Household Food Security Research Articles

Community Health Workers’ Targeting of Women For Health and Nutrition Home Visits in Rural Tanzania: A Mixed-Methods Study

BackgroundCommunity health workers (CHWs) are utilized in many health systems to provide education and messaging to families in their catchment areas. However, CHWs responsible for large geographic areas often must make important decisions about whom to visit. Factors that influence these decisions are understudied. ObjectivesThis study assessed coverage and targeting for home visits by CHWs within a large social and behavioral change health program in rural Tanzania. MethodsThis implementation research was a cross-sectional, mixed-methods study. Data collection included a census with households and surveys with females, surveys with CHWs, and interviews with CHWs. Survey data also included the collection of household location data for females and CHWs. Quantitative data were analyzed using linear probability models, and qualitative data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. ResultsOnly 13% of eligible households in our study sites reported receiving a home visit from a CHW. Although CHWs were more likely to reach households with infants, other program priority populations, such as poor and food insecure households, were frequently missed. Global positioning system data showed that distance was 1 of the greatest barriers for CHWs in providing home visits. Qualitative data indicated that although CHWs were motivated and engaged to improve maternal and child health in their communities, they faced challenges in visiting households that were further away or lacked economic resources to improve their health behaviors. CHWs also found it difficult to provide health education during home visits to mothers with no formal schooling. ConclusionsPrograms relying on community volunteers need to set realistic workloads, especially when volunteer CHWs also work full-time in their primary occupations. Implementation could also be strengthened by providing extra support for CHWs so that they can effectively provide services to community members who are more difficult to visit but may be the most in need.

Associations between the social environment and early childhood developmental outcomes of Puerto Rican children with prenatal Zika virus exposure: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundPrenatal exposure to the Zika virus can lead to microcephaly and adverse developmental outcomes, even in children without evident birth defects. The social environment plays a crucial role in infant health and developmental trajectories, especially during periods of heightened brain plasticity. The study aimed to assess socioenvironmental factors as predictors of developmental outcomes of 36-month-old children exposed to Zika virus prenatally.Study designThis cross-sectional study included 53 mothers and 55 children enrolled in the Pediatric Outcomes of Prenatal Zika Exposure cohort study in Puerto Rico. The study performs follow-up developmental assessments of children born to mothers with confirmed and probable Zika virus infection during pregnancy. Mothers completed socioenvironmental questionnaires (e.g., Perceived Neighborhood Scale and US Household Food Insecurity Survey). Children’s developmental outcomes were assessed with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development: Third Edition, the Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Third Edition, the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-Socioemotional: Second Edition, and the Child Adjustment and Parent Efficacy Scale.ResultsLinear regression models, adjusting for a child’s sex and age and maternal education, revealed that early life exposure to food insecurity and maternal pregnancy stressors were significantly associated with poorer developmental outcomes in Zika virus-exposed children at 36 months of age. Maternal resilience representation of adaptive ability was associated with the preservation of adequate developmental outcomes in children.ConclusionsPregnancy and early childhood are critical life periods for ensuring optimal brain development in children. While the mechanisms in the interaction of children with their environment are complex, the risk and protective factors identified in the study are modifiable through public policy and preventive initiatives. Implementation of comprehensive strategies that improve access to social support programs, educational and nutritional interventions, and mental health services during pregnancy and early childhood can enhance the developmental potential of vulnerable children.

A Public Sector Innovation in Strengthening Local Community Food Security in the Selected Municipalities of Lanao del Sur

This study presents an in-depth analysis of food security challenges in selected municipalities of Lanao del Sur, focusing on household food insecurity prevalence and proposing public sector innovations to address these issues. Conducted through a data survey spanning Lumbatan, Lumbanayague, and Sultan Dumalondong over two months, the research collected 268 responses. Findings reveal nuances in food availability and preferences, highlighting gaps in food variety and accessibility despite overall sufficiency. Contributing factors include low income, poverty, limited nutritious food, high commodity prices, and insufficient agency support, leading to perceptions of inadequate food access, availability, and affordability. Proposed interventions encompass community-based food production, price stabilization, targeted subsidies, and nutrition education campaigns, emphasizing collaborative stakeholder efforts for sustainable improvements in Lanao del Sur's food security and dietary diversity.

