Household Food Insecurity Access Scale Score Research Articles

Does Raising Livestock Improve Household Food Security and Child Dietary Diversity in a Rural Region of Madagascar?

Madagascar is one of the poorest countries and has an alarming prevalence of food insecurity and child undernutrition. Most of the Malagasy population live from agricultural activities making livestock a livelihood asset and a source of animal-source foods, especially for smallholder farmers. This study aimed to examine the association between livestock ownership, household food security, and children's dietary diversity in a rural region of Madagascar. Data from a cross-sectional survey of 344 respondents were used to assess the association between household tropical livestock units (TLU) per capita, Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) scores, and dietary diversity scores (DDSs) among children aged 6-23 months. The estimation results from the ordered probit model showed that household TLU per capita is negatively associated with HFIAS scores and positively associated with DDSs among children. Additionally, households with mothers who received information on childcare and nutrition from health facilities and community nutrition agents were more likely to be food secure and have better dietary diversity. Therefore, promoting livestock ownership and strengthening nutrition-sensitive messages focusing on the benefits of raising livestock to mothers from rural Madagascar will likely be effective in improving household food security and nutrition for children.

Association Between Household Food Insecurity (Access) Scores, Poverty Indicators and Child Malnutrition in Botswana

ABSTRACT In Botswana the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) has been used in studying the urban-poor, but less in rural settings high in poverty, child malnutrition (CM), and social protection beneficiaries. This cross-sectional study compared HFIAS scores, household poverty (HP) and CM in two rural districts: Bobirwa with moderate and Mabutsane with high poverty. Households (n = 872) with children under-five years participated. Most children (87.6%) experienced food insecurity. Mean HFIAS for all households was 11.0 ± 8. HFIAS scores were higher in Mabutsane (p < .001). HFIAS scores were consistently associated with HP and CM in both districts. HFIAS can assist in targeting the rural-poor.

Exploring the Food (In)Security Status of Suburban Households and Its Determinants during COVID-19

Household food insecurity in South African suburban low-income households is a major challenge. Research outcomes that will inform decisions on effective solutions towards reducing household food insecurity in South Africa are essential. The purpose of this study was firstly to determine the food security status of households and the skills of household members in Ward 60 of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. Secondly, it was also to determine the association between the socioeconomic and demographic variables of the households and their level of food (in-)security. The study employed a mixed method of both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, comprising a qualitative Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) methodology and a quantitative household food security survey methodology. A household food security survey was employed using a questionnaire that was based on the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). The questionnaire was used to collect data from 170 randomly selected households. The data analysis used the HFIAS score and logistic regression analysis. The results show 6.1% of households as food secure, 3.05% as mildly food insecure, 13.4% as moderately food insecure, and 77.4% as severely food insecure. The results also show that a significant unemployment rate, a reliance on social grants, and absence of income seriously impact the extent of household food insecurity. The results show a significant association between the household food security and the variables of unemployment, income, and gender. The regression analysis results suggest that gender, household size, age, employment, and household income influence household food security. The results of the household skills show that the households had a variety of skills. These results can help to inform decisions by the government, local municipalities, NGOs, and other stakeholders towards designing effective solutions for enhancing household food security.

Household Food Insecurity Scores are Higher among Adults Infected with COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Online Study among an Iranian Population

Introduction: Food insecurity has negative impacts on health, including the function of the immune system. The association between food insecurity and COVID-19 infection rates has not been fully understood. This study aimed to examine whether food-insecure households are more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection. Materials and Methods: This online cross-sectional study was conducted on 2,871 Iranian adults (31 provinces), from August to September 2020. Demographic and socio-economic information was collected using a questionnaire. The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) was used for assessing household food insecurity. The data analysis was performed by SPSS.22, using Chi-square test, ANOVA test, and Multinomial Logistic Regression Model. Results: The findings indicated that healthcare personnel were at higher risk of COVID-19 (CI = 1.90, 7.05; OR = 3.66; P &lt; 0.001). It was also shown that HFIAS scores were significantly higher among infected people compared to non-infected (CI = 1.00, 1.05; OR = 1.03; P &lt; 0.05). Women were at lower risk of infection compared to men (CI = 0.41, 0.87; OR = 0.60; P &lt; 0.05). Conclusions: Based on the results, in addition to long-term policies to improve food security, policymakers are recommended to implement short-term policies to reduce the vulnerability of the community to COVID-19 virus.

