Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39820579›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

Household food insecurity, living conditions, and individual sense of security: A cross-sectional survey among Burkina Faso refugees in Ghana.

Abdul-Wahab Inusah, Ken Brackstone, Tahiru Issahaku Ahmed, David Tetteh Nartey, Jessica L Boxall, Ashley I Heinson, Michael Head, Shamsu-Deen Ziblim

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Abdul-Wahab InusahJSI Research & Training Institute, INC., Takoradi, Ghana.ORCID 0000-0002-8184-7355
Ken BrackstoneClinical Informatics Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.
Tahiru Issahaku AhmedBawku West District Assembly, Bolgatanga, Upper-East Region, Ghana.
David Tetteh NarteyJSI Research & Training Institute, INC., Takoradi, Ghana.
Jessica L BoxallClinical Informatics Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.ORCID 0009-0009-1912-0380
Ashley I HeinsonClinical Informatics Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.
Michael HeadClinical Informatics Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-1189-0531
Shamsu-Deen ZiblimDirectorate of Academic Planning & Quality Assurance (DAPQA) University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Food insecurity and achieving adequate nutrition is a major global challenge, especially in vulnerable groups such as refugee communities. In West Africa, thousands of Burkina Faso refugees have crossed the border into northern Ghana due to conflict and instability in their home country. We conducted a one-off cross-sectional survey to assess household food insecurity, living conditions, and sense of security among Burkina Faso refugees currently residing in the Upper East region of Ghana. Study data was collected over 14-21 October 2022 from 498 refugee households, via registered refugee households who were contacted with the help of the community refugee focal persons. We used the validated USAID household food insecurity questionnaire, analysed using Rasch modelling, with descriptive statistics, and linear regression analyses (with significance at p < 0.05) to assess food insecurity. Results revealed that 100% of households experienced food insecurity, with 95.2% defined as moderate or severe, and 70.4% as experiencing severe food insecurity. Refugees from rural areas were less insecure compared to urban refugees (β = -4.25 [CI: -5.79 --2.71], p < .001). Refugees residing in host communities experienced lower food insecurity than those in designated refugee camps (β = -1.56 [CI: -2.74 --0.39,] p = .009). Further, refugees who were dissatisfied with their accommodation size were more likely to experience food insecurity (β = 2.96 [CI: -0.06-2.47], p = .060). Most refugees (73.5%) felt safe and welcomed by host communities. Our results highlight the extremely high prevalence of moderate and severe food insecurity in this vulnerable refugee population. We provide evidence to support the need to improve food distribution logistics, prioritising suitable accommodation, and facilitating access to healthcare. Follow-up research, such as repeated community surveys, can track this evolving situation to continuously inform decision-making for refugee support.

Indexed as

Food InsecurityFood SupplyRefugeesAdolescentAdultBurkina FasoCross-Sectional StudiesFamily CharacteristicsFemaleGhanaHumansMaleMiddle AgedRural PopulationSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID39820579
PMCPMC11737705

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.