Soil fertility in mixed crop-livestock farming systems of Punjab, Pakistan: The role of institutional factors and sustainable land management practices

CONTEXTSoil salinization is a significant environmental challenge prevalent in arid and semi-arid regions, causing adverse effects on crop yields and jeopardizing household food security. Previous research has examined the influence of institutional dynamics and the adoption of sustainable land management practices in bolstering agricultural output, and some have investigated the interplay among socioeconomic determinants, institutional frameworks, and the uptake of climate-resilient and sustainable methodologies, or the association between soil health and agricultural productivity. Yet, there has been a lack of studies that considered this relationship altogether and their role in enhancing soil fertility. OBJECTIVEWe investigate the relationship among socioeconomic and institutional factors, adoption of sustainable land management practices, and the resulting changes in soil fertility between 2016 and 2019 within the context of mixed crop-livestock farms in the three irrigated agroecological zones of Punjab, Pakistan. A household survey was conducted in 2019 to complement soil attributes data collected by the Government of Punjab in 2016. Households that implemented sustainable land management practices between 2016 and 2019 were analysed to investigate the effect of various factors on soil fertility, including the adoption of sustainable land management practices and their influence on soil fertility dynamics. METHODSA structural equation model was employed to examine the relationship among exogenous variables, moderating variables, and endogenous variables, to explain their collective influence on soil fertility between the two periods. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSThe key findings highlight the significant role of institutional factors, including access to formal information channels such as extension services, demonstration trials, and credit facilities, alongside secure land rights, in predicting the adoption of sustainable land management practices such as gypsum application, laser land leveling, farmyard manuring, and agroforestry. Furthermore, specific SLM practices, particularly agroforestry featuring intercropping with Acacia spp. and farmyard manure application, exhibited positive impacts on change in soil organic matter, albeit with agroforestry showing a negative influence on soil phosphorus levels. The adoption of gypsum and LLL displayed positive effects on soil phosphorus levels over time, contrasting with LLL's adverse impact on soil organic matter. SIGNIFICANCEOur findings suggest that soil fertility benefits from policies enacted through public-private partnerships that lead to improved access to sustainable land management information, reduced credit barriers, establishment of local soil testing facilities, and expedited land entitlement processes. These findings highlight the critical role of collaborative partnerships and institutional arrangements in enhancing agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability.

A comprehensive analysis of food insecurity in the drought-prone rural areas of Tigray.

