IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i9p4851-d547676.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Food Insecurity and Dietary Intake among Rural Indian Women: An Exploratory Study

Author

Listed:
  • Alice Sims

    (The School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia)

  • Paige van der Pligt

    (Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia)

  • Preethi John

    (Chitkara School of Health Sciences, Chitkara University, Punjab 144417, India)

  • Jyotsna Kaushal

    (Centre of Water Sciences, Chitkara University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Chitkara University, Punjab 144417, India)

  • Gaganjot Kaur

    (Chitkara Business School, Chitkara University, Punjab 144417, India)

  • Fiona H McKay

    (The School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia)

Abstract

Food insecurity is an important contributor to health and a factor in both underweight and malnutrition, and overweight and obesity. Countries where both undernutrition and overweight and obesity coexist are said to be experiencing a double burden of malnutrition. India is one example of a country experiencing this double burden. Women have been found to experience the negative impacts of food insecurity and obesity, however, the reasons that women experience the impact of malnutrition more so than men are complex and are under-researched. This current research employed a mixed methods approach to begin to fill this gap by exploring the dietary intake, anthropometric characteristics, and food security status of rural Indian women. In total, 78 household were surveyed. The average waist measurement, waist to hip ratio, and BMI were all above WHO recommendations, with two thirds of participants categorized as obese. Contributing to these findings was a very limited diet, high in energy, and low in protein and iron. The findings of this research suggest that the rural Indian women in this study have a lack of diet diversity and may be at risk of a range of non-communicable diseases.

