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Jaen J, Collado-López S, Armenta-Guirado BI, G.-Olvera A, Hernández-F M. Share of food group expenditure in Mexican households according to the gender of the head of household and size of the locality. Public Health Nutr 2024; 27:e131. [PMID: 38705593 PMCID: PMC11112422 DOI: 10.1017/s1368980024001010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate differences in the percentage of expenditure on food groups in Mexican households according to the gender of the household head and the size of the locality. DESIGN Analysis of secondary data from the National Household Income and Expenditure Survey (ENIGH) 2018. We estimated the percentage of expenditure on fifteen food groups according to the gender of the head of household and locality size and evaluated the differences using a two-part model approach. SETTING Mexico, 2018. PARTICIPANTS A nationally representative sample of 74 647 Mexican households. RESULTS Female-headed households allocated a lower share of expenditure to the purchase of sweetened beverages and alcoholic beverages and higher percentages to milk and dairy, fruits and water. In comparison with metropolitan households, households in rural and urban localities spent more on cereals and tubers, sugar and honey, oil and fat and less on food away from home. CONCLUSIONS Households allocate different percentages of expenditure to diverse food groups according to the gender of the head of the household and the size of the locality where they are located. Future research should focus on understanding the economic and social disparities related to differences in food expenditure, including the gender perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jocelyn Jaen
- School of Public Health of Mexico, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Sonia Collado-López
- School of Public Health of Mexico, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Brianda Ioanna Armenta-Guirado
- School of Public Health of Mexico, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Mexico
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Sonora, Hermosillo, Mexico
| | - Armando G.-Olvera
- Department of Physical Activity and Healthy Lifestyles, Nutrition and Health Research Center, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Mauricio Hernández-F
- Research Institute for Equitable Development (EQUIDE), Universidad Iberoamericana, CP. 01219, Mexico City, Mexico
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Bonilla-Aguilar K, Bernabe-Ortiz A. Association between total available nutritional quality and food expenditure in Peruvian households, 2019-2020. CAD SAUDE PUBLICA 2023; 39:e00021923. [PMID: 37729301 PMCID: PMC10513153 DOI: 10.1590/0102-311xen021923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence points to a direct relationship between nutritional quality and food expenditure. However, food expenditure is highly susceptible to changes, and nutritional quality of household food presents limited evidence. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between nutritional quality available and total food expenditure in Peruvian households, and whether there were differences by area (urban and rural) and between years of the COVID-19 pandemic. For this, we used Peru's National Household Survey (ENAHO) from 2019 and 2020. We assessed total food expenditure in US dollars per day, whereas household nutritional quality available was assessed based on dietary diversity and compliance with the household calorie requirements, percentage of food expenditure, and potential confounders. We used the Student's t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), linear regression, and the Wald test to assess the interaction effect. Households with adequate total/partial nutritional quality available by area were found to spend, on average, USD 2.00 more in urban than in rural areas and, by year, they presented 7.1% more percentage of food expenditure in 2020 than in 2019. Despite associations existing between nutritional quality available and total food expenditure by year and study area, the effect modification was only present by study area. In multivariable model, households with adequate total/partial nutritional quality available consistently presented a lower total food expenditure by year, with a lower total food expenditure in urban areas. An inverse relationship was found between nutritional quality available and total food expenditure, in contrast to the direct relationship of studies assessing dietary cost and nutritional quality. Our results reflect the nutritional deficit in the food purchases of Peruvian households.