The number of globally food-insecure people is increasing since 2017. Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest proportion of severely food-insecure people in the world. Tigray region of Ethiopia is one of the food-insecure regions, which, over the past many decades has been affected by recurrent food insecurities. In the drought-prone rural areas of Tigray, many people are living under the condition of chronic hunger. Proper food security studies are vital for proper intervention mechanisms. Yet, previous food security studies have rarely addressed the four pillars of food security: availability, access, utilization, and stability. In this study, all components are duly considered to assess the food insecurity status in the drought-prone rural areas of Tigray, Ethiopia. Of the 34 rural districts in Tigray, 363 households from three drought-prone rural districts were studied. Household Food Insecurity Access Scale and Food Insecurity Experience Scale were adapted to measure the food availability, access to food, and stability components of food security; and, Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS), Food Consumption Score (FCS), mid-upper arm circumference, and Bitot's spot were used to analyze the food utilization aspect. Findings show that 68% of the studied community frequently ate less food than they felt they needed and 82.1% of the households have experienced hunger because of lack of food. The study rural districts were unconnected to road networks; hence, 87.9% of the elderly and 20.4% of the women and girls had no access to food markets. Regarding the food utilization, 81.5% of the studied households had poor FCS; and the average HDDS and FCS for the study areas were 2.47 and 18.9, respectively. The prevalence of Global acute malnutrition, severe acute malnutrition (SAM), and moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) for 6-59months of age children in the study areas were 50.3, 4.2, and 46.1%, respectively. More notably, the prevalence of SAM for children from the food-insecure households was 21.2%. The prevalence of MAM for pregnant and lactating women (PLW) in the study areas was 59.5. Further, the prevalence of Bitot's spot among 6-59months of age children was 1.9%. On the other hand, all the rural households had anxiety about their future food demands. The rural households living in the studied areas were critically food-insecure. All the measurements implied that the food insecurity situation in the study areas was unacceptably worrisome and life-threatening. This calls for an instant action to avert the occurrence of famine and starvation in the drought-prone rural areas of Tigray region. Thus, interventions should primarily target the vulnerable rural people and need to be planned based on attaining food availability first rather than concurrently addressing all components of food security. Further, due emphasis should be given to diversifying livelihood strategies of the vulnerable villagers.

Consumer Satisfaction with Food Grains Distributed through Public Distribution Systems in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh- An Economic Analysis

The study analyzed consumer satisfaction with food grains distributed through the public distribution system in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. A multi-stage random sampling technique was adopted for the data collection and information was obtained from 240 respondents. Percentages and Likert’s Scale Technique were used to analyze the level of consumer satisfaction. The survey in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh gauges public perceptions and satisfaction with the Public Distribution System (PDS). Key findings revealed that a notable satisfaction rate in both states regarding the quality of food grains, the helpfulness of PDS dealers, and the functioning of local outlets. While uncertainties persist regarding accessibility, regularity, and quantity sufficiency, the majority of the respondents in both states opined that PDS is significantly contributing to household food security. Respondents express contentment with billing systems, with slightly higher satisfaction in Kerala, and commend the E-POS and biometric systems. Security measures, such as biometric authentication, receive positive feedback. Overall, the survey indicates positive sentiments towards the PDS in both states, highlighting its pivotal role in ensuring food security and meeting public expectations.

Effects of Interventions on Household Food Security in Ilchamus Ward, Marigat Sub-county, Kenya

Widespread hunger and malnutrition persist today despite considerable growth in per capita food availability. This has prompted an evolving conceptualization of food security and of mechanisms to attain and maintain food security. Government and Non-governmental organizations are shifting from food relief provisions to diversification intervention strategies at the household level. However, there has been limited literature, especially from a sociological perspective, on the effects of effects of interventions on household food security. The study adopted the descriptive research design, where household experiences were documented using a structured questionnaire. A proportionate stratified sampling method was used to divide the sample of 170 households into 4 locations. The obtained data was analyzed using SPSS v25.0, and the findings were reported using descriptive statistics, including frequencies and percentages presented in tables and charts. The results show that interventions are on nutrition, health, sanitation, education and local knowledge as ways of improving household food security. The study recommends that apart from providing food relief responses, the government, together with food provision stakeholders, should lay out sustainable food policies, implement them, and conduct capacity building with the farmers by arranging and conducting training seminars and sessions to equip the community with appropriate household food security information.

Effect of Covid-19 on Female-Headed Farming Household Food Security in Northern Bahr El Ghazal State, South Sudan

