Alternative food-security indicators: revisiting the frequency and severity of `coping strategies'

Impact of tissue culture banana technology on farm household income and food security in Kenya

“…The most common measurement approaches at the micro level build on dietary recalls, anthropometric indicators, or health data, which have also been used for impact assessment in a few studies (Babatunde and Qaim, 2010;Ecker and Qaim, 2010;Haddad et al, 1998;Rusike et al, 2010). There are also studies that try to measure food insecurity through data on household coping strategies (Maxwell et al, 1999;Maxwell et al, 2008). However, all these approaches have their methodological and empirical problems, and they are data-intensive and relatively costly to implement (de Haen et al, 2011).…”

Seafood as Local Food: Food Security and Locally Caught Seafood on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula

“…To measure food security, the survey also included six questions about "coping strategies" (after D. G. Maxwell 1996;D. G. Maxwell, Ahiadeke, Levin, Armar-Klemesu, Zakariah, & Lamptey, 1999), which ask respondents to report how often in the last month they have taken actions such as reducing meal size or skipping meals because there is not enough food and/or so that someone else in their household can eat (table 2).…”

“…One of the reasons we selected this coping strategies protocol is because it does not rely on prescriptive definitions of food security or insecurity, and as such is more accommodating to the less quantifiable social and cultural dimensions of food security (D. G. Maxwell 1996; D. G. Maxwell et al 1999). Multiple variations of this protocol have been implemented and validated in different settings (e.g., Coleman-Jensen et al, 2011;USDA 2001b), although their appropriateness for Alaskan settings, and especially remote communities, is questionable.…”

“…The weights indicate relative severity of the strategy and are used as part of the calculation of the final score. Maxwell et al (1999) recommends using focus groups to determine the most appropriate weighting, but funding limitations required us to set weightings based on the relative severity of dietary pattern disruption. Note that we do include a question on food preference (Q1), and weigh borrowing money for food (Q3), a strategy often associated with significant psychological stress, more than a modest portion reduction (Q2).…”

“…Also, Maxwell et al (1999) note that the coping strategies protocol may overestimate the number of food-insecure households. As noted, however, the survey was distributed in the early fall with a one month recall period, the time of year that food security for those who rely on fisheries is arguably at its highest.…”