Food Insecurity and Water Insecurity in Rural Zimbabwe: Development of Multidimensional Household Measures

Abstract

Background: With millions of people experiencing malnutrition and inadequate water access, FI and WI remain topics of vital importance to global health. Existing unidimensional FI and WI metrics do not all capture similar multidimensional aspects, thus restricting our ability to assess and address food- and water-related issues. Methods: Using the Sanitation, Hygiene and Infant Nutrition Efficacy (SHINE) trial data, our study conceptualizes household FI (N = 3551) and WI (N = 3311) separately in a way that captures their key dimensions. We developed measures of FI and WI for rural Zimbabwean households based on multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) for categorical data. Results: Three FI dimensions were retained: ‘poor food access’, ‘household shocks’ and ‘low food quality and availability’, as were three WI dimensions: ‘poor water access’, ‘poor water quality’, and ‘low water reliability’. Internal validity of the multidimensional models was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with test samples at baseline and 18 months. The dimension scores were associated with a group of exogenous variables (SES, HIV-status, season, depression, perceived health, food aid, water collection), additionally indicating predictive, convergent and discriminant validities. Conclusions: FI and WI dimensions are sufficiently distinct to be characterized via separate indicators. These indicators are critical for identifying specific problematic insecurity aspects and for finding new targets to improve health and nutrition interventions.

Growth and growth trajectory among infants in early life: contributions of food insecurity and water insecurity in rural Zimbabwe

“… 59 SHINE women reported collecting water less frequently, the longer the time required to fetch water. 64 Subnational panel data in 59 countries showed that only water piped directly into the home predicted reductions in stunting (β=−0.142; p<0.01), 41 but not other water sources whether piped off-plot or ground. This may be an indication of the ease of water access.…”

“…Therefore, availability, quality, access and household shocks are likely to be affected during the lean season. 64 FI during that time is particularly severe for the rural farming communities. This is because the lean period represents low employment opportunities in agriculture and the dwindling of staple food reserves for the household.…”

“…63 FI and WI: The multidimensional household food insecurity (MHFI) and the multidimensional household waterinsecurity (MHWI) measures, developed specifically for the rural Zimbabwean households, were used. 64 These measures were created from separate factor analyses using groups of food-related and water-related variables collected at baseline (during pregnancy) from the SHINE trial. From these analyses, FI and WI were characterised by three dimensions each.…”

Implementation and maintenance of infant dietary diversity in Zimbabwe: contribution of food and water insecurity

“…The Multidimensional Household Food Insecurity (MHFI) and the Multidimensional Household Water Insecurity (MHWI) measures were used as primary FI and WI exposures, respectively [46]. These measures were developed specifically for the rural Zimbabwean households and their validities were tested to ensure robustness and usefulness.…”

Investigating the effects of climate change, drought, and agricultural sector policies on the trend of the water poverty index in Iran

“…Many efforts have been made to develop various indicators, methods, and options for quantitative assessment of water stress in the current conditions and its future changes at the regional and national levels (Sullivan et al 2006). Water resources-related indicators contribute to water adequacy, help ensure food safety and population needs, and are helpful tools for policymakers in water resources management (Koyratty et al 2021;Ladi et al 2021;Mishra et al 2021).…”