Reflection on the interactions between social determinants of food insecurity and health problems in an urban context

Abstract

The interdependence between social conditions and health conditions are established and the reduction of poverty and promotion of food security are fundamental on the road to better health of populations. Strengthening food security was recognised as one of the cornerstones in the perspective of the social determinants of health. Food insecurity is a daily reality for hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Despite its more often obvious extreme signs, it is more difficult to identify other signs that are revealed in families that face constraints on access to food. In urban areas, food insecurity is related to income, but also to access to food, with the possibility of these situations in urban areas generating another cause of poverty increasing related health problems. In this brief review we seek to reflect on the challenges in terms of social determinants of food security and their interactions with health problems in rapid urbanization contexts, focusing on the African context.