At the beginning of 2020, global food security was interrupted by the unprecedented occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated restrictions to contain it. In South Sudan, women were among the most vulnerable groups due to restrictions and standard operating procedures (SoPs). This study was conducted to determine the effect of COVID-19 on the food security of female-headed households from three counties in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, South Sudan. The analysis of the food security status was based on the Consolidated Approach for Reporting Indicators of Food Security (CARI) and food security was viewed in terms of availability of, and accessibility to food among households. Findings revealed that only 15.5% of the female-headed households sampled were food secure while 84.5% of them were food insecure on the 2-level scale. There was a significant reduction in average household income, size of land under agricultural production and crop harvest. Households lost access to produce markets, supermarkets, agro-input markets and produce stores, lowering their food production potential and farm output. Coping strategies included sale of household items, finding other work to supplement their agricultural activities, revision of household food consumption tendencies, new sales channels, while some of the households did nothing. These strategies are indicators of poverty, hunger and food insecurity which can lead to malnutrition. The study concluded that food security among female-headed households is low post-COVID, pushing women into life-threatening coping strategies in South Sudan. Development efforts in the country should be directed towards supporting recovery and resilience systems among these households in the country

Response of Intercropping Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) with Cowpea and Nitrogen Application on Growth and Yield of Sorghum

Sorghum grain yields have remained low despite the emergence of higher yield varieties, due to inadequate soil fertility, unsuitable cropping patterns, and restricted nitrogen fertilizer application (N). Cowpea integration and N utilization in sorghum-based cropping systems are likely to boost yield. However, knowledge of the impacts of sorghum-cowpea intercropping, nitrogen usage, and their interactions on companion crop performance is lacking. The effect of sorghum-cowpea intercropping and three N rates on the growth and yield of two sorghum varieties (ETS 2752 and ETS 4946) and two cowpea varieties (Keti and Bole) was investigated in RCBD with a split-plot arrangement, replicated three times. Sorghum grain yield was positively correlated with harvest index, fertile tiller m-2, leaf area index, panicle weight, and CGR. Sorghum/cowpea intercropping was more productive than sole (LER>1). ETS 2752 was superior to ETS 4946 in terms of growth and yield, hence it is recommended to farmers for commercial production. Therefore, the sole cropping system and N addition were effective in enhancing growth and grain yield of sorghum and cowpea, hence recommended for commercial production of ETS 2752. Intercropping is only recommended for sorghum production to improve household food security since it improves land productivity (LER>1).

Measuring Community Urbanicity and Its Influence on Household Food Security Across Nepal’s Agroecological Zones

BackgroundUrbanization influences food systems and food security, but research on these associations in low- and middle-income countries remain limited, partly because of the binary and unstandardized “urban compared with rural” classifications. ObjectivesTo develop a community urbanicity scale, to assess its associations with household food security, and to explore whether agricultural occupation modifies this relationship across the 3 agroecological zones (mountain, hill, Tarai) of Nepal. MethodsData came from a nationally and agroecologically representative, multistaged 2013 agri-food system survey of 4285 households with children <5 y in 63 communities (wards) in Nepal. A novel community-level urbanicity scale was constructed using factor analysis that included 8 domains. Multilevel mixed effects logistic regression was used to assess associations between urbanicity and household food security (measured using the validated Household Food Insecurity Access Scale), and to investigate modifying effects of agricultural occupation. ResultsUrbanicity scores ranged between 13 and 69, of a possible 80 points. Most agricultural households in the mountains (67%) and hills (54%) were categorized food insecure. Increases in urbanicity were negatively associated with food insecurity, controlling for other factors (odds ratio [OR] per 10-unit urbanicity difference OR: 0.82; confidence interval [CI]: 0.71, 0.94; P ≤ 0.05). Agricultural occupation may have positively influenced this association though was not a statistically significant effect measure modifier (P = 0.07). ConclusionsThe novel scale shows more nuance within Nepal’s agroecological zones, which had similar urbanicity-to-food security relationships as well as overlapping urbanicity score distributions. Research and policy efforts should consider using scales providing more precise urbanicity measurement, and thus informative assessments on its role in predicting food insecurity, especially in agriculturally reliant populations.

