Page 98 - IJPS-10-2

International Journal of
Population Studies Household food insecurity in urban areas

initial perspective attributes environmental phenomena, that household size and the educational level of household
such as drought and floods, as primary factors contributing heads significantly influenced food insecurity, with a
to reduced food production, whereas the subsequent headcount ratio indicating that 71.6% of households
viewpoint places emphasis on population growth (Taheri were food insecure (Mota et al., 2019). In Maphumulo
& Azadi, 2019). The concept of FED was introduced as a Local Municipality, South Africa, a study indicated that
viable alternative to the notion of FAD (Burchi & Muro, education significantly affected food insecurity (Ngema
2012). According to the present approach, the occurrence of et al., 2018). A study conducted in Khamuan province,
famine can be attributed to the inadequacy of entitlement, Laos, highlighted the importance of household size, food
where disparate segments of the population are unable to prices, monthly household income, and the sex of the
attain control over their sustenance. Sen’s (1981) analysis household head in determining household food insecurity
suggests that entitlement failure can result from either (Phouvong, 2020).
a direct cause, such as a decrease in production due to The study conducted by Tadesse et al. (2017) in Sodo
drought or flood, or an indirect one, including exchange- town, Ethiopia, revealed that out of ten explanatory
related factors or trade failure resulting from shifts in food variables, five variables, namely the status of being a single
prices. household head, family size, number of daily laborers of
The political economy framework, on the other hand, household heads, monthly income, and food expenditure,
has identified various environmental and socioeconomic exhibited significant influence on the food security status
factors contributing to the predicament. These factors of households. According to the headcount ratio, 37.6%
include accelerated population expansion, conflicts and civil of the sampled households were deemed food insecure.
wars (internal hostilities), drought, ecological deterioration, Similarly, in Dessie and Combolcha cities in north-
inadequate governance practices, asymmetric resource central Ethiopia (Dinku et al., 2023), analysis using
distribution, weak markets, institutional shortcomings, the binary logistic regression model demonstrated that
and political turmoil. According to Plümper & Neumayer three of the seven explanatory variables were statistically
(2009), the impact of this phenomenon can be mitigated significant. These variables were sex, employment status,
through the provision of free or partially subsidized food and house ownership. According to the headcount ratio,
allocation, the creation of job and income-generating 33.1% of the sampled households were found to be food
opportunities for affected populations, the containment insecure. Furthermore, another study (Habte et al., 2019)
of epidemic outbreaks, and ensuring adequate access to utilizing the logistic regression model indicated that
health-care services. Evidently, the effectiveness of such monthly food expenditure, age of household head, and
measures is heavily contingent upon the specific nature level of education were significant factors in determining
of both the governing political system and pertinent state urban food insecurity. The headcount index revealed
institutions. that 69.6% of the total households fell below the food
insecurity line.
Numerous studies have been conducted to assess
household food insecurity in various contexts. The Numerous investigations conducted in this field have
majority of the existing literature, including the present demonstrated a preference for examining national and
investigation, has utilized the political economy regional contexts (Dinku et al., 2023; Donn et al., 2016;
framework, with a specific focus on demographic Dula, 2019; Gebre & Rahut, 2021; Habte et al., 2019;
and socioeconomic factors, to explore the various Phouvong, 2020; Tariku & Ayana, 2022), often giving less
determinants of household food insecurity. For instance, attention to disparities within localities and subcities.
a study conducted in the South Wollo zone of Ethiopia The empirical data provided in these studies may not
demonstrated a significant association between the sex of definitively authenticate circumstances that transpire
household heads and household food insecurity, where at a fundamental level and may inadequately reveal the
male-headed households were found to be more food magnitude of food insecurity predicaments within regional
secure than their female counterparts (Agidew-Meta & domains. Any of these investigations have primarily
Singh, 2018). In the Woliso district of Ethiopia, another focused on rural environments, with limited attention
study revealed a statistically significant relationship given to metropolitan regions. The present study aims to
between household food insecurity and both the investigate the prevalence of household food insecurity
dependency ratio and the educational attainment level in the urban region of Lideta subcity, located in Addis
of the household head, with a headcount ratio indicating Ababa, Ethiopia. The present study endeavors to identify
that 25.2% of households were food insecure (Dula, 2019). and analyze the factors that correlate with household food
Similarly, a study conducted in Wolaita, Ethiopia, found insecurity within this specific subcity.

Volume 10 Issue 2 (2024) 92 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.1060