Invariance of the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale Across Different Groups of Adolescents and Young Adults.

Background:Cross-group comparisons of household food insecurity and its associations using multiple-item scales assume that scale scores can be interpreted as identical across groups. However, scores should not be interpreted as identical across groups without evidence of measurement invariance. Noninvariant measures indicate that the underlying construct may be different across groups.Objective:To determine whether the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) is invariant across different groups of Ghanaian and South African youth aged 15 to 24.Methods:We analyzed cross-sectional quantitative data from 1437 and 4165 young South Africans and Ghanaians, respectively. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine whether the HFIAS was invariant across different groups of youth, including sex (male or female), age group (middle adolescence, late adolescence, or emerging adulthood), and receipt of child support grant (yes or no). We assessed 3 levels of invariance: configural, metric, and scalar. The model fit between nested models was compared using χ2 difference testing.Results:Invariance tests indicated that the HFIAS had configural, metric, and scalar invariance across different groups of Ghanaian and South African youth. Model fit statistics across all invariance levels indicated good fit of our hypothesized model with the observed data. χ2 difference testing results were not statistically significant across all nested models.Conclusions:Food insecurity, as measured by the HFIAS, meant the same thing for different groups of Ghanaian and South African youth. Evidence of invariance means that the HFIAS scores could be interpreted as identical across youth groups in our study.

Factors determining household-level food insecurity during COVID-19 epidemic: a case of Wuhan, China.

BackgroundIn coping with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, cities adopted social isolation and lockdown measures; however, little is known about the impacts of these restrictions on household food security.ObjectiveThis study provides a timely assessment of household food insecurity (HFI) in the Chinese city of Wuhan during the COVID-19 epidemic period and also investigates its determinant factors.DesignWe collected valid data on food insecurity from 653 households in Wuhan via an online questionnaire in March 2020. The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale Score (HFIASS) was used to measure HFI, and a multiple linear regression model was used to determine the HFIASS.ResultsThe mean HFIASS in Wuhan was 9.42 (standard deviation: 5.82), with more than 50% of the households had an HFIASS < 9. Compared with normal conditions, lockdown measures had a huge negative impact on household food security. The results revealed that socio-demographic characteristics remained the underlying determinants of HFIASS during the epidemic. Households in Wuhan with local Hukou (city household registration) and self-owned property had a lower risk of food insecurity.Discussion and conclusionAfter the restriction of conventional food access channels, intermediary food purchase methods such as group purchasing, shopping with the help of neighborhood committees, property management agents, and volunteers became the most important or the only channel for residents to access food. There were similarities in the use of these intermediary channels. Based on the probability that the epidemic will continue and the probability of similar public health-related outbreaks in the future, the study calls for a more resilient and responsive sustainable food supply system by harnessing the capacity of communities, e-commerce and rapid logistics.