Income Contribution of Backyard Gardening and its Association with Household Food Security: A Case Study in an Urban Setting

Households located in urban township settings experience food insecurity which can be alleviated through backyard gardening. This study is to determine the extent of the contribution of backyard gardening to food security. Based on the Logistic Regression Model, household size, farming experience, employment status of the household head and harvesting frequency were found to be significant in affecting the food security status of the household. The study found that backyard gardening contributes (contribution index of 67.25%) towards household food security. Household specific factors should therefore be considered in policy targeted intervention strategies aimed at alleviating food insecurity.

Determinants of Food Security Status of Agricultural Households: An Empirical Investigation from Kuttanad Wetland System in Kerala, India

Recent debates highlight that agriculture-based strategies can enhance food security. Thus, this article examined the incidence and determinants of food security of agricultural households in Kuttanad, a wetland region situated in the southern part of the state of Kerala in India. Towards this objective, we have collected food consumption data from households and converted them into an equivalent amount of calorie intake. Further, we define food security in terms of calorie adequacy using the minimum calorie norm of 1,800 kcal suggested by the Food and Agricultural Organization for India. Our empirical results reveal that 37% of the sample households are food insecure. The incidence of food insecurity is higher among poor sections like labour households, Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), and Scheduled Castes families. Results of Probit regression show that below poverty line and AAY families are less likely to be food secure than above poverty line families. The purchase of cereals from the Public Distribution System is found to have a positive impact on the food security status of the households. Both farm income and non-farm income positively influence the probability of food security. The study concludes that there are impediments to realizing the linkages between agriculture and food security. JEL Classification: Q10, Q18, I32, C25

A "food insecurity poverty line" to replace the official threshold in Canadian rural and urban settings? A single-person household perspective.

Household food insecurity is associated with both low income and high cost of living, it is a potentially better measure for consumption compared to income. We use data on food insecurity and income from 10years of the Canadian Community Health Survey (2007-2017) of single-person households (n = 145,044) to estimate the probability of being food insecure at the Canadian poverty thresholds (Market Basket Measure thresholds, or MBMs), and determine the income required to reach that probability in each MBM region, aggregated by province and rural/urban status. A regression model shows the probability of being food insecure at the MBM is approximately 30% which we call the Food Insecurity Poverty Line (FIPL). The income required to meet the FIPL is substantially different from the MBM, sometimes 1.25 times the MBM. This implies that food insecurity is a potential sentinel measure for poverty.

Food Insecurity and Outpatient Care Utilization Among Indonesian Older Adults.

This study aims to examine the complex relationship between household food insecurity and outpatient care utilization among Indonesian older adults. Individual-level data from the 2020 National Socioeconomic Survey (SUSENAS; n = 29 950 older adults aged 60 and over in poor self-rated health who are unable to do daily activities) and environmental-level data (n = 84 096 villages in a data aggregation across 514 municipalities) from the 2021 Village Potential Data Census Collection Survey (PODES) are used in a two-level binary logistic regression model. Older adults who live in severely food insecure households (odds ratio [OR] 1.963) and lack of health insurance (OR 1.654) are more likely of not utilizing outpatient care. The interclass correlation coefficient value is 0.162, indicating that primary health care services in every village improve outpatient care utilization. Food insecurity is the major determinant of reduced likelihood of outpatient care utilization, which can be explained by household resource constraints.

Does contract farming participation promote household’s food security for smallholders? Empirical evidence from Indonesia