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Vo DH. Does domestic migration adversely affect food security? Evidence from Vietnam. Heliyon 2023; 9:e13789. [PMID: 36873466 PMCID: PMC9981926 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
With a population of more than 100 million as of December 2022, food security remains a persistent challenge in Vietnam despite achieving a miracle of economic growth and social transformation in recent decades. Vietnam has also experienced a significant migration from rural areas into urban cities such as Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Ba Ria - Vung Tau. The effects of domestic migration on food security have largely been neglected in the existing literature, particularly in Vietnam. This study investigates the impacts of domestic migration on food security using data from the Vietnam Household Living Standard Surveys. Food security is proxied by three dimensions: food expenditure, calorie consumption, and food diversity. The difference-in-difference and instrumental variable estimation techniques are used in this study to address endogeneity and selection bias. The empirical results reveal that domestic migration in Vietnam increases food expenditure and calorie consumption. We also find significant effects of wage, land and family characteristics such as education level and the number of family members on food security when different food groups are considered. Regional income, household headship and the number of children in a family mediate the relationship between domestic migration and food security in Vietnam.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duc Hong Vo
- The CBER - Research Centre in Business, Economics & Resources, Ho Chi Minh City Open University, 97 Vo Van Tan Street, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
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4
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Nghiem N, Teng A, Cleghorn C, McKerchar C, Wilson N. Using household economic survey data to assess food expenditure patterns and trends in a high-income country with notable health inequities. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21703. [PMID: 36522384 PMCID: PMC9753885 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26301-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to identify dietary trends in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) and whether inequities in dietary patterns are changing. We extracted data from the Household Economic Survey (HES), which was designed to provide information on impacts of policy-making in NZ, and performed descriptive analyses on food expenditures. Overall, total household food expenditure per capita increased by 0.38% annually over this period. Low-income households spent around three quarters of what high-income households spent on food per capita. High-income households experienced a greater increase in expenditure on nuts and seeds and a greater reduction in expenditure on processed meat. There was increased expenditure over time on fruit and vegetables nuts and seeds, and healthy foods in Māori (Indigenous) households with little variations in non-Māori households. But there was little change in processed meat expenditure for Māori households and expenditure on less healthy foods also increased over time. Routinely collected HES data were useful and cost-effective for understanding trends in food expenditure patterns to inform public health interventions, in the absence of nutrition survey data. Potentially positive expenditure trends for Māori were identified, however, food expenditure inequities in processed meat and less healthy foods by ethnicity and income continue to be substantial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nhung Nghiem
- Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand.
| | - Andrea Teng
- Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Christine Cleghorn
- Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Christina McKerchar
- Department of Population Health, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Nick Wilson
- Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand
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5
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Ahmad D, Shah SZA, Afzal M. Flood hazards vulnerability and risk of food security in Bait community flood-prone areas of Punjab Pakistan: In SDGs achievement threat. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:88663-88680. [PMID: 35836043 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-21683-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Climate change in the global perspective has increased the occurrence of natural disasters, which subsequently decreased agricultural production and intensified the issue of food security. Developing countries, such as Pakistan, are facing severe food security issues, where most of the population still experiences poverty and hunger in their daily lives. Flood disasters ruin valuable land, cause agricultural production losses, and interrupt livelihood routines as expected household livelihood becomes more vulnerable. This research work focused on investigating the flood hazards vulnerability and risk of food security in the Bait community flood-prone areas of Punjab, Pakistan, with a broader aspect in contrast to previous research work. A constructed food security index composed of several IPCC and FAO factors with correlated dimensions of food security was used for the empirical estimation in this study. A composite food security index was developed through polychoric principal component analysis. To estimate the influence on the overall food security condition in the study area, a food security index was regressed on various independent variables. Estimates of the study indicated that three-fourths of household respondents in the study area are confronted with the issue of food security with changeable scale. Financing schemes, physical assets, and family type illustrated the positive influence on respondents' food security level, whereas respondents suffering property losses owing to floods had a negative influence. The study findings suggested integrated strategies must be adopted to effectively deal with issues of food security in the scenario of increasing severity of flood disasters. Policymakers and disaster-concerned institutions need to develop disaster risk mitigation strategies by constructing new water reserves and clearing river encroachments to deal with flood disasters. Agricultural research and development authorities need to provide climate friendly seed varieties and promote particular food crops for flood prone areas to ensure food security and reduce livelihood vulnerability, specifically for the flood-prone communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilshad Ahmad
- Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus, Pakistan.