Association of Food Insecurity with Nutrition Status, Food Diversity and Anthropometric Status in Iranian Elderlies: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Health and nutritional issues of the elderly are different from other age groups. The results of studies cannot be compared and concluded, because these studies have different operational definitions, such as considering food quality rather than the amount of food intake and also limiting some causes of food insecurity in the analysis and the presentation of results in others. Therefore, we investigated the effects of food insecurity on food diversity and the nutritional and anthropometric status of the elderly in Tehran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 300 elderly residents in Tehran, with a mean age of 67.5 ± 5.74. Food insecurity was evaluated using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). The nutritional status and health of the elderlies were assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). Waist circumference, weight, and height were measured and BMI was calculated. All statistical calculations were performed with the SPSS. Results: The prevalence of malnourishment was significantly (p &lt; 0.001) higher in the severely food-insecure group (62.5%). A significant inverse relationship was observed between the HFIAS scores and weight (β = -4.38, p &lt; 0.001), body mass index (β = -1.46, p &lt; 0.001), waist circumference (β = -3.37, p = 0.002), and dietary diversity score (DDS) (β = -0.738, p &lt; 0.001). Moreover, we found a significant relationship between HFIAS and MNA scores (β = 0.486, p &lt; 0.001). Participants in the food-insecure group had a greater risk of developing malnourishment (OR, 16.45; 95% CI, 8.55-31.66) and having poor dietary diversity (OR, 7.42; 95% CI, 2.87-19.16) compared with the food-secure group. Conclusion: After adjusting for possible confounding factors, we found that food insecurity was associated with MNA score. We also found an inverse association between food insecurity and socioeconomic status, anthropometric measurements, and dietary diversity.

Is food insecurity a problem among the elderly in Sharpeville, South Africa?

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of food and nutrition insecurity and assess the socio-demographic factors associated with food and nutrition insecurity among 146 free-living elderly persons attending a care centre in Sharpeville, South Africa. Measurement instruments included socio-demographic-, 24-hour-recall and dietary diversity questionnaires and the validated household food insecurity access scale/score (HFIAS). Data were analysed with IBM SPSS Software, version 25.0. The prevalence of food insecurity from HFIAS was 60% (n = 87), with a variety of balanced responses being employed. Significant relationships were observed between HFIAS and age (r = 0.301; p = 0.000) and with household income (r = −0.258; p = 0.007). An association was observed between HFIAS and marital status (p = 0.005). Regression analysis showed that age and being single were predictors of food and nutrition insecurity. This study indicated a problem of household food insecurity with poor dietary intakes among these elderly people, mostly due to poverty and being single. More research on associations between food security and socio-economic variables is needed to plan and implement appropriate strategies to address food and nutrition insecurity in South Africa.

Seasonality, Food Insecurity, and Clinical Depression in Post-Partum Women in a Rural Malawi Setting.

We evaluate the association between food insecurity (FI) and clinical depression, and the modifying effects of seasonality on this association. Food insecurity is assessed from 175 post-partum women in the rural Ntcheu District of central Malawi using the USAID's Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). Clinical depression is measured using a validated Chichewa version of the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ). Interviews were conducted from October 2016 to June 2017 and spanned 5 months of the dry season (April-November) and the 4 months of rainy season (December-March). After adjusting for age and parity, participants who reported high FI (HFIAS score ≥ 9) had 4.6 (95%CI 1.8-11.4) times the odds of meeting the cut-off for clinical depression (SRQ score ≥ 8). The effect was greater during the dry season (OR 9.9; 95%CI 2.0-48.6), than in the rainy season (OR 2.6; 95%CI 0.8-8.3) though the interaction term was not statistically significant (p = 0.18) CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE: High FI is associated with diagnostic markers of clinical depression.

Levels of Household Food Insecurity in Rural Kenya: A Case Study of Kitui West, Lower Yatta and Matinyani Districts

As a general rule, food security is built on three pillars which are Availability, Accessibility and utilization. The ability to ensure adequate food security hinges on the ability to identify vulnerable households. The degree of vulnerability of an individual, household or group of persons is determined by their exposure to the risk factors and their ability to cope with or withstand stressful situations. This study was a component of a project whose aim was to transfer technology and scale up water harvesting and greenhouse farming in the area with one of its objectives to establish the levels of household food insecurity. Using a proportionate sample of 381 households two major tools were used to collect data. These were a structured interview schedule which was used to collect demographic information and a modified Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) was used to collect information on household food insecurity. In the study it was established that 60.3 percent of the households were getting their food mainly from the farms. Only 39.4 percent relied on the market as their main source of food and 0.3 depended on donations. The households in Kitui had a HFIAS score of 6.86 and falling in the class of severely food insecure with hunger. Keywords: Food Security, Food Insecurity. DOI : 10.7176/JEES/9-5-06 Publication date: May 31st 2019

