Food security in African Canadian communities: a scoping review protocol.

Objective: The objective of this study is to synthesize and describe the evidence relating to food security among African Canadian communities to inform future research and health policy concerning people of African descent.

Introduction: Food security denotes the timely access to nutritionally and culturally appropriate foods by individuals, families, groups, and communities. In Canada, there are vulnerable groups who experience higher rates of food insecurity, including immigrant and senior populations as well as Indigenous communities. While there is evidence describing food security among these vulnerable groups, food security among African Canadian communities remains poorly understood. The African Canadian community is an integral component of the Canadian population, yet there is a limited understanding of food security among this group.

Inclusion Criteria: This review will focus on the African Canadian population and food security, which encompasses food access, nutrition, and culturally appropriate foods. Evidence obtained from qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods studies, as well as dissertations and gray literature will be considered for inclusion.

Methods: This scoping review will be conducted in accordance the JBI scoping review methodology. A comprehensive search strategy developed by a librarian scientist will be used to locate and retrieve relevant sources. A screening tool will be used to screen titles and abstracts as well as the full text of included sources. Data will then be extracted by two independent reviewers, synthesized, and presented narratively, including tables and figures where appropriate.