Contract farming has been extensively adopted as a strategy to overcome limitations in the market and enhance the well-being of farmers. Nevertheless, the extent to which it affects food security has not been sufficiently examined and is uncertain. Moreover, there is a lack of empirical evidence regarding the impact of contract farming on food security in Indonesia. To fill the existing research gap, this study employs propensity score matching (PSM) to mitigate selection bias in examining the impact of contract farming on the food security of smallholder farm households in Indonesia. It utilizes the 2021 Indonesia Agricultural Integrated Survey (SITASI) data, designed to monitor the indicators of sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the agriculture sector. The food insecurity experience scale (FIES) is used to measure food security. Our research shows that contract farming can potentially improve the food security of smallholder farm households in Indonesia. However, the overall impact can be considered minor. Contract farming has the potential to enhance food security, but it may not be adequate as a standalone solution. A comprehensive strategy, complemented by related policies such as innovative farming practices, technology adoption, and income-generation measures, is essential. Furthermore, our investigation revealed that this beneficial effect is particularly prominent among farmers residing in rural areas, female farmers, and farmers who do not own land or livestock. It indicates that contract farming can be a feasible tool for poverty alleviation, rural development, and woman empowerment. This study also found that factors such as location, market access, credit availability, gender, education, and exposure to agricultural training influenced contract farming participation.

Land Tenure Security and Households’ Food Security Nexus: Implications for an Improving Land Governance in Iringa District, Tanzania

This study was conducted to determine the contribution of the Certificate of Customary Rights of Occupancy (CCRO) to farming households’ food security in the Iringa District Council. Particularly, the study aimed to determine the influence of land tenure security on the food situation of households, the influence of land tenure security on food consumption, and the influence of land tenure security on the source of food for households. The study was guided by the institutional theory and the theory of access, these theories linked the study to the existing body of literature. The study adopted a quasi-experimental research design where villages that received CCRO were considered as the treatment group of the study and those villages without CCRO were categorized as the control group for the study. The study decided to adopt the Propensity Score Matching method for constructing a comparison group. The total sample size for this study was 400 households, with equality divided between the two villages, with and without CCRO. The study used a systematic random sampling approach to select a sample size of 400 households from the targeted population. The study employed a mixed methods approach whereby both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through questionnaires and interviews respectively. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics using IBM SPSS for quantitative data, while qualitative data was analyzed using a content analysis approach. The study found that those households with CCROs show a high score of food consumption compared to households without CCROs, this indicates that CCROs enhance food security in households. This was supported statistically by regression results and bivariate outcomes that illustrate the significance of CCROs ownership in improving the food situation of households between households having CCROs compared to those that haven’t. Furthermore, the study found that there is a difference in food consumption patterns between households with CCROs and those without CCROs. The study concluded that land tenure security has a great impact on the food security of households in the Iringa district, also, it was concluded that CCRO ownership contributes to improving the food situation of households enhancing their capacity to access diverse food groups. The study recommended that government and local government authorities develop policies and strategies that are tailored and applicable to agriculture development and land ownership to improve land governance structure that allows land registration easy.

Too Little, Not Enough: Impact of Safety Nets on Food Security Among Households with Disabled Members in Nigeria

ABSTRACT This study assessed the impact of safety nets on food insecurity in households with people with disabilities (PWD) in Nigeria. Using data from the 2019 Nigeria General Household Survey, we assessed the risk of experiencing food insecurity among households and the moderating role of safety nets using households without PWDs as a reference. PWD households were three times more likely to experience severe food insecurity compared to households without PWDs. The impact of the safety net program on the risk of food insecurity showed that receiving social benefits had little effect among households with disabled members experiencing severe food insecurity.

Impact of Climate Change Adaptation Strategies on Food Security of Farm Households in Rural Dire Dawa Administration, Ethiopia

