Food insecurity – the inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints – is increasingly recognized as a serious public health problem. Since 2005, household food insecurity has been systematically monitored in Canada through the Canadian Community Health Survey run by Statistics Canada.
The growing use of these data by public health, community agencies, research centres, and social policy groups has been critical in building awareness and understanding of the problem of food insecurity. However, inconsistencies and inaccuracies in the reporting of data on food insecurity mask the scale and severity of this problem.
The accurate and effective use of Canada’s monitoring data hinges on a clear understanding of what exactly is being measured on the Canadian Community Health Survey, what it means, and how to interpret the food insecurity statistics available on Statistics Canada’s website (CANSIM).
Anyone interested in using food insecurity statistics or learning about how food insecurity is monitored in Canada is encouraged to join.
This webinar is hosted by the Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance of Canada.