Khanam Mansura, Ara Gulshan, Rahman Ahmed Shafiqur, Islam Zhahirul, Farhad Shahriar, Khan Sihan Sadat, Sanin Kazi Istiaque, Rahman Mohammad Mahbobor, Majoor Herma, Ahmed Tahmeed
International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh.
World Food Programme, IDB Bhaban, IDB Bhaban 14th, 16th and 17th Floor E/8-A, Rokeya Sharani Agargaon, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh.
Curr Dev Nutr. 2020 Mar 19;4(4):nzaa037. doi: 10.1093/cdn/nzaa037. eCollection 2020 Apr.
Food security is defined as physical and economic access to sufficient food to meet the dietary requirements for a productive and healthy life. Evidence from the literature suggests that >800 million people worldwide are food insecure. Vulnerable Group Development (VGD) is the largest social safety net of the Government of Bangladesh targeting ultra-poor women to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.
The objective of this study is to explore the factors associated with food security among VGD women in Bangladesh.
A total of 870 women (435/group) participated in the baseline survey and another 800 women (400/group) participated in the endline survey. Participants in the intervention group received monthly rations of 30 kg fortified rice (FFR) and the control group received 30 kg of non-FFR for 12 mo. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to establish both crude and confounder-adjusted relations between the primary outcome and response variables. Written consent was proved by study participants. This study (PR-14091) was approved by the Research Review Committee and Ethical Review Committee.
Severe food insecurity in the endline survey decreased from ∼50% to 6.3% in both groups. The hunger scale also improved between the baseline and endline survey. More than 97% of respondents at endline reported no hunger compared with 80% at baseline; only 3% of women in both groups reported moderate hunger at endline. Multivariable regression model showed that ownership of a house and land for agriculture, wealth index (richest quintile), and absence of fever were significantly associated with food security ( < 0.05).
Our analysis shows that the VGD rice distribution program significantly improves the food security status of vulnerable women; however, ownership of a house and land for agriculture were the most significant factors associated with household food security in VGD program areas of Bangladesh.
粮食安全被定义为在物质和经济上能够获取足够的食物，以满足生产性和健康生活的饮食需求。文献证据表明，全球有超过8亿人面临粮食不安全问题。弱势群体发展项目（VGD）是孟加拉国政府最大的社会安全网，目标是帮助极端贫困妇女消除饥饿、实现粮食安全、改善营养状况并促进可持续农业发展。
本研究旨在探讨孟加拉国弱势群体发展项目中妇女粮食安全的相关影响因素。
共有870名妇女（每组435名）参与了基线调查，另有800名妇女（每组400名）参与了终期调查。干预组参与者每月领取30千克强化米（FFR），对照组则领取30千克非强化米，为期12个月。采用多元逻辑回归分析来建立主要结局与反应变量之间的原始关系和经混杂因素调整后的关系。研究参与者提供了书面同意书。本研究（PR - 14091）获得了研究审查委员会和伦理审查委员会的批准。
在终期调查中，两组的严重粮食不安全状况从约50%降至6.3%。饥饿程度在基线调查和终期调查之间也有所改善。终期调查中超过97%的受访者表示没有饥饿感，而基线调查时这一比例为80%