Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Highly processed and energy-dense foods are contributing to the high and rising rates of non-communicable diseases and nutrient deficiencies in Solomon Islands.
Solomon Islands also has the highest reported undernourishment rate in the Pacific. Recent decades have seen several factors change the food and economic environment in Solomon Islands. Importantly, rural-to-urban migration has caused a disconnect between urban residents and access to land and home gardens. This study aimed to examine the complexities of nutritious food access in urban Solomon Islands. There were 3 important findings: 1 the dominant influencers of the diet patterns described by participants in this study were food affordability and access to land on which to grow it, 2 all participants experienced food insecurity, and 3 reported diet patterns reflected unhealthy diets which were particularly high in processed and sugary foods.
These findings suggest a need for improvements in the food environment in Honiara. Non-communicable diseases NCDs , including cardiovascular disease and diabetes, are the leading cause of death and disability in the Pacific region, imposing significant economic strain, pressure on overstretched health systems, and high levels of societal loss from premature deaths. The problem is exacerbated by a limited health system capacity to treat these diseases.
Recent decades have seen a number of factors change the food and economic environment in Solomon Islands. Five years of civil unrest from to , the global financial crisis, rapid population growth, natural disasters, and urbanization contribute to ongoing cultural and economic change.
This lack of data is hampering efforts to build effective policies and regulatory frameworks to improve food systems. The study focuses on women because there is global evidence that autonomy of women is positively linked with their household's nutritional status. This study aimed to understand the nuanced complexities of nutritious food access in urban Solomon Islands by examining the following factors: 1 food security and patterns of consumption of key food groups and specific foods, and 2 the most important drivers of diet amongst participants to help inform targeted program and policy design.
