Association of gender-related factors and household food security in southwest Oromia, Ethiopia: Evidence from a cross-sectional study

Association of gender-related factors and household food security in southwest Oromia, Ethiopia: Evidence from a cross-sectional study
Link to Document:
  s40066-023-00433-5
Citation: Hiruy, H.N., Barden-O’Fallon, J., Mitiku, F. et al. Association of gender-related factors and household food security in southwest Oromia, Ethiopia: evidence from a cross-sectional study. Agric & Food Secur 12, 26 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-023-00433-5
Abstract: Background
Food insecurity is a major concern across Ethiopia and a long-standing public health problem. Vulnerability to food insecurity varies by several individual and household factors; however, understanding the role of gender-related factors can serve as additional input for designing policy and interventions. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve in southwest Oromia, Ethiopia as part of a baseline assessment for the My Forest, My Livelihood, My Family program. A total of 1.113 households were selected from six woredas (districts) using a two-stage sampling procedure. The outcome variable was measured using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, version 3. The association between gender-related factors and household food security was assessed by fitting a logistic regression.

Results
The prevalence of food insecurity was 62.4%, with 28.1% of households assessed as severely food insecure. Households with both the wife and husband making decisions about major purchases were associated with an increased odds of household food security (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.44, confidence interval [CI] 1.06, 1.96). The odds increased when the woman alone made these decisions (AOR 2.15, CI 1.20, 3.85). Women’s formal education was also associated with increased odds of household food security.

Conclusions
This study adds evidence that policy and programmatic interventions that improve the agency of women to participate in asset ownership and household economic decision making, expand female literacy and education, and diversify income sources to include off-farm wage employment in the Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve are important steps for improving household food security.
Shortname: JA-23-298 D4I
Author(s): Honelgn Nahusenay Hiruy, Janine Barden-O’Fallon, Fikadu Mitiku, and Elizabeth Millar
Year: 2023
Language: English
Region(s): ETHIOPIA