CNS Webinar – Integrating food insecurity measurement in nutrition and health research: Key considerations and best practices
November 10, 2025
This webinar, hosted by the Canadian Nutrition Society (CNS), we discusses best practices when conducting and interpreting health and nutrition research using measures of food insecurity.
As part of the CNS Education Webinars, the recordings are available free-of-charge for CNS members. Non-members can access the recordings for a small fee.
Integrating food insecurity measurement in nutrition and health research: Key considerations and best practices
Date:
November 5, 2025
The monitoring of household food insecurity through population health surveys in Canada has spawned a robust body of research on the nutrition, health, and healthcare implications of food insecurity in this country. Now, more researchers and health professionals are investigating food insecurity within different populations and contexts for the purposes of describing vulnerable groups, understanding health and behavioural outcomes, evaluating policy and program interventions, and screening patients.
This webinar will explore key considerations when conducting and interpreting research on food insecurity, considering primary data collections and secondary analyses of population survey data. We will compare different survey instruments and classification methods and discuss how to appropriately integrate this construct into research and practice settings.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of the webinar participants will be able to:
- Define household food insecurity and describe how it is monitored in Canada
- Compare commonly used food insecurity survey instruments (e.g., 18-item vs. 6-item HFSSM) and classification approaches, including their strengths, limitations, and implications for research design and interpretation.
- Identify appropriate strategies for integrating food insecurity measures into primary data collection, including choosing indicators, defining reference periods, and aligning with study goals.
- Critically assess the use of secondary data (e.g., Canadian Income Survey, Canadian Community Health Survey, etc.) to study food insecurity and its relationship with health outcomes, behaviours, and policy interventions.
- Recognize common challenges in food insecurity research and apply best practices to ensure accurate and meaningful analysis and communication of findings.
Presenter:
Valerie Tarasuk, PhD — Professor, University of Toronto
Moderator:
Tim Li, PROOF Research Program Coordinator
Visit the Canadian Nutrition Society site to access the recording
