Page 100 - IJPS-10-2

International Journal of
Population Studies Household food insecurity in urban areas

that consumption patterns are not uniform (Battersby, facilities. Furthermore, a significant proportion of
2011). Often, children, women, and older household respondents (54.5%) used the urban productive safety net
members consume less food compared to male adults program, with only 5.8% of respondents engaged in urban
(Claro et al., 2010). Per capita adult person equivalent farming activities. When it came to monthly food expenses,
estimate is obtained by dividing the total daily income/ almost two-thirds of heads of households (approximately
calorie by all household members, assuming a uniform 81.8%) reported spending 1000 – 3000 Birr. Moreover, an
food consumption pattern for families with different assessment of household food security status revealed that
compositions. Therefore, if this adult person equivalent 66.5% of the sampled households were classified as food
estimate was taken, 31.46 Birr/2,200 kcal would be used as insecure, while the remaining 33.5% were categorized as
a standard threshold to identify food-insecure households food secure.
from those that are not. However, such an approach could
make households food-insecure that was almost certainly 3.2. Factors associated with food insecurity in Lideta
not insecure since they fail to consider the presence of subcity
household members with distinct energy needs. Thus, To determine the variables suitable for logistic regression,
2
in this paper, an adult-equivalent estimate of the calorie a Pearson’s Chi-square test (χ ) was conducted. Based
availability scale that has an adult-equivalent conversion on pre-defined criteria, the sex and age of household
factor was used (Appendix). The application of an adult- heads, educational status, household dependency ratio,
equivalent scale effectively narrows the variance between employment status, participation in the urban safety net
estimated and actual food intake, thereby enabling the program, and monthly food expenditure were identified
discernment of the relative contributions of distinct as suitable candidates for logistic regression. Although
household members toward the overall dietary pattern of household size exhibited significance in Pearson’s chi-
2
the household, which is not feasible with the utilization of square test (χ ) at p < 0.25, it was excluded from the
per capita metrics. model due to concerns about multicollinearity with the
level of household dependency ratio. After controlling
3. Results for confounding factors, it was observed that the age and
sex of the household head, household dependency ratio,
3.1. Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics food expenditure, level of education, access to savings and
of respondents credit, and participation in the urban productive safety
Table 1 presents an overview of the demographic and net program were statistically significantly associated with
socioeconomic characteristics of the participants in this household food insecurity at a 95% CI (Table 2). Efforts
study, encompassing a total of 692 households. Notably, were undertaken to assess the extent to which the necessary
approximately 64.3% of the household heads fall within assumptions for the application of logistic regression were
the age bracket of 31 and 45 years old. In terms of marital satisfied. In this context, the Hosmer–Lemeshow test for
status, the distribution of respondents is as follows: goodness of fit was performed to assess the fitness of the
442 individuals were married (63.9%), 119 were single model, yielding a value of 0.317. The Nagelkerke R-squared
(17.2%), 96 were divorced (13.9%), and 35 were widowed model explained 65.1% of the variation in the observed
(5.2%). The majority, almost 80%, of the respondents had a data, providing insights into factors contributing to food
household dependency ratio ranging from 0 to 100%. More insecurity in urban households.
than 50% of these households had family sizes exceeding The results of the study reveal that households led
6 members, while the remaining 143 (20.7%) consisted by male individuals exhibited a significantly higher
of 3-member households. Educational attainment among likelihood of experiencing food insecurity, with an odds
the respondents varies, with the majority of respondents ratio of 2.72 when compared to households headed
(38.7%) having completed secondary school, followed by female individuals. The age of the household head
by those with a primary school education (24.6%). In exhibited a positive correlation with the probability of
addition, 14.6% held technical and diploma degrees, and food insecurity, with a high level of statistical significance
only 10.0% had attained a tertiary level of education. In denoted by p < 0.05. The study revealed that households
terms of employment, 13.7% of the heads of households led by individuals aged 31 – 45 years and those aged above
were not engaged in any income-generating activities, 45 years face a heightened risk of food insecurity. Further
while a substantial majority (86.3%) of the respondents analysis of the results discloses that households headed by
were employed in various labor sectors at the time of individuals aged 31 – 45 years when compared to those
the survey. Financially, the majority of respondents, led by individuals aged 15 – 30 years, exhibit a 3.69-fold
approximately 83.1%, had access to savings and credit increased likelihood of experiencing food insecurity.

Volume 10 Issue 2 (2024) 94 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.1060