Improving household food security in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo: a comparative analysis of four interventions

Food insecurity contributes to poor nutritional status of many populations, but long-term approaches to improving household food insecurity have not been widely evaluated. This study evaluates the effectiveness of four interventions, Women’s Empowerment Groups (WEG), Prevention of Malnutrition in Children under 2 Approach (PM2A), Farmer Field Schools (FFS), and the Farmer to Farmer approach (F2F), implemented in the context of a five-year Development Food Assistance Program in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. A community-matched quasi-experimental design was used. Primary outcome measures included Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) and the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). Mean HDDS was significantly greater than the control group for three interventions (FFS, WEG, PM2A; s: 0.69–0.88, p < 0.001 for all) as was the difference in proportion of households achieving target HDDS compared to the control group (12.3–21.7%, p < 0.001 for all). HFIAS score was significantly lower for all interventions compared to the control group, but smaller gains were seen in F2F (s: -2.06 - -4.59, p < 0.001 for all). The adjusted difference in proportion of households improving in HFIAS category compared to controls was significant for all groups, but smallest among F2F (15.0–26.7%, p < 0.05 for all). WEG, PM2A, and FFS interventions had significant effects on improving household dietary diversity and food security; the F2F approach was less effective. Food insecurity remained prevalent despite the interventions, suggesting more research is needed to understand the pathways through which they were effective and how interventions could be strengthened to improve food insecurity in post-conflict settings.

Sustainable agricultural intensification practices and rural food security

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand the impact of participation in sustainable agricultural intensification practices (SAIPs) on household food security status in Northwestern Ghana.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilised the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) indicator for the measurement of food access data from 168 households in ten communities from the Northwestern region of Ghana for the analyses. Households were categorised into participating households (treatment) and non-participating households (control). The endogenous treatment effects model was employed to evaluate the impact of participation in SAIPs training on food insecurity access scale.FindingsThe results show that participation in SAIPs training lowers, on average, the household food insecurity access by 2.95 points, approximately an 11 per cent reduction in HFIAS score. Other significant factors found to influence household food insecurity access scale are age of household head, experience in farming, total acres owned by household, income level of the household and occupation of the head of the household.Research limitations/implicationsThe training programme of participation in SAIPs has massive implications for food security, rural economy and farmers’ livelihoods. However, due to the unique conditions prevailing in Northwestern Ghana, the findings of this research are limited in terms of their generalisability. Future research direction in the area of SAIPs trainings and impact study replications in all qualifying rural food production areas in Ghana, which are susceptible to household food insecurity, will provide a national picture of the efficacy of SAIPs trainings on household food insecurity.Practical implicationsA proven means to decrease natural resource degradation, increase crops yields, and increase subsistence farmers’ income, and food security is an important intervention to resolve the seasonal food shortage, which last for five months in a typical year for agro-food-dependent farming communities in Northwestern Ghana.Social implicationsEnsuring household food security improvement and environmental sustainability will help improve living standards of food producers and reduce the adverse social challenges associated with food insecure communities such as health problems due to food deficiencies, social inequalities, environmental pollution and natural resource degradation in Northwestern Ghana.Originality/valueThe contribution of this paper is the novel thought and approach to examine the impact of the SAIPs trainings on household food security in Northwestern Ghana using the household food insecurity access scale indicator. The study also examined the factors that affect household food security using the endogenous treatment model, which also evaluates the impact of the training programme on the outcome variable.

