Association Between Household Food Insecurity (Access) Scores, Poverty Indicators and Child Malnutrition in Botswana

Ecol Food Nutr. 2023 Apr 13:1-16. doi: 10.1080/03670244.2023.2202392. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTIn Botswana the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) has been used in studying the urban-poor, but less in rural settings high in poverty, child malnutrition (CM), and social protection beneficiaries. This cross-sectional study compared HFIAS scores, household poverty (HP) and CM in two rural districts: Bobirwa with moderate and Mabutsane with high poverty. Households (n = 872) with children under-five years participated. Most children (87.6%) experienced food insecurity. Mean HFIAS for all households was 11.0 ± 8. HFIAS scores were higher in Mabutsane (p < .001). HFIAS scores were consistently associated with HP and CM in both districts. HFIAS can assist in targeting the rural-poor.PMID:37055878 | DOI:10.1080/03670244.2023.2202392
Source: Ecology of Food and Nutrition - Category: Nutrition Authors: Source Type: research