Suggested Citation

  • Alice Sims & Paige van der Pligt & Preethi John & Jyotsna Kaushal & Gaganjot Kaur & Fiona H McKay, 2021. "Food Insecurity and Dietary Intake among Rural Indian Women: An Exploratory Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-11, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:9:p:4851-:d:547676
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/9/4851/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/9/4851/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Blumberg, S.J. & Bialostosky, K. & Hamilton, W.L. & Briefel, R.R., 1999. "The effectiveness of a short form of the household food security scale," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 89(8), pages 1231-1234.
    2. Anu Rammohan & Patrick Vu, 2018. "Gender Inequality in Education and Kinship Norms in India," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(1), pages 142-167, January.
    3. Gregory, Christian A. & Coleman-Jensen, Alisha, 2017. "Food Insecurity, Chronic Disease, and Health Among Working-Age Adults," Economic Research Report 261813, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    4. Itishree Pattnaik & Kuntala Lahiri-Dutt & Stewart Lockie & Bill Pritchard, 2018. "The feminization of agriculture or the feminization of agrarian distress? Tracking the trajectory of women in agriculture in India," Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(1), pages 138-155, January.
    5. Cornish, Peter S. & Karmakar, Dinabandhu & Kumar, Ashok & Das, Sudipta & Croke, Barry, 2015. "Improving crop production for food security and improved livelihoods on the East India Plateau. I. Rainfall-related risks with rice and opportunities for improved cropping systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 166-179.
    6. Fiona H McKay & Preethi John & Alice Sims & Gaganjot Kaur & Jyotsna Kaushal, 2020. "Documenting the Food Insecurity Experiences and Nutritional Status of Women in India: Study Protocol," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-9, May.
    7. Coleman-Jensen, Alisha & Gregory, Christian & Singh, Anita, 2014. "Household Food Security in the United States in 2013: Statistical Supplement," Administrative Publications 292109, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    8. Imai, Katsushi S. & Gaiha, Raghav & Thapa, Ganesh, 2015. "Does non-farm sector employment reduce rural poverty and vulnerability? Evidence from Vietnam and India," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 47-61.
    9. Siddiqui, Zakaria & Donato, Ronald, 2020. "The dramatic rise in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in India: Obesity transition and the looming health care crisis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    10. Dorothee Bühler & Rebecca Hartje & Ulrike Grote, 2018. "Matching food security and malnutrition indicators: evidence from Southeast Asia," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 49(4), pages 481-495, July.
    11. Francis Tsiboe & Yacob A. Zereyesus & Jennie S. Popp & Evelyn Osei, 2018. "The Effect of Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture on Household Nutrition and Food Poverty in Northern Ghana," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 138(1), pages 89-108, July.
    12. Ocean, Neel & Howley, Peter & Ensor, Jonathan, 2019. "Lettuce be happy: A longitudinal UK study on the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and well-being," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 222(C), pages 335-345.
    13. Coleman-Jensen, Alisha & Gregory, Christian & Singh, Anita, 2014. "Household Food Security in the United States in 2013," Economic Research Report 183589, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Craig Gundersen & David R. Just & Craig Gundersen & Emily Engelhard & Monica Hake, 2017. "The Determinants of Food Insecurity among Food Bank Clients in the United States," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(3), pages 501-518, November.
    2. Zhong, Danruo & Gunnar, Megan R. & Kelly, Aaron S. & French, Simone & Sherwood, Nancy E. & Berge, Jerica M. & Kunin-Batson, Alicia, 2022. "Household food insecurity and obesity risk in preschool-aged children: A three-year prospective study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 307(C).
    3. Masako Horino & Sze Yan Liu & Eun-Young Lee & Ichiro Kawachi & Roman Pabayo, 2020. "State-level income inequality and the odds for meeting fruit and vegetable recommendations among US adults," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(9), pages 1-15, September.
    4. Rabbitt, Matthew P. & Beymer, Matthew R., 2024. "Comparing Food Insecurity Among the U.S. Military and Civilian Adult Populations," Economic Research Report 341823, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    5. Ian K McDonough & Daniel L Millimet, 2019. "Criminal Incarceration, Statutory Bans on Food Assistance, and Food Security in Extremely Vulnerable Households: Findings from a Partnership with the North Texas Food Bank," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 41(3), pages 351-369.
    6. Rachmat Mulia & Elisabeth Simelton & Tan Quang Nguyen & Magnus Jirström, 2021. "Non-Farm Activities and Impacts beyond the Economy of Rural Households in Vietnam: A Review and Link to Policies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-22, September.
    7. Alwin D'Souza & Ashok K. Mishra & Stefan Hirsch, 2020. "Enhancing food security through diet quality: The role of nonfarm work in rural India," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 51(1), pages 95-110, January.
    8. A. Amarender Reddy & Surabhi Mittal & Namrata Singha Roy & Sanghamitra Kanjilal-Bhaduri, 2021. "Time Allocation between Paid and Unpaid Work among Men and Women: An Empirical Study of Indian Villages," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-17, March.
    9. Amy Herrington & Tamara L. Mix, 2021. "Invisible and Insecure in Rural America: Cultivating Dignity in Local Food Security Initiatives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-21, March.
    10. Shamsheer Ul Haq & Pomi Shahbaz & Azhar Abbas & Zahira Batool & Bader Alhafi Alotaibi & Abou Traore, 2022. "Tackling Food and Nutrition Insecurity among Rural Inhabitants: Role of Household-Level Strategies with a Focus on Value Addition, Diversification and Female Participation," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-19, February.
    11. Coleman-Jensen, Alisha & Rabbitt, Matthew P. & Gregory, Christian A., 2017. "Examining an "Experimental" Food Security Status Classification Method for Households with Children," Technical Bulletins 264418, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    12. Keumseok Koh & Rebecca Reno & Ayaz Hyder, 2019. "Examining disparities in food accessibility among households in Columbus, Ohio: an agent-based model," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 11(2), pages 317-331, April.
    13. Matthew Freedman & Yoonjung Kim, 2022. "Quasi‐Experimental Evidence on the Effects of Expanding Cash Welfare," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(3), pages 859-890, June.
    14. Colleen Heflin & Leslie Hodges & Irma Arteaga & Chinedum O. Ojinnaka, 2023. "Churn in the older adult SNAP population," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 45(1), pages 350-371, March.
    15. Judith Martin-Fernandez & Sandrine Lioret & Cécile Vuillermoz & Pierre Chauvin & Stéphanie Vandentorren, 2018. "Food Insecurity in Homeless Families in the Paris Region (France): Results from the ENFAMS Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-12, February.
    16. Ning Xu & Chang’an Li, 2023. "Migration and Rural Sustainability: Relative Poverty Alleviation by Geographical Mobility in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-27, April.
    17. Christopher M. Bacon & Gregory A. Baker, 2017. "The rise of food banks and the challenge of matching food assistance with potential need: towards a spatially specific, rapid assessment approach," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 34(4), pages 899-919, December.
    18. Isabel Craveiro & Daniela Alves & Miguel Amado & Zélia Santos & Argentina Tomar Fortes & António Pedro Delgado & Artur Correia & Luzia Gonçalves, 2016. "Determinants, Health Problems, and Food Insecurity in Urban Areas of the Largest City in Cape Verde," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-14, November.
    19. Devkota, M. & Devkota, K.P. & Acharya, S. & McDonald, A.J., 2019. "Increasing profitability, yields and yield stability through sustainable crop establishment practices in the rice-wheat systems of Nepal," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 414-423.
    20. Zeeshan & Geetilaxmi Mohapatra & Arun Kumar Giri, 2022. "How Farm Household Spends Their Non-farm Incomes in Rural India? Evidence from Longitudinal Data," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(4), pages 1967-1996, August.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    food security; India; women; rural;
    All these keywords.

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:9:p:4851-:d:547676. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.