results for all Australians by addressing the issue of food insecurity.

DISCUSSION

From the strategy portfolio (appendix 1) it has been discussed that the chosen strategies are effective in order to solve major determinants of the nutritional problem, i.e. food insecurity. The chosen strategies play an immersive role in enhancing social, behavioural and environmental elements that cause food insecurity for men who are aged more than 21. For enhancing the health of men who face the issue of food security, it is crucial for the Australian government and community engagement organisations to build the capacity of the community. To provide support to the men who are suffering from food insecurity, Matthews Talbot Hotel is also putting efforts to increase the competency of the community. In addition to this, strategy is effective to improve food insecurity because it helps in enlarging the knowledge, skills and behaviour of the individuals in the context of elimination of food wastage. Building the capability of the community is important for enhancing the health of people from food insecurity because it assists them in contributing and participating in the programs (Sherriff et al, 2022). This strategy involves a high level of community engagement and places emphasis towards sustainability in order to minimise the nutritional problem of food insecurity. For the evaluation of the effectiveness and appropriateness of this strategy, the community engagement companies use FSN analysis.

On the other hand, another strategy is reducing unnecessary food waste, which is effective for improving social, behavioural and environmental determinants that cause food insecurity for the target group. This strategy is effective for redressing food insecurity because the community engagement companies are focusing on implementing various approaches in their food system to reduce loss and waste. For the evaluation of the suitability of the strategy, the community engagement organisations are using the socio-ecological model. Apart from this, for solving the nutritional problem within Australia, where men are facing the risk of homelessness due to food insecurity, it is crucial to provide the knowledge and education to the people of the community (Zhang et al, 2021). This strategy is suitable and effective because it helps in increasing knowledge and improving skills of the people related to minimize waste of food. For addressing the chosen nutritional problem, it is crucial to have a high level of participation and contribution of the community’s people. For the evaluation of this strategy, the community engagement organisations are focusing on the adoption of the techno-ecological model.

Aside from this, another effective strategy is diversifying protein source that helps in reducing nutritional problems i.e. food insecurity, among men more than 21 years within Australia. This strategy is effective and appropriate because it assists in improving public health and accomplishing long-term food security. For the successful implementation of the strategy, it is crucial to have a high level of engagement and focus towards sustainability by offering natural and eco-friendly protein sources. For the effectiveness and suitability of the strategy to reduce nutritional problems, the government and companies are focusing towards the implementation of the conceptual model of food security. Another strategy is emergency food relief that was introduced by the Australian government in order to redress the nutritional problem, i.e. food insecurity and enhance environmental, behavioural and social factors that cause this issue (Apostolidis et al, 2021). Adoption of this strategy is beneficial for Matthews Talbot Hostel because it aids in redistributing food to them in order to support the people who are at risk of homelessness. It is significant to have a high level of community engagement to reduce the food insecurity within Australia. For the appropriateness of this strategy, the companies and government are focusing on the execution of the Neo Malthusian theory of food insecurity.

CONCLUSION

From the above report, it has been concluded that food insecurity is considered one of the common nutritional problems that is faced by people, especially men, who are more than 21 years age in Australia. Generally, this issue is faced by men who are homeless or having risk of homelessness. To support these types of people, Mathew Talbot Hotel is providing nutritious meals, basic medical, clothing, spiritual needs, educational, etc. The government and community engagement organisation are looking towards various solutions and strategies, such as building the community’s capacity, reducing unnecessary food waste, increasing education and knowledge sharing related to food insecurity, diversifying protein sources and emergency relief initiatives. These strategies are all effective in order to enhance social, behavioural and environmental determinants that cause food insecurity. Apart from this, to reduce this nutritional problem, the government and community engagement organisations adopt various nutritional programs such as the National Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991, the national preventive health strategy, etc. Adoption of these strategies is beneficial because it helps in enhancing the health and well-being of people who is affected by food insecurity.