Women's Empowerment, Prevention of Malnutrition in Children under 2 Approach, and Agricultural Interventions Improved Household Dietary Diversity and Household Food Insecurity in South Kivu, DR Congo

BackgroundFood insecurity remains a major factor contributing to poor nutritional status of many populations, but approaches to improving household food insecurity have not been widely evaluated, especially in severely food insecure settings.ObjectiveTo assess the effectiveness of a US Agency for International Development Office of Food for Peace‐funded multi‐year assistance program (Jenga Jamaa II) in improving indicators of household food security.MethodsThe study enrolled 1,820 households. The intervention groups were Women's Empowerment Groups (WEG), Prevention of Malnutrition in Children under 2 Approach (PM2A), Farmer Field Schools (FFS), and the Farmer to Farmer approach (F2F). The interventions were implemented by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Uvira and Fizi territories, South Kivu, DR Congo. The indicators assessed were Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) (the number of food groups consumed by members of the household in the previous day, range 0–12), achieving Target Household Dietary Diversity (consumption of &gt; 4 food groups the previous day), and Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) score (range 0–27, higher scores indicating greater food insecurity). An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) approach was used to estimate differences between intervention groups and a control group at the end of the study, adjusting for baseline values of each indicator, geographic territory, and agricultural zone. The adjusted prevalence of achieving Target HDDS at the end of the study was estimated separately for each group, and compared to the control group using a doubly‐robust weighted least squares estimator approach.ResultsData were available from 1,479 (81.2%) households. Mean HDDS was significantly greater than the control group for three of the intervention groups: WEG (0.72, 95% CI: 0.36–1.08), PM2A (0.78, 95% CI: 0.43–1.13), and FFS (0.80, 95% CI: 0.45–1.15), p&lt;0.001 for all. The adjusted difference in prevalence of achieving target HDDS compared to the control group was 14.9% for WEG (95% CI; 6.6–23.1%), 20.0% for PM2A (95% CI: 12.0–28.0%), and 20.2% for FFS (95% CI: 12.2–28.2%), p&lt;0.001 for all. HFIAS score was lower for all intervention groups compared to the control group, indicating less food insecurity: WEG (−3.91, 95% CI: −4.85–−2.98), PM2A (−3.87, 95% CI: −4.78–−2.96), FFS (−4.39, 95% CI: −5.31–−3.48), and F2F (−1.83, 95% CI: −2.77– −0.89), p&lt;0.001 for all.ConclusionWomen's Empowerment, PM2A, and Farmer Field School interventions had a significant effect on improving household dietary diversity and food security. The Farmer to Farmer approach was less effective compared to the other interventions but did reduce food insecurity compared to the control group.Support or Funding InformationThe parent study was funded by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency. This funding was made available through a USAID Office of Food for Peace Cooperative Agreement (AID‐FFP‐A‐11‐00006).

Contribution of forest foods to dietary intake and their association with household food insecurity: a cross-sectional study in women from rural Cameroon.

To determine the contribution of forest foods to dietary intake and estimate their association with household food insecurity. Cross-sectional survey conducted among 279 households. Using a 7 d recall questionnaire, information on household food consumption was collected from women and used to determine the household dietary diversity score, food variety score and forest food consumption score (FFCS). Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) score was determined and Spearman rank correlation was used to establish the relationship between consumption of forest foods and HFIAS score. Women's dietary intake was estimated from two 24 h recalls. The contribution of forest foods to women's nutrient intakes was calculated and women's nutrient intakes were compared with estimated average nutrient requirements. Rural forest-dependent households in twelve villages in eastern and southern Cameroon. Household heads and their non-pregnant, non-lactating spouses. Forty-seven unique forest foods were identified; of these, seventeen were consumed by 98 % of respondents over the course of one week and by 17 % of women during the two 24 h recall periods. Although forest foods contributed approximately half of women's total daily energy intake, considerably greater contributions were made to vitamin A (93 %), Na (100 %), Fe (85 %), Zn (88 %) and Ca (89 %) intakes. Despite a highly biodiverse pool of foods, most households (83 %) suffered from high food insecurity based on the HFIAS. A significant inverse correlation was observed between the HFIAS score and the FFCS (r 2=-0·169, P=0·0006), demonstrating that forest foods play an important role in ensuring food security in these forest-dependent communities. Forest foods are widely consumed by forest-dependent communities. Given their rich nutrient content, they have potential to contribute to food and nutrition security.

