Dataset Information

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.

SUBMITTER: Koyratty N

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8199942 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

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

Koyratty Nadia N Jones Andrew D AD Schuster Roseanne R Kordas Katarzyna K Li Chin-Shang CS Mbuya Mduduzi N N MNN Boateng Godfred O GO Ntozini Robert R Chasekwa Bernard B Humphrey Jean H JH Smith Laura E LE On Behalf Of The Shine Trial Team

International journal of environmental research and public health 20210603 11

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 (<i ...[more]

PMID: 34205143

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Project description:IntroductionThis study aimed to develop and test novel self-administered measures (Absorptive capacity, Adaptive capacity, and Transformative capacity) of three aspects of a household's resilience to financial shocks (e.g., job loss) that can increase food insecurity risk.MethodsMeasures were piloted in a convenience sample of households at risk for food insecurity in the United States. The survey included the new measures, validation variables (financial shock, household food security, general health, personal resilience to challenges, and financial wellbeing), and demographic questions. Exploratory factor analysis was used to assess dimensionality, internal consistency was assessed [Cronbach's alpha (CA)], and construct validity was assessed (Spearman's correlation). Also, brief screener versions of the full measures were created.ResultsParticipants in the analytic samples (n = 220-394) averaged 44 years old, 67% experienced food insecurity, 47% had a high school diploma or less, 72% were women, and the sample was racially/ethnically diverse. Scores for Absorptive capacity [one factor; CA = 0.70; Mean = 1.32 (SD = 0.54)], Adaptive capacity [three factors; CAs 0.83-0.90; Mean = 2.63 (SD = 0.85)], and Transformative capacity [three factors; CAs 0.87-0.95; Mean = 2.70 (SD = 1.10)] were negatively associated with financial shocks (-0.221 to -0.307) and positively associated with food insecurity (0.310-0.550) general health (0.255-0.320), personal resilience (0.231-0.384), and financial wellbeing (0.401-0.474).DiscussionThese findings are encouraging and support reliability and validity of these new measures within this sample. Following further testing, such as Confirmatory Factor Analysis in future samples, these measures may prove useful for needs assessments, program evaluation, intake screening, and research/surveillance. Widespread adoption in the future may promote a more comprehensive understanding of the food insecurity experience and facilitate development of tailored interventions on upstream causes of food insecurity.

Project description:BackgroundIn England, the responsibility to address food insecurity lies with local government, yet the prevalence of this social inequality is unknown in small subnational areas. In 2018 an index of small-area household food insecurity risk was developed and utilised by public and third sector organisations to target interventions; this measure needed updating to better support decisions in different settings, such as urban and rural areas where pressures on food security differ.MethodsWe held interviews with stakeholders (n = 14) and completed a scoping review to identify appropriate variables to create an updated risk measure. We then sourced a range of open access secondary data to develop an indices of food insecurity risk in English neighbourhoods. Following a process of data transformation and normalisation, we tested combinations of variables and identified the most appropriate data to reflect household food insecurity risk in urban and rural areas.ResultsEight variables, reflecting both household circumstances and local service availability, were separated into two domains with equal weighting for a new index, the Complex Index, and a subset of these to make up the Simple Index. Within the Complex Index, the Compositional Domain includes population characteristics while the Structural Domain reflects small area access to resources such as grocery stores. The Compositional Domain correlated well with free school meal eligibility (rs = 0.705) and prevalence of childhood obesity (rs = 0.641). This domain was the preferred measure for use in most areas when shared with stakeholders, and when assessed alongside other configurations of the variables. Areas of highest risk were most often located in the North of England.ConclusionWe recommend the use of the Compositional Domain for all areas, with inclusion of the Structural Domain in rural areas where locational disadvantage makes it more difficult to access resources. These measures can aid local policy makers and planners when allocating resources and interventions to support households who may experience food insecurity.

Project description:The burden of food insecurity is large in Sub-Saharan Africa, yet the evidence-base on the relation between household food insecurity and early child development is extremely limited. Furthermore, available research mostly relies on cross-sectional data, limiting the quality of existing evidence. We use longitudinal data on preschool-aged children and their households in Ghana to investigate how being in a food insecure household was associated with early child development outcomes across three years. Household food insecurity was measured over three years using the Household Hunger Score. Households were first classified as "ever food insecure" if they were food insecure at any round. We also assessed persistence of household food insecurity by classifying households into three categories: (i) never food insecure; (ii) transitory food insecurity, if the household was food insecure only in one wave; and (iii) persistent food insecurity, if the household was food insecure in two or all waves. Child development was assessed across literacy, numeracy, social-emotional, short-term memory, and self-regulation domains. Controlling for baseline values of each respective outcome and child and household characteristics, children from ever food insecure households had lower literacy, numeracy and short-term memory. When we distinguished between transitory and persistent food insecurity, transitory spells of food insecurity predicted decreased numeracy (β = -0.176, 95% CI: -0.317; -0.035), short-term memory (β = -0.237, 95% CI: -0.382; -0.092), and self-regulation (β = -0.154, 95% CI: -0.326; 0.017) compared with children from never food insecure households. By contrast, children residing in persistently food insecure households had lower literacy scores (β = -0.243, 95% CI: -0.496; 0.009). No gender differences were detected. Results were broadly robust to the inclusion of additional controls. This novel evidence from a Sub-Saharan African country highlights the need for multi-sectoral approaches including social protection and nutrition to support early child development.

Dataset Information

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

Publications

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

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