Household Food Insecurity, Coping Strategies and Associated Factors among Pension Beneficiaries in the Gondar City Administration, Northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Abstract Background: Food insecurity is a major public health problem in developing nations, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ethiopia. Pension beneficiaries are vulnerable to poverty for various reasons. This study aimed to assess the prevalence, coping strategies and associated factors for household food insecurity among pension beneficiaries in the Gondar City Administration. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted from April 01, 2022, to August 4, 2022. A total of 615 pension beneficiaries were included in the study. Household food insecurity (HFI) was assessed by using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). A structured questionnaire was used to gather demographic and socioeconomic data. An ordinal logistic regression model was fitted to identify predictors of household food insecurity. Result: The prevalence of household food insecurity was 75.9% (95% CI: 72.4- 79.4). The proportions of households that had mild, moderate and severe food insecurity were 14.5%, 18.4% and 43.1%, respectively. The demographic variables, such as sex, marital status, occupation, family size, and socioeconomic variables, such as livestock, local aid, remittance, monthly income, and house ownership, were found to be independent factors influencing the occurrence of household food insecurity. Households of male pension beneficiaries were nearly twice as likely to be food insecure than females were. Households of pension beneficiaries who had their own house were less likely to be affected by different levels of food insecurity. The most common coping mechanisms identified involved decreasing the amount and frequency of meals and eating cheap and low-quality foods. Conclusion: A large proportion of pension beneficiaries experienced different levels of food insecurity, with the highest proportion being severely insecure. Policy makers should put particular emphasis on the availability of local aid and access to credit to pension beneficiaries.