Factors Affecting Food Security in Women Enrolled in a Program for Vulnerable Group Development

Mansura Khanam; Gulshan Ara; Ahmed Shafiqur Rahman; Zhahirul Islam; Shahriar Farhad; Sihan Sadat Khan; Kazi Istiaque Sanin; Mohammad Mahbobor Rahman; Herma Majoor; Tahmeed Ahmed

doi:10.1093/cdn/nzaa037

Factors Affecting Food Security in Women Enrolled in a Program for Vulnerable Group Development

Curr Dev Nutr. 2020 Mar 19;4(4):nzaa037. doi: 10.1093/cdn/nzaa037. eCollection 2020 Apr.

Affiliations

¹ International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh.
² World Food Programme, IDB Bhaban, IDB Bhaban 14th, 16th and 17th Floor E/8-A, Rokeya Sharani Agargaon, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh.

Abstract

Background: Food security is defined as physical and economic access to sufficient food to meet the dietary requirements for a productive and healthy life. Evidence from the literature suggests that >800 million people worldwide are food insecure. Vulnerable Group Development (VGD) is the largest social safety net of the Government of Bangladesh targeting ultra-poor women to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to explore the factors associated with food security among VGD women in Bangladesh.

Methods: A total of 870 women (435/group) participated in the baseline survey and another 800 women (400/group) participated in the endline survey. Participants in the intervention group received monthly rations of 30 kg fortified rice (FFR) and the control group received 30 kg of non-FFR for 12 mo. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to establish both crude and confounder-adjusted relations between the primary outcome and response variables. Written consent was proved by study participants. This study (PR-14091) was approved by the Research Review Committee and Ethical Review Committee.

Results: Severe food insecurity in the endline survey decreased from ∼50% to 6.3% in both groups. The hunger scale also improved between the baseline and endline survey. More than 97% of respondents at endline reported no hunger compared with 80% at baseline; only 3% of women in both groups reported moderate hunger at endline. Multivariable regression model showed that ownership of a house and land for agriculture, wealth index (richest quintile), and absence of fever were significantly associated with food security (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: Our analysis shows that the VGD rice distribution program significantly improves the food security status of vulnerable women; however, ownership of a house and land for agriculture were the most significant factors associated with household food security in VGD program areas of Bangladesh.

Keywords: assessment; food insecurity; food security; social safety net; women.