No global consensus has been reached on how to define or measure food insecurity. Quantitative data come primarily from telephone surveys, some more standardized than others, such as the US Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Survey Module (USDA HFSSM) [
22,
23]. Qualitative data from interviews help clarify personal experiences of food insecurity. Most of the articles reviewed used the USDA HFSSM or a slightly modified version of it [
6,
21•,
24,
26,
27••,
28,
29•,
30,
31••,
32,
33•,
34‐
36], and only a few studies had developed their own questionnaires [
37•,
38]. The authors of one article used the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), a measure of food accessibility developed by the US Agency for International Development and validated for use in developing countries [
39•]. However, scholars have identified the need to develop culturally relevant, globally appropriate measures that take into account typical local foods, as well as meal sizes and frequency [
40]. Of the reviewed articles, four used qualitative methods, 26 used quantitative methods, and three used mixed methods. Regardless of the approach, all research is limited by the respondents’ understanding of key terms such as food insecurity. Even when participants are provided with a definition, their own perceptions of this term, imbued with their own experiences of food insecurity and the shame of being unable to support themselves or their families, can influence their responses. Thus, surveys may underestimate food insecurity among vulnerable populations. Similarly, large national surveys based on self-reporting may underestimate the prevalence of diabetes in food-insecure households [
35]. National surveys often exclude or underrepresent populations at greater risk for food insecurity or diabetes (i.e., Aboriginal peoples on reserves, homeless persons) [
6,
24,
32]. Together, these factors may underestimate diabetes and food insecurity and limit examinations of how these interact.