English

Food insecurity continues to be a major contributing factor to nutrition insecurity in developing countries. A nine item Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) was administered twice to 307 households among three agro-ecological zones in rural communities of Kilosa District-Tanzania to measure food security. Households were surveyed once during the rainy season (February–May) and once immediately post harvest (September–October) in the year 2011. The mean HFIAS score was the highest during the rainy season (8.15±6.06) and ranged from 0 to 26. During the harvest season, the mean HFIAS was 6.76±5.88 and ranged from 0 to 24. Using the categorical measure of food insecurity, the proportion of food secure households was higher during harvest season (31.3%) than was the case 19.9% during the rainy season. Similarly, 31.6% of the surveyed households were classified as being most food insecure during the rainy season as opposed to 26.1% during the harvest season (P=0.01). Food insecurity persisted among 39.2% of the surveyed households during the rainy season and period after harvest. The households in which at least one member offered casual labour such as the clearance of the farm fields, had 2.1 higher odds (95% CI: 1.05 to 4.29) of being food insecure. A substantial proportion of the surveyed households were food insecure across agricultural seasons and in various agro-ecological zones. Key words: Household food insecurity, Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), associated factors, rural, communities, seasons, agro-ecological zones, Tanzania.

Food Insecure Household Coping Strategies: The Case of a Low Income Neighborhood in South Africa

Food security can be defined as a state in which all people in a household have at all times have both physical and economic access to sufficient food to meet their dietary needs for a productive and healthy life. In the last decade household food insecurity in rural and urban areas has been associated with several negative health and nutrition outcomes. The questions which arise are thus: How do food insecure households in urban areas cope with food insecurity? To what extent do they limit food intake as a coping strategy? A quantitative research method was deployed and a stratified random sample of 300 was used to collect data in Bophelong, a low income neighborhood in South Africa. The Coping Strategies Index (CSI) and Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) were used to measure the food security status of the households. The CSI Raw Score and HFIAS Score was then calculated and the correlation with different coping strategies determined. The study found that households did use coping strategies in order to mitigate shortages of food. Additionally, it revealed that as CSI scores/HFIAS scores increased, the reliance on consumption coping strategies by households increased. This indicates a high level of food insecurity. Spearman’s correlation indicates that food limiting strategies correlated significantly with the cumulative CSI scores and HFIAS scores of households. The study concluded that urbanization and the resultant effects of unemployment, poverty, and ultimately, food insecurity, remain a challenge to policymakers. There may be an urgent need for the development of a more comprehensive food security strategy, focusing on urban as well as rural areas in South Africa. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n13p100

Seasonal differences in household food insecurity in Sidama Zone, southern Ethiopia

This study investigated seasonal changes in food insecurity in a rural community in Sidama southern Ethiopia. A longitudinal survey of 36 households was conducted in July of 2008 and January of 2009. Anthropometric and sociodemographic data as well as blood samples were collected along with administration of the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). Body Mass Index (BMI) was not different by season. Although in both seasons the mean HFIAS category was overall “mildly food insecure”, the mean score in July was significantly higher than after the harvest in January (8.8 vs 3.6). In July, the season of greater food insecurity, zinc was lower (p &lt;0.01) and albumin was related to the household's food storage (r = .40, p &lt;0.02). The α1‐acid glycoprotein (AGP), a measure of chronic inflammation, was negatively associated with albumin (r = −.91, p &lt;0.0001) and with the household's food storage (r = −.42, p &lt;0.02). The husband's education also was correlated with the household food storage (r = .45, p &lt;0.005). The HFIAS scores in both July and January were negatively associated (r = −0.36 and −0.48, respectively, p &lt;0.03) with the household's ownership of enset plants, an indigenous drought‐resistant plant in southern Ethiopia. In this study, the HFIAS questionnaire captured seasonal variation in food supply; in addition several socio‐economic factors significantly influenced food insecurity (Supported by Hawassa University and Oklahoma State University and Swiss National Science Foundation).