Different food coping strategies in urban and semi-urban areas during Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic

Abstract

Background: Consumption-related behavior implemented as an effort to maintain household food security is referred to as a food coping strategy (FCS). This study aims to describe the selection of FCS by families in urban and semi-urban areas in Indonesia. Method: This research is a cross-sectional study with a total sample of 517 people who live in urban (Jakarta) and semi-urban (Depok) areas. The research data was taken from primary research data that had been collected online and purposively through Posyandu cadres who had access to family/community. Data analysis used the chi-square test and multiple logistic regression. Results: More households in urban areas apply food security coping strategies (69%) compared to semi-urban areas (59.8%) In semi-urban areas, changes occur gradually from the lightest to the heaviest. Meanwhile, in urban areas, there were more severe strategies chosen, namely switching to other staple foods (78.7%), reducing eating in adults (75.3%), and reducing the frequency of eating (71.9% which is higher than reducing food portions (70, 2%). Results of multivariate analysis showed that the level of household food security (AOR = 12.182; 95% CI = 7.636 – 19.434) and spouse's education (AOR = 2.184; 95% CI = 1.091 – 4.375) were significantly related to the application of household FCS after being controlled by spouse's employment status, the number of working household members, household head’s education and household head’s income. Conclusion: The low level of household food security during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people's jobs and income have caused households to adapt by implementing several types of FCS.