Food Insecurity among Women of Reproductive Age in Nepal: Prevalence and Correlates

Abstract

Background Food insecurity is widely prevalent in certain sections of society in low and middle income countries. The United Nations has challenged all member countries to eliminate hunger for all people by 2030. This study examines the prevalence and correlates of household food insecurity among women, especially Dalit women of reproductive age in Nepal. Methods Data came from 2016 Nepal Demographic Health Survey, a cross-sectional, nationally representative survey that included 12,862 women between 15 and 49 years of age of which 12% were Dalit. Descriptive analysis was used to assess the prevalence of household food insecurity while logistic regression examined the relationship between women’s ethnicity and the risk of food insecurity after accounting for demographic, economic, cultural, and geo-ecological characteristics. Results About 56% of all women and 76% of Dalit women had experienced food insecurity. Ethnicity is strongly related to food insecurity. Dalit women were most likely to be food insecure, even after accounting for factors such as education and wealth. They were 82%, 85%, 89% and 92% more vulnerable to food insecurity than Muslims, Brahmin/Chhetri, Terai Indigenous, and Hill Indigenous populations, respectively. Education was a protective factor—women with secondary education (6th to 10th grade) were 39% less likely to be food insecure compared to their counterparts without education. With a more than 10th grade education, women were 2.27 times more likely to be food secure compared to their counterparts without education. Marriage was also protective. Economically, household wealth is inversely correlated with food insecurity. Finally, residence in the Mid-Western, Far-Western and Central Development regions was correlated with food insecurity. Conclusion To reduce food insecurity in Nepal, interventions should focus on improving women’s education and wealth, especially among Dalit and those residing in the Far- and Mid-Western regions.

Magnitude and determinants of food insecurity among pregnant women in Rwanda during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…This is because people in lower socioeconomic classes depend on daily wages and casual labor which were severely disrupted during the pandemic, rendering them food insecure. The protective effects of marriage, education, and higher socioeconomic status on food insecurity were also reported in a similar study in Nepal [ 32 ].…”

Predictors of Anemia Among Pregnant Women of Under-privileged Ethnic Groups Attending Antenatal Care at Provincial Level Hospital of Province 2, Nepal

“…Additionally, the possibility that lower dietary diversity in our study population might have been in uenced by household food insecurity cannot be undermined. Results of a national survey data found signi cantly higher odds of experiencing household food insecurity by dalit women 48 . The interventions to reduce micronutrient de ciency in the region should therefore aim to address dietary diversity, dietary adequacy and food security targeting the ethnically disadvantaged populations.…”

Do changes in women's household status in Nepal improve access to food and nutrition?

“…Responses are then summed, and women are categorised into a score ranging from food secure, mildly food insecure, moderately food insecure and severely food insecure. From this, we made a binary variable indicating any versus no food insecurity, as has been done extensively in the literature, including in Nepal (Maxwell et al, 2014; S. Pandey & Fusaro, 2020; D. R. Singh et al, 2020).…”

“…Inadequate micronutrient consumption, combined with poor weight gain in pregnancy, is associated with adverse maternal and infant outcomes (Strauss & Dietz, 1999). In Nepal, about half of households are food insecure, and 56% of women of reproductive age live in food insecure households (S. Pandey & Fusaro, 2020). Household food insecurity has been shown to be associated with women's dietary diversity and order of household eating (Kang et al, 2019; A. Singh et al, 2014; D. R. Singh et al, 2020).…”