Prevalence and contributing factors of household food insecurity among women in Akinyele local government, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: food is paramount to a healthy life and should be adequate in terms of quantity and quality. A pressing social and public health issue is food insecurity, which has consequences on individuals, households, and the nation at large. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of food insecurity and its contributing factors among women in the Akinyele Local Government Area. Methods: this was a cross-sectional study conducted in the Akinyele Local Government Area, Ibadan. A pre-tested, structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was employed for collecting socioeconomic details and contributing factors to household food insecurity. Prevalence of food insecurity was assessed using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). Multistage sampling was used to select 399 households, out of 399 questionnaires distributed, 364 were retrieved, representing a 91.2% response rate. Chi-square was used to determine the prevalence of food insecurity and the association between food insecurity and sociodemographic characteristics of respondents. Results: the study revealed that a total of 76% of households were food-insecure, 11.6% of households were mildly food-insecure, 30.5% of households were moderately food-insecure, and 33.9% of households were severely food-insecure. There exists a significant association between socio-economic factors and food insecurity [X²=4.122; p-value< .036]. Family size was also found to be significantly associated with food insecurity [X²=2.889; p-value = 0.042]. Religion [X²=1.026; p-value = .117], Level of Education [X²=2.009; p-value = 0 .083] and Ethnicity [X²=1.361; p-value =0 .089] does not show significant association with food insecurity. Households with large family size were 5.5 times more likely (AOR = 5.5; 95% CI 1.06-17.15) to be food insecure compared to those with small family size. Conclusion: a high prevalence of food insecurity was reported among households in Akinyele local government Area, Ibadan. This requires prompt attention by policymakers to forestall the effects of food insecurity.