Epidemiol Health.  2024;46(1):e2024045. 10.4178/epih.e2024045.

Changes in food sufficiency among Korean adults in urban and rural areas during the COVID-19 pandemic: an analysis of the 7th and 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

• Jeong S
• Jeong JY
• Park S

• KMID: 2558816
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2024045

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Understanding changes in food sufficiency within various demographic groups during emergency situations, such as the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, is crucial in formulating public health policies for future preparedness. This study investigated potential differences between urban and rural residents in food sufficiency trends during the COVID-19 pandemic and examined how these changes varied according to socio-demographic factors.
METHODS
This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 19,724 adults aged 20 years and older, utilizing information from the 7th-8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2018-2021).
RESULTS
In urban areas, across all subpopulations, food sufficiency improved significantly during the COVID-19 period relative to pre-pandemic levels (p<0.001). However, in rural regions, a significant increase in food sufficiency during the COVID-19 era was observed only among female, with an odds ratio of 1.42 (95% confidence interval, 1.06 to 1.89). Nevertheless, no significant interaction terms were found between region and various socio-demographic factors regarding changes in food sufficiency during the COVID-19 period.
CONCLUSIONS
During the COVID-19 pandemic, food sufficiency among urban residents improved compared to the pre-pandemic era, whereas their rural counterparts saw no such improvement. Additionally, no significant interaction was detected between urban versus rural areas and changes in food sufficiency during the COVID-19 period. These findings indicate the need for targeted food policies to prepare for potential future pandemics, particularly in rural areas, where food sufficiency did not improve.

Keyword

COVID-19; Pandemics; Food security; Urban health; Rural health