Background: The impact of climate change on smallholder farmers in underdeveloped countries&amp;mdash;specifically, Ethiopia is widely recognized. Farm households employ a range of geographically and temporally varying adaptation strategies to cope with the adverse consequences of climate change. Therefore, it is critical to examine the few empirical studies that examine how rural Ethiopian farm households confronting drought have responded to climate change to ensure food security. Primary data were collected from 385 randomly selected farm households using a semi-structured survey form. Data analysis was performed using endogenous switching regression models and descriptive statistics. Result: Results show that the majority of the sample households (76.7%) adopted climate change adaptation strategies (livelihood diversification, soil and water conservation, and chemical fertilizers separately or in combination) while the remaining 23.3% are non-adopters. Climate change knowledge is validated as an instrumental variable. Model results revealed that adopter farmers would have significantly lower (11.6%) daily calorie intake if they had not adopted them, and non-adopter farmers would have gained significantly higher (12.8%) daily calorie intake if they had adopted them. Sex, marital status, land fragmentation, education, family size, farm size, credit access, extension contacts, and livestock ownership are significantly associated with the likelihood of adoption. Results also show systematic differences where the sex of the head variable is inversely related to the food security of adopters and vice versa for non-adopters. Conclusion: The majority of farm households in the study area know the implications of climate change (73.5%) and suffer from food insecurity (59%). Farmers&amp;#39; knowledge about climate change and variability varies, affecting social, economic, biophysical, and institutional issues. This was shown using descriptive statistics and OLM data. Farm households led by young, male farmers who are married, frequently interact with extension agents, have access to loans and information about climate change, and have non-fragmented plots possess greater knowledge about climate change than other households. Adaptation interventions should consider the above factors and heterogeneities to increase adoption and improve the food security of farm households in the study area.

Food security status and cardiometabolic health by sex/gender and race/ethnicity among adults in the United States

BackgroundMinoritized racial/ethnic groups and women in the United States (US) are disproportionately burdened by food insecurity, which likely contributes to disparities in cardiovascular health (CVH). Disparities are projected to widen due to the worsening climate crisis that is straining the agricultural system including food supplies. Nonetheless, studies have not investigated the relationship between food security status and ‘ideal’ CVH in a large, nationally-representative and racially/ethnically diverse US sample.Methods and resultsWe investigated household food security status in relation to ‘ideal’ CVH among US adults (N = 157,001) using 2014–2018/2020 National Health Interview Survey data. Food security status was defined as very low, low, marginal, or high. A summed score of 4 health behaviors and 3 clinical factors totaling 7 different measures was dichotomized (yes/no) to assess modified ‘ideal’ CVH (mICVH). Using Poisson regression with robust variance, we estimated prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% CIs of mICVH by household food security status. We stratified models by sex/gender and race/ethnicity. Very low food security prevalence was higher among non-Hispanic (NH)-Black (8.0%) compared to Hispanic/Latinx (5.1%), NH-White (3.1%) and NH-Asian (1.7%) adults. The association between very low versus high food security and mICVH was stronger among women (PR = 0.23 [95% CI: 0.17–0.31]) than men (PR = 0.48 [95% CI: 0.35–0.66]). Compared to NH-White adults with high food security, racially/ethnically minoritized groups with very low to high food security were generally less likely (range: [PRvery low = 0.25[95% CI: 0.14–0.44] – [PRhigh = 0.88 [95% CI: 0.79–0.97]) to meet mICVH criteria.ConclusionsFood insecurity was associated with lower mICVH prevalence and racially/ethnically minoritized groups were disproportionately burdened.

Indigenous or Exotic Crop Diversity? Which Crops Ensure Household Food Security: Facts from Tanzania Panel

Farm crop diversity is often overlooked, predominantly indigenous crops’ role in this diversity. The main concentration has been on the contribution or role of exotic crops to household crop diversification. At the same time, the role played by both types of crops in household food security has only been aggregated, failing to show how indigenous crops play a key role in household food security. This research paper uses Tanzanian Panel data from waves 4 and 5 to study the factors influencing indigenous and exotic crop diversification and the role of this diversity in household food security. Using a random effect model, the author found that various factors are crucial in determining household crop diversification. Gender, household size, marital status, and expected harvest quantity are among the key factors influencing indigenous crop diversification. On the other hand, age, education, access to markets, access to irrigation services, and soil quality are the primary factors that affect the diversification of exotic crops. Moreover, the findings show that indigenous and exotic crop diversity significantly influences household food consumption. Thus, policies to increase the production of indigenous crops in order to improve household food consumption should be considered.