| | | | - Muhammad Afzal
- Department of Economics, Preston University, Islamabad,, Pakistan
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Tang K, Adams KP, Ferguson EL, Woldt M, Yourkavitch J, Pedersen S, Broadley MR, Dary O, Ander EL, Joy EJM. Systematic review of metrics used to characterise dietary nutrient supply from household consumption and expenditure surveys. Public Health Nutr 2022; 25:1-13. [PMID: 35022103 PMCID: PMC9991734 DOI: 10.1017/s1368980022000118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To review existing publications using Household Consumption and Expenditure Survey (HCES) data to estimate household dietary nutrient supply to (1) describe scope of available literature, (2) identify the metrics reported and parameters used to construct these metrics, (3) summarise comparisons between estimates derived from HCES and individual dietary assessment data and (4) explore the demographic and socio-economic sub-groups used to characterise risks of nutrient inadequacy. DESIGN This study is a systematic review of publications identified from online databases published between 2000 to 2019 that used HCES food consumption data to estimate household dietary nutrient supply. Further publications were identified by 'snowballing' the references of included database-identified publications. SETTING Publications using data from low- and lower-middle income countries. RESULTS In total, fifty-eight publications were included. Three metrics were reported that characterised household dietary nutrient supply: apparent nutrient intake per adult-male equivalent per day (n 35), apparent nutrient intake per capita per day (n 24) and nutrient density (n 5). Nutrient intakes were generally overestimated using HCES food consumption data, with several studies finding sizeable discrepancies compared with intake estimates based on individual dietary assessment methods. Sub-group analyses predominantly focused on measuring variation in household dietary nutrient supply according to socio-economic position and geography. CONCLUSION HCES data are increasingly being used to assess diets across populations. More research is needed to inform the development of a framework to guide the use of and qualified interpretation of dietary assessments based on these data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Tang
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, LondonWC1E 7HT, UK
- USAID Advancing Nutrition, 4th Floor, 2733 Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA22202, USA
| | - Katherine P Adams
- Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Elaine L Ferguson
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, LondonWC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Monica Woldt
- USAID Advancing Nutrition, 4th Floor, 2733 Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA22202, USA
- Helen Keller International, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jennifer Yourkavitch
- USAID Advancing Nutrition, 4th Floor, 2733 Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA22202, USA
- Results for Development, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Sarah Pedersen
- USAID, Bureau for Resilience and Food Security, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Martin R Broadley
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, UK
| | - Omar Dary
- USAID, Bureau for Global Health, Washington, DC, USA
| | - E Louise Ander
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, UK
- Centre for Environmental Geochemistry, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham, UK
| | - Edward JM Joy
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, LondonWC1E 7HT, UK
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Pandey DK, Adhiguru P, Momin KC, Kumar P. Agrobiodiversity and agroecological practices in 'jhumscape' of the Eastern Himalayas: don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION 2022; 31:2349-2372. [PMID: 35694041 PMCID: PMC9172600 DOI: 10.1007/s10531-022-02440-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The values and roles of biodiversity at the grassroots level get little attention and are usually ignored, despite mounting evidence that effective relationships between biodiversity and indigenous people are critical to both ecological integrity and rural survival. 'Jhumscape' (the landscape of shifting cultivation) can contribute a great deal to enriching agrobiodiversity and ensuring food security, but this system of cultivation has been mostly neglected. The objective of the present study was twofold: (1) to quantify the agrobiodiversity of a jhumscape in the Eastern Himalayas, especially its contribution to food and nutritional security, and (2) to examine the jhum practices in view of the agroecological principles recently proposed by the Food and Agricultural Organization. Applying mixed-method research and using primary data from 97 households representing eleven villages, transect walks, and interviews of key informants, the plant diversity maintained in a traditional jhum system by the indigenous people was seen to comprise of 37 crops including many landraces and four non-descript breeds of livestock. The food basket was supplemented with wild edible plants collected from fringes of forests and fallow lands that are a part of the jhumscape. Diversity in food groups and the share of expenditure on food in the total budget indicates that the indigenous people are secure in terms of food and nutrition. Jhum agroecological practices such as zero tillage and organic mixed-crops farming based on traditional ecological knowledge helps to maintain a high level of agrobiodiversity. Using biodiversity more effectively for agroecological transition does not mean merely returning to traditional practices but requires a deeper understanding of how agrobiodiversity contributes to better nutrition, greater food security, and sustainability. Although some principles and local practices related to jhum are applicable globally, others may be specific to the region and the culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dileep Kumar Pandey
