Food Insecurity and Associated Factors Among Migrants Residing In The Agora District of Konak, Izmir, Türkiye: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of food insecurity among immigrants residing in the Agora district of Konak, Izmir and to identify the key factors associated with this condition. Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional study (January-April 2022), face-to-face interviews were conducted in 300 immigrant households. Food insecurity was evaluated using two instruments: the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES-SM) and the Nutrition Survey of the Elderly in New York State (NSENY). Data analysis included Logistic Regression, Student’s t-test and Chi-square. Results: The mean age of the participants was 37.1 years, and 94.3% were female. According to the NSENY, the prevalence of food insecurity reached 87.0%, with 39.0% of participants categorized as experiencing severe food insecurity based on the FIES-SM. Logistic regression results indicated that unemployment or irregular employment of the household head increased the risk of food insecurity by 3.7 times according to NSENY (95% CI, p=0.011) and 3.3 times according to FIES-SM (95% CI, p=0.047). Low income perception was the strongest predictor, increasing the risk by 10.7 (95% CI, p