Prevalence of food insecurity at household level and its associated factors in rural Puducherry: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Malnutrition is a consequence of food insecurity. Food insecurity in India became a public health problem due to explosive population growth and widening gap between rich and poor. It also has a detrimental effect on factors related to health and social well-being of the family. Objectives: The study was conducted to determine the prevalence of food insecurity at household level in rural population and factors associated with it. Subjects and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among the households of rural Puducherry. The adult females in the households were interviewed with a pretested semi-structured questionnaire in which, along with sociodemographic factors, food insecurity was assessed using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was done to identify the factors associated with food insecurity. Results: Out of 299 households that were assessed for food insecurity, 31.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 26.6–37.4) had food insecurity. Out of 95 households with food insecurity, 51 (17%), 37 (13%), and 7 (2%) had severe, moderate, and mild food insecurity, respectively. In univariate analysis, the presence of children in the family, using below poverty line ration card, and socioeconomic status were significantly associated with food insecurity. In multivariate analysis, socioeconomic status was significantly associated with food insecurity (rate ratio: 3.59; P < 0.001 [95% CI: 1.68–7.67]). Conclusions: One in three families experienced the food insecurity, and it was more among households with children. It has to be addressed to prevent nutrition-related disorders in community, particularly in children.

Children’s Educational Outcomes and Persistence and Severity of Household Food Insecurity in India: Longitudinal Evidence from Young Lives

“…Following extant literature from India highlighting socioeconomic status, sociodemographic characteristics, and household composition as important correlates of food insecurity and dietary patterns [ [53] , [54] , [55] , [56] , [57] , [68] ], we controlled for several possible confounders in our analysis. Household level correlates included household head’s age, education (primary completed compared with no primary education completed), and household head caste or tribe (scheduled caste or tribe; scheduled tribe; backward caste or tribe; other), household place of residence (rural compared with urban), and wealth tercile (low; middle; top).…”

Food Insecurity and its Impact on Body Weight, Type 2 Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease, and Mental Health

“…Importantly, social determinants of health are not the only factors that drive FI. Climate change (e.g., droughts, floods) [ 11 ], natural hazards (e.g., hurricanes, earthquakes) [ 12 , 13 ], conflict and war [ 13 , 14 ], market globalization and dominance [ 15 ], rapid population growth [ 16 ], and disease outbreaks [ 17 ] affect food production, distribution, and access. Most recently, the outbreak and spread of the novel coronavirus 19 (COVID-19) increased FI in nearly every country across the world [ 4 ] due to the economic recession [ 18 ], disruption of food supply chains [ 19 ], and increased consumer demands coupled with labor shortages and higher food prices [ 20 ].…”