- College of Horticulture & Forestry, Central Agricultural University (Manipur), Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh 791102 India
| | - P Adhiguru
- Agricultural Extension Division, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Headquarters, Krishi Anusandhan Bhavan - I, PUSA, New Delhi, 110012 India
| | - Kalkame Cheran Momin
- College of Horticulture & Forestry, Central Agricultural University (Manipur), Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh 791102 India
| | - Prabhat Kumar
- Agricultural Education Division, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Headquarters, Krishi Anusandhan Bhavan - II, PUSA, New Delhi, 110012 India
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8
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Bandyopadhyay A, Haile B, Azzarri C, Somé J. Analyzing the Drivers of Household Dietary Diversity: Evidence from Burkina Faso. Food Nutr Bull 2021; 42:530-550. [PMID: 34467801 PMCID: PMC8637355 DOI: 10.1177/03795721211029092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The diets of millions of poor individuals lack adequate amount of essential nutrients. OBJECTIVE To examine the determinants of household dietary diversity in Burkina Faso and assess whether the choice of a diversity metric matters. METHODS Using survey data from 2014, we construct 3 metrics-Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS), Berry Index (BI), and Healthy Food Diversity Index (HFDI). Unlike the oft-used HDDS, the BI captures the quantity distribution of food items while the HFDI captures all 3 aspects of a healthy diet-count, quantity distribution, and health value. We fit linear (for BI and HFDI) and Poisson (for HDDS) models controlling for several socioeconomic and climatic covariates. RESULTS Some parameter estimates are sensitive to the diversity metric with fewer significant covariates observed in the HFDI model. Overall, diets are more diverse for households in urban areas, with female or better educated heads, with higher asset-based wealth and with more diverse on-farm production, while remoteness reduces dietary diversity. Higher precipitation seems to reduce diversity, potentially driven by the spatial heterogeneity in precipitation and on-farm production diversity. CONCLUSIONS The sensitivity of estimates to the metric used underscores potentially more complex interactions that determine the quantity distribution of food items consumed. Policies that enhance on-farm production diversity, market access, and women's empowerment may help improve dietary diversity and subsequent nutritional benefits. Efforts should be made to compile health value data that are relevant to developing countries facing nutrition transition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Beliyou Haile
- International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Carlo Azzarri
- International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
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9
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Moltedo A, Jiménez S, Álvarez-Sánchez C, Manyani T, Ramos MP, Custodio E. Raw versus cooked food matching: Nutrient intake using the 2015/16 Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey. J Food Compost Anal 2021; 102:103879. [PMID: 34483479 PMCID: PMC8356072 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfca.2021.103879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Dietary energy assessment does not require matching foods in cooked form. Macronutrient dietary assessment does not require matching foods in cooked form. Vitamin and mineral dietary assessment requires matching foods in cooked form.
In many countries, statistics from household consumption and expenditure surveys are increasingly being used to inform policies and programs. In household surveys, foods are typically reported as they are acquired (the majority are raw). However, the micronutrient content of some foods diminishes during processing and cooking. Using food consumption data from the 2015/16 Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey, this study analyzes whether mean consumption estimates of dietary energy, macronutrients, and eight micronutrients are equivalent (applying a two-side paired equivalence test) when matching foods: (1) considering the nutrient content in raw foods (as reported in the survey), and (2) considering the nutrient content in foods as typically consumed, thus applying yield and retention factors as needed. Both food matching approaches rendered statistically equivalent mean consumption estimates, at national and county levels, for dietary energy, protein, fats, available carbohydrates, total fiber, calcium and zinc. Non-equivalent means were found for iron, vitamins A, B1, B2, B12, and C. The higher differences between the means were, in percentage change, for vitamin C (47 %), B1 (34 %) and B12 (26 %).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Moltedo
- Statistics Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153, Rome, Italy
| | - Sofía Jiménez
- Joint Research Centre, Sustainable Resources, Economics of Agriculture, European Commission, Joint Research Centre, C/Inca Garcilaso s/n, Sevilla, E-41092, Spain
| | - Cristina Álvarez-Sánchez
- Statistics Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153, Rome, Italy
| | - Talent Manyani
- Statistics Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153, Rome, Italy
| | - María Priscila Ramos
- Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas. Departamento de Economía, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto Interdisciplinario de Economía Política de Buenos Aires (IIEP-Baires), Avenida Córdoba 2122 - 2do Piso, C1120AAQ, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Centre d'Etudes Prospectives et d'Information Internationale (CEPII), 20 avenue de Ségur, 75334, Paris cedex 07, France
| | - Estefanía Custodio
- Joint Research Centre, Sustainable Resources, Economics of Agriculture, European Commission, Joint Research Centre, C/Inca Garcilaso s/n, Sevilla, E-41092, Spain
