OBJECTIVE:Refugees are susceptible to food insecurity. In high-income countries (HIC), settlement workers (SW) provide information, including food security information resources, to newly arrived refugees. Australia has a range of resources, but their use in settlement work is unknown. This study's aims were to explore SW's resource use with refugee clients. DESIGN:This descriptive, qualitative study explored SW's perceptions regarding resource use. One-on-one interviews, using a semi-structured guide, were conducted. The Technology Acceptance Model's usage constructs (including Actual Use and Perceived Usefulness) informed the guide and analytical constructs. Under these constructs, emergent usage themes were identified. SETTING:Six Australian cities. PARTICIPANTS:Settlement workers. RESULTS:Fourteen workers were interviewed. Thirteen worked for government-related departments. Most used resources as part of client welcome packs to address acute food insecurity and/or support clinical deficiency issues. Print, pictorial, translated and co-designed resources were perceived to be most useful. Less useful were resources with limited cultural tailoring, translation issues and high literacy demand. There was limited use of digital resources due to variations in clients' digital access and literacy. Opportunities for improvement include streamlining access, addressing topics such as clinical deficiencies related to food insecurity and increasing culturally nuanced translation. CONCLUSIONS:Development of culturally appropriate resources, facilitating resource access and improved food culture information may help SW better support refugee populations with food security challenges during resettlement in HIC.

Background: Food insecurity is an important but under-recognised issue in cancer patients. It is linked to malnutrition and contributes to inequities in care. As there is minimal national population data available, this study aimed to assess the food security status of people receiving treatment for cancer in the state of Victoria, Australia. Methods: A multi-site point prevalence study was conducted in Victorian acute health services in July 2024. Adults receiving ambulatory treatment and multi-day stay inpatients were included. Patients were screened and assessed for malnutrition (using the Malnutrition Screening Tool and Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition criteria) and assessed for their food security status (using the Household Food Security Survey Module for Adults). Results: A total of 24 health services recruited 2121 adults with cancer. Overall, 6.9% experienced food insecurity, with the majority (52.4%) experiencing marginal food insecurity. No differences in food security status were observed between admitted and ambulatory patients, nor between metropolitan and regional/rural locations. Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) patients recorded higher rates of food insecurity compared to non-CALD patients (10.4% vs. 6.0%; p = 0.001). Patients who were food insecure had a higher prevalence of malnutrition compared to food secure patients (37.4% vs. 27.5%; p = 0.014). Conclusions: Although the prevalence of food security was low overall among patients with cancer, it was more pronounced in patients with malnutrition or from CALD backgrounds. To effectively address the issue of malnutrition in patients with cancer, food security must be considered as part of a multi-modal intervention.

INTRODUCTION:The assessment of secondary outcomes in childhood obesity RCTs is important to understand programmatic impacts and precursors to weight-related changes. STUDY DESIGN:RCT. Baseline and post-intervention (9 months, 86% retention) data were collected (2017-2019) and analyzed (2022) for 114 7-10-year-old participants in the New Ulm at HOME (NU-HOME) study, which aimed to prevent obesity in rural children. The NU-HOME intervention engaged whole families in 7 monthly in-person, interactive sessions promoting healthful home food environments (i.e., frequent family meals, home availability of fruits and vegetables (FV), high quality of foods served at meals), children's dietary intake (i.e., diet quality via HEI and FV and low SSB intake), and children's physical activity (PA; i.e., moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and reduced screen time). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Family home food environment; child dietary intake and PA outcomes. RESULTS:Compared to families in the wait-list control group, families in the intervention group showed significantly greater improvement in the availability of vegetables in the home (p < .05) and the quality of foods and beverages served at the evening meal (p < .05). Although not statistically significant (p = .07), children in the intervention group demonstrated a 1/3 cup increase in fruit consumption compared to children in the control group, a clinically meaningful outcome. No significant treatment group differences were seen for family meal frequency, home availability of fruit, intake of vegetables, SSB intake, or minutes of MVPA and screen time. CONCLUSIONS:Our findings of significant beneficial changes in the home availability of vegetables and the quality of food and beverages served at meals demonstrate the positive, albeit limited, impact of the NU-HOME program on the home food environment for rural children.

