Naeem, Fahid (2025) The Impact of Food Insecurity on Child Development in London and Islamabad. Masters thesis, University of Wales Trinity Saint David.
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Abstract
This dissertation examined how food insecurity impacts child development in two contrasting urban areas: London, a high-income area with robust welfare infrastructure, and Islamabad, a low-to middle-income area characterised by structural poverty and a weak institutional framework. A critical appraisal and synthesis of 20 studies published between 2018 and 2025 was conducted using a systematic review methodology. The results indicated that food insecurity presents in various ways in different settings, but the outcomes are consistently adverse, affecting the nutritional, educational, and psychosocial well-being of children. Food insecurity in Islamabad was closely linked to stunting, wasting, undernutrition, child labour, and low school attendance, with maternal empowerment being a key determinant. By comparison, in London, food insecurity was associated with the obesity paradox, food bank dependency, welfare disjunctures, and holiday hunger, which are attributable to institutional and policy failures. The research also pointed out the shortcomings of existing institutional responses. The Free School Meals and Welfare provisions in London mitigate risk but create serious gaps, whereas the BISP and Ehsaas programmes in Pakistan offer partial support but are undermined by poor urban targeting and governance issues. Thematic analysis, informed by the Social Determinants of Health, Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, and Sen's Capability Approach, revealed that food insecurity not only denies children access to proper nutrition but also to fundamental abilities, such as education, social engagement, and psychological well-being. The dissertation concludes with policy suggestions tailored to each context, as well as crosscutting global lessons aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2 and SDG 3), emphasising the need for systemic change to safeguard the rights and development of children.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Food insecurity, child development, London, Islamabad, nutrition, education, mental health, welfare, maternal empowerment, Sustainable Development Goals. |
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform |
| Divisions: | Theses and Dissertations > Masters Dissertations |
| Identification Number: | https://doi.org/10.82227/repository.uwtsd.ac.uk.00004112 |
| Depositing User: | Victoria Hankinson |
| Date Deposited: | 02 Feb 2026 16:32 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Feb 2026 16:38 |
| URI: | https://repository.uwtsd.ac.uk/id/eprint/4112 |
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