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10
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Cross-national analysis of food security drivers: comparing results based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale and Global Food Security Index. Food Secur 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12571-021-01156-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe second UN Sustainable Development Goal establishes food security as a priority for governments, multilateral organizations, and NGOs. These institutions track national-level food security performance with an array of metrics and weigh intervention options considering the leverage of many possible drivers. We studied the relationships between several candidate drivers and two response variables based on prominent measures of national food security: the 2019 Global Food Security Index (GFSI) and the Food Insecurity Experience Scale’s (FIES) estimate of the percentage of a nation’s population experiencing food security or mild food insecurity (FI<mod). We compared the contributions of explanatory variables in regressions predicting both response variables, and we further tested the stability of our results to changes in explanatory variable selection and in the countries included in regression model training and testing. At the cross-national level, the quantity and quality of a nation’s agricultural land were not predictive of either food security metric. We found mixed evidence that per-capita cereal production, per-hectare cereal yield, an aggregate governance metric, logistics performance, and extent of paid employment work were predictive of national food security. Household spending as measured by per-capita final consumption expenditure (HFCE) was consistently the strongest driver among those studied, alone explaining a median of 92% and 70% of variation (based on out-of-sample R2) in GFSI and FI<mod, respectively. The relative strength of HFCE as a predictor was observed for both response variables and was independent of the countries used for model training, the transformations applied to the explanatory variables prior to model training, and the variable selection technique used to specify multivariate regressions. The results of this cross-national analysis reinforce previous research supportive of a causal mechanism where, in the absence of exceptional local factors, an increase in income drives increase in food security. However, the strength of this effect varies depending on the countries included in regression model fitting. We demonstrate that using multiple response metrics, repeated random sampling of input data, and iterative variable selection facilitates a convergence of evidence approach to analyzing food security drivers.
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Stoler J, Pearson AL, Staddon C, Wutich A, Mack E, Brewis A, Rosinger AY. Cash water expenditures are associated with household water insecurity, food insecurity, and perceived stress in study sites across 20 low- and middle-income countries. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 716:135881. [PMID: 31874751 PMCID: PMC9988664 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/30/2019] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Billions of people globally, living with various degrees of water insecurity, obtain their household and drinking water from diverse sources that can absorb a disproportionate amount of a household's income. In theory, there are income and expenditure thresholds associated with effective mitigation of household water insecurity, but there is little empirical research about these mechanisms and thresholds in low- and middle-income settings. This study used data from 3655 households from 23 water-insecure sites in 20 countries to explore the relationship between cash water expenditures (measured as a Z-score, percent of income, and Z-score of percent of income) and a household water insecurity score, and whether income moderated that relationship. We also assessed whether water expenditures moderated the relationships between water insecurity and both food insecurity and perceived stress. Using tobit mixed effects regression models, we observed a positive association between multiple measures of water expenditures and a household water insecurity score, controlling for demographic characteristics and accounting for clustering within neighborhoods and study sites. The positive relationships between water expenditures and water insecurity persisted even when adjusted for income, while income was independently negatively associated with water insecurity. Water expenditures were also positively associated with food insecurity and perceived stress. These results underscore the complex relationships between water insecurity, food insecurity, and perceived stress and suggest that water infrastructure interventions that increase water costs to households without anti-poverty and income generation interventions will likely exacerbate experiences of household water insecurity, especially for the lowest-income households.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Stoler
- Department of Geography and Regional Studies, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA; Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
| | - Amber L Pearson
- Department of Geography, Environment & Spatial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington 6242, New Zealand.
| | - Chad Staddon
- Centre for Water, Communities and Resilience, University of the West of England, Bristol BS161QY, UK.
| | - Amber Wutich
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
| | - Elizabeth Mack
- Department of Geography, Environment & Spatial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
| | - Alexandra Brewis
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
| | - Asher Y Rosinger
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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