Community food hubs have potential to strengthen local food systems and promote food security, but evaluation methods have not been systematically reviewed. A scoping review was conducted to analyse methods used to evaluate community food hubs in high-income countries. Studies and reports published in English between January 2013 and December 2023 were sought in four databases. Food hubs with a physical market selling healthy local food, that had been evaluated empirically, were eligible for inclusion. A narrative synthesis was conducted, and descriptive statistics were used to summarise results. Outcomes and impacts assessed were classified under five categories: economic development and viability; ecological sustainability; access to and demand for healthy local food; personal and community wellbeing; agency and re-localisation of power. Sixteen studies/reports were included, evaluating 24 food hubs (USA n = 16; Australia n = 7; Canada n = 1). Food hubs were evaluated using cross-sectional study designs (n = 16, 67

'Building Healthy Public Policy' is one of the five strategic action areas in the 1986 Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, highlighting the role of governments in enabling equitable access to the basic prerequisites for health, including food and income. Yet, 40 years later, 2.6 billion people worldwide are unable to afford a healthy diet, and more than 1 in 8 households in Australia experience food insecurity. In this perspective piece, we draw on the latest data to: (i) discuss the ongoing discordance between the primary drivers of household food insecurity and Australia's predominant means of addressing the issue; (ii) examine trends in social welfare spending and food insecurity in other high-income countries; and (iii) discuss opportunities for reducing food insecurity in Australia by increasing social welfare spending. In Australia, emergency food relief plays a crucial role in alleviating hunger in the short term and should continue to receive support. However, Australia's over-reliance on emergency food relief demonstrates the failure of welfare policies in allocating resources equitably. In line with international commitments, Australia's National Food Security Strategy must be underpinned by the human right to food. Actions to reduce food prices by tackling industry concentration and market power must be combined with actions to increase household incomes (e.g. by increasing social welfare payments) to enable ongoing access to affordable healthy food for all.

OBJECTIVE:Examine young adults' use of social media for nutrition-related information (SMNI), and its association with diet quality, restrained eating, and explore potential mediators. METHODS:We conducted a cross-sectional survey of Australians (aged 22-29 years) in 2023. The predictor variable was SMNI, mediators were nutrition knowledge, confusion, backlash, and social comparison, and outcomes were diet quality and dietary restraint. Mediation analysis was conducted using path analysis. RESULTS:From 200 participants, 46.5% used SMNI, and this was positively associated with nutrition knowledge (β = 0.19, P = 0.005), which was positively associated with diet quality (β = 0.25, P < 0.001). The mediating pathway between SMNI and diet quality, via nutrition knowledge, had a positive indirect effect (0.05 [95% confidence interval, 0.01-0.09]). There was no association between SMNI and restrained eating. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS:Almost half the participants used SMNI, which was associated with diet quality and mediated by nutrition knowledge. Social media may be useful for nutrition promotion for young adults.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing social and economic inequities in most countries. Various measures to contain the virus were implemented globally. A public health measure that received worldwide attention was the ‘hard lockdown’ of nine public housing towers in July 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. Implemented without notice and heavy police presence. Such measures and food system disruptions contributed to increased food insecurity and injustice. This study aimed to explore the food-related experiences and food security status of people living in public housing in Melbourne during the pandemic. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with English-speaking adults living in public housing (n=10) in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. Participants were recruited from housing towers subjected to strict laws, including being unable to leave home for between five and 14 days. Inductive and deductive thematic analysis was conducted. Thematic analysis produced two main themes relevant to food security: (1) a lack of power and participation in the decisions that affected residents; and (2) agency reclaimed by residents. COVID-19 and associated public health measures disrupted all dimensions of food security impacting participants’ agency, access and availability of food. This was particularly evident for those who experienced the most restrictive public health measures. Understanding food-related experiences of people living in public housing in Melbourne supports effective strategic planning to respond to food insecurity for this population in emergency circumstances.

Background Food environments have substantial impacts on broader environmental sustainability. Studies have measured these impacts in public settings (education, health, recreation, retail) and private households. However, no comprehensive analysis of assessment tools that measure sustainability within these food environments exists. This scoping review aims to address this gap by identifying, analysing and summarising available tools, including outcomes measured and strengths/limitations of use. Methods A systematic search was conducted in April 2024 across six databases. From included studies (n=143), data were extracted and narratively synthesised to identify assessment tools, outcomes measured, methodological features and strengths/limitations of each tool. Results Most studies were conducted in high income countries (70%) and assessed food environments in education settings (40%) and households (23%). In total, 205 assessment tools were identified. These were categorised into three groups, most commonly, tools to investigate food waste mass (e.g., weighed measures) (47%); followed by tools to investigate broad environmental impacts (e.g., Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)) (29%); and tools to investigate sustainable food-related practices (e.g., audits) (24%). There was variability in the accuracy, validity, reliability, and scalability of tools identified. For instance, some tools for measuring food waste mass were validated and self-administered, whilst LCA methods were robust but required experienced researchers and current data. Conclusion This review provides a repository of 205 assessment tools that can be purposefully selected by practitioners, researchers and policymakers to enhance evidence-based actions towards sustainable food environments. Future research should consider practical and scalable tools that can be feasibly implemented across countries and settings.

