Classification of household food insecurity level

1 - Food secure (household food insecurity)

'Food secure (household food insecurity)' includes persons in households where all members show no or minimal evidence of food insecurity.

2 - Food insecure without hunger

'Food insecure without hunger' includes persons in households where all members feel anxious about running out of food or compromise on the quality of foods they eat by choosing less expensive options. Little or no reduction in the household members' food intake is reported.

3 - Food insecure with moderate hunger

'Food insecure with moderate hunger' includes persons in households where food intake for adults in the household has been reduced to an extent that implies that adults have repeatedly experienced the physical sensation of hunger. In most (but not all) food insecure households with children, such reductions are not observed at this stage for children.

4 - Food insecure with severe hunger

'Food insecure with severe hunger' includes persons in households where all the households with children have reduced the children's food intake to an extent indicating that the children have experienced hunger and where adults, both in households with and without children, have repeatedly experienced more extensive reductions in food intake.