Suburban and Rural Women: Internationally the most Vulnerable to Food Insecurity

Abstract

People in rural (Ru) and impoverished suburban areas (Sb), as well as women, have higher rates of food insecurity (FI) when compared to other populations. This has been reported when applying different FI measurement tools in diverse settings. In this study FI was assessed using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) as part of the 2014 Gallup World Poll (GWP). The objective was to determine differences in FI by gender and area of residence using the same measurement tool (FIES) as applied by GWP in individuals of 42 countries in diverse settings. Differential Item Functioning (DIF) was previously assessed using Rasch model. No significant DIF for any of the 8 items in FIES was detected between men and women (DIF 蠄 0.25 logit), or between individuals in four settings (Ru, Sb, small towns (St) and large cities (Lc)) (DIF 蠄 0.40 logit). Men living in Lc showed the lowest prevalence of FI when compared to men and women living in the other settings. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that women of Sb, Ru, St, and Lc had significantly higher odds ratios for FI (OR: 1.74, 1.70, 1.28, 1.14, respectively) when compared to men in Lc. Additionally, men in Sb, Ru and St, had also significantly higher ORs for FI (1.57, 1.47, 1.28, respectively) when compared to their male peers in Lc. This analysis was adjusted by country of residence, level of education, income, age, household size and marital status. The results highlight the importance of developing and carrying out interventions that incorporate the challenges faced by individuals belonging to diverse populations. Global gender disparities related to FI must be considered by policy makers and practitioners in order to more effectively address this phenomenon.