Misinformation has been identified as a major threat to society and public health. Social media significantly contributes to the spread of misinformation and has a global reach. Health misinformation has a range of adverse outcomes, including influencing individuals' decisions (e.g. choosing not to vaccinate), and the erosion of trust in authoritative institutions. There are many interrelated causes of the misinformation problem, including the ability of non-experts to rapidly post information, the influence of bots and social media algorithms. Equally, the global nature of social media, limited commitment for action from social media giants, and rapid technological advancements hamper progress for improving information quality and accuracy in this setting. In short, it is a problem that requires a constellation of synergistic actions aimed at social media users, content creators, companies, and governments. A public health approach to social media-based misinformation that includes tertiary, secondary, and primary prevention may help address immediate impacts, long-term consequences, and root causes of misinformation. Tertiary prevention to 'treat' this problem involves increased monitoring, misinformation debunking, and warning labels on social media posts that are at a high risk of containing misinformation. Secondary prevention strategies include nudging interventions (e.g. prompts about preventing misinformation that appear when sharing content) and education to build media and information literacy. Finally, there is an urgent need for primary prevention, including systems-level changes to address key mechanisms of misinformation and international law to regulate the social media industry. Anything less means misinformation-and its societal consequences-will continue to spread.

Objective Refugees are highly susceptible to food insecurity during resettlement, a time when access to quality information is vital. This study’s objective was to analyze a national sample of food security information resources’ suitability, accuracy, and currency for refugee populations. Methods Resources were categorized and then analyzed using Suitability Assessment of Materials; Simple Measure of Gobbledygook; and currency, relevance, accuracy, authority, and purpose. Results Nearly 70% of resources were developed by government departments or agencies and topic range was limited across the 184 unique resources. Nearly all resources were suitable, accurate, and current. However, 96% were above the readability threshold recommended for refugee populations. Conclusions and Implications Resources rated well but were challenging to access in terms of readability. Extensive work is required to improve refugee food security resources using existing assets, in future resource development, and via further research.

Resettlement of people living as refugees in high-income countries is highly complex. Myriad interlocked issues challenge those resettling. Food insecurity is one such challenge. In Australia, settlement service providers are privy to the food security challenges faced by refugees. Using a subjective realism perspective this qualitative, descriptive study explored food security challenges being presented to providers by their refugee clients. Through one-on-one interviews with settlement service workers (n = 14), four of whom had lived experience as a refugee, four themes were identified: chronicle, cost of living, community, and culture. Chronicle, that is the pathway to resettlement, impacted food security by determining nutritional status on arrival, food security perceptions, and literacy levels. Cost of living challenges included the high cost of housing restricting food budgets, money being sent overseas, large households, and challenges regarding food budgeting in a new food culture. Community issues included housing located away from social capital and food-related amenities, such as public transport, and unfamiliar cooking and food environments. Culture determinants included cultural mores which impacted health and food literacy, restricted cultural food access, and food knowledge transmission increasing the risk of misinformation. Results indicate that providers perceive cost of living to be the most pervasive food security issue and culture may uniquely influence food security issues related to a persons' settlement chronicle and resettlement community. This unique coalescence of chronicle, culture, and community may inform the way different refugee cultures interact with the new food environment and influence the food security issues they face.

In Australia, poverty, hunger, and food insecurity are a reality for many households, but much of the research considers the adult population of households, rarely considering the specific experiences of households with dependent children. The limited research exploring the experiences of families means that the main response to food insecurity and hunger in Australia, emergency and community food assistance, may be insufficient to alleviate hunger and manage the cost of living pressures specifically for families with dependent children. The aim of this research is to investigate the lived experience of food insecurity for families (those with children aged under 18) who access emergency and community food assistance and to explore the ways that they manage their household food needs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted from June 2018 to January 2019 and included 24 parents with children under 18 who access food assistance in the state of Victoria, Australia. Results of this study indicate that families are relying on a range of formal and informal services to meet family food needs, with parents actively seeking to protect their children against the negative impacts of poverty, hunger, and food insecurity, often at their own expense. (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) ((sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) ((sic)18(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)2018(sic)6(sic)(sic)2019(sic)1(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)24(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)18(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) En Australia, la pobreza, el hambre y la inseguridad alimentaria son una realidad para muchos hogares, pero gran parte de la investigaci & oacute;n considera a la poblaci & oacute;n adulta de los hogares, y rara vez considera las experiencias espec & iacute;ficas de los hogares con ni & ntilde;os dependientes. La investigaci & oacute;n limitada que explora las experiencias de las familias significa que la principal respuesta a la inseguridad alimentaria y el hambre en Australia, la asistencia alimentaria de emergencia y comunitaria, puede ser insuficiente para aliviar el hambre y manejar las presiones del costo de vida espec & iacute;ficamente para las familias con ni & ntilde;os dependientes. El objetivo de esta investigaci & oacute;n es investigar la experiencia vivida de inseguridad alimentaria para las familias (aquellas con ni & ntilde;os menores de 18 a & ntilde;os), que acceden a la asistencia alimentaria de emergencia y comunitaria y explorar las formas en que gestionan sus necesidades alimentarias del hogar. Se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas desde junio de 2018 a enero de 2019 e incluyeron a 24 padres con ni & ntilde;os menores de 18 a & ntilde;os que acceden a la asistencia alimentaria en el estado de Victoria, Australia. Los resultados de este estudio indican que las familias dependen de una variedad de servicios formales e informales para satisfacer las necesidades alimentarias familiares, y los padres buscan activamente proteger a sus hijos contra los impactos negativos de la pobreza, el hambre y la inseguridad alimentaria, a menudo a sus propias expensas.

INTRODUCTION:This systematic review examined the effectiveness of interventions of school-based nutrition education programs that included environmental sustainability components in addressing fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption and/or variety among children (aged 5-12 years). METHODS:The systematic search included MEDLINE, CINAHL, ERIC, Global Health, PsychINFO, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and 3 clinical trial registries. Searches between January 1, 1987, and February 22, 2022, found 18 eligible studies. The Evidence Project risk-of-bias (RoB) tool was used for quality assessment. RESULTS:Sixteen studies had moderate-to-high RoB, and 2 had low RoB. Eight studies reported significant increases in F&V consumption and/or variety. Programs that included environmental sustainability experiential components (i.e., gardening, tasting F&Vs, and cooking activities) and were underpinned by a theoretical framework were more likely to report significant outcomes than studies that reported no effects. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS:This review underscores the benefits of school-based nutrition education programs that incorporate experiential components of environmental sustainability. These findings could support future researchers in designing strategies to improve children's F&V consumption by incorporating the experiential components of environmental sustainability into nutrition programs. In addition, conducting process evaluations to gather teachers' input to overcome common implementation barriers, performing long-term follow-up assessments to monitor behavioral changes over time, and implementing school policies to support these programs could also be beneficial. This review was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42020184727).

Background While vegetable intakes in Australia remain sub-optimal across all age groups, children are rarely consulted about their ideas on how to increase consumption. Qualitative research involving children provides an opportunity to consider their views. The aim of the Kids initiative inspires Dietary Success in Adults and Youth (KiiDSAY) project was to explore the views of school-aged children, who had participated in a school-based nutrition education program, about inspiring their peers and families to eat more vegetables. Methods A total of 26 children (15 boys) aged 10–12 years from four primary schools in New South Wales, Australia, participated in seven focus group interviews. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit participants. The study involved open-ended semi-structured questions conducted via Zoom that were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis with deductive and inductive coding in NVivo. Results Four major themes emerged: (i) taste; (ii) family environment; (iii) healthy eating; and (iv) change makers; with subthemes that were embedded within Social Cognitive Theory and Ecological Model of Health Behaviour theoretical frameworks. Conclusions Children’s inputs hold great potential for informing future interventions, particularly when designing or refining school-based nutrition programs. Children offered suggestions on how to inspire increased vegetable consumption among their peers and families that could be taken into consideration for future research and practice. These included: cooking activities in the home and school settings using recipes that creatively hide/mask/enhance the flavour of vegetables, involving positive role models and supportive school environments. Additionally, children recommended a sequential approach to the delivery of recipes starting from fruit-based and transitioning to vegetable-based recipes. Given the challenges faced in increasing children’s vegetable consumption, particular focus on future research in this area is warranted. Trial registration FEAST Trial registered 14th December 2020 with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12620001347954).

Background Social media is a popular source of information about food and nutrition. There is a high degree of inaccurate and poor-quality nutrition-related information present online. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality and accuracy of nutrition-related information posted by popular Australian Instagram accounts and examine trends in quality and accuracy based on author, topic, post engagement, account verification and number of followers. Methods A sample of posts by Australian Instagram accounts with ≥ 100,000 followers who primarily posted about nutrition was collected between September 2020 and September 2021. Posts containing nutrition-related information were evaluated to determine the quality and accuracy of the information. Quality was assessed using the Principles for Health-Related Information on Social Media tool and accuracy was assessed against information contained in the Australian Dietary Guidelines, Practice-based Evidence in Nutrition database, Nutrient Reference Values and Metafact. Results A total of 676 posts were evaluated for quality and 510 posts for accuracy, originating from 47 Instagram accounts. Overall, 34.8% of posts were classified as being of poor quality, 59.2% mediocre, 6.1% good and no posts were of excellent quality. A total of 44.7% of posts contained inaccuracies. Posts authored by nutritionists or dietitians were associated with higher quality scores (β, 17.8, CI 13.94–21.65; P < 0.001) and higher accuracy scores (OR 4.69, CI 1.81–12.14, P = 0.001) compared to brands and other accounts. Information about supplements was of lower accuracy (OR 0.23, CI 0.10–0.51, P < 0.001) compared to information about weight loss and other nutrition topics. Engagement tended to be higher for posts of lower quality (β -0.59, P = 0.012), as did engagement rate (β -0.57, P = 0.016). There was no relationship between followers or account verification and information quality or accuracy and no relationship between engagement and accuracy. Conclusions Nutrition-related information published by influential Australian Instagram accounts is often inaccurate and of suboptimal quality. Information about supplements and posts by brand accounts is of the lowest quality and accuracy and information posted by nutritionists and dietitians is of a higher standard. Instagram users are at risk of being misinformed when engaging with Australian Instagram content for information about nutrition.

Objective: In Australia, an estimated 1 in 10 households experiences food insecurity. The objective of this study was to devise a visual synthesis to summarise the activities, processes and principles that support the right to food for everyone in Australia. Methods: Semi-structured key informant interviews (n=30) were conducted during 2019-20. Content analysis synthesised perspectives and assisted co-authors in revising an initial draft (shared during the interview) to finalise the road map through semantic realist data analysis and re-design. Results: The six components of the right to food road map summarise the actions, processes, and principles to address the human right to food. These include i) policy leadership, ii) advocate and enact, iii) empowerment, iv) resourcing, v) monitoring and accountability and vi) healthy, equitable and sustainable food systems. Conclusions: When all the right to food actions, processes and principles are present, the "cogs" within the map are hypothesised to interact and realise the right to food for all Australians. Implications for Public Health: Considering the cost of living pressures and unrelenting demand for food relief, better solutions are needed for food insecurity. Human rights - this language, their international recognition and as a "method of working", offer an alternative to the dominant responses to food insecurity.

Despite their status as high-income food producing nations, children and their caregivers, both in the United States (U.S.) and Australia can experience food insecurity. Nutrition researchers formed a joint U.S.-Australia collaboration to help advance food security for households with young children aged 0–5 years. This study investigated food insecurity from the perspective of caregivers, especially their perceptions of the impact of food insecurity on their own childhood, their current life, and for the children in their care. Semi-structured interviews were conducted from July to September 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were recruited in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. (n = 19) and Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (n = 22), during periods of stay-at-home public health orders. These two case study sites enabled an exploration of some universal, and some context-specific, social, economic, and health conditions that buffer, or exacerbate, food insecurity for families in these neo-liberal political settings. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted and established six themes:growing up poor, lessons learned, feeding a family amidst a pandemic, caregiver coping strategies, food security in the early years and protecting (young) children. Perspectives on local anti-hunger strategies were organized to outline participant’s preferred solutions. Household food insecurity is conceptualized in public policy in the U.S. and Australia as a short-term crisis for people, justifying austere, time-limited and patchwork solutions. A narrative of caregivers’ lived experience of food insecurity suggests that it is inter-generational, and exacerbated by a food system shock (i.e., COVID-19). These findings from two varying cities and nations offer a different conceptualization of the timespan and nature of the phenomenon of food insecurity, challenging a dominant policy narrative and highlighting the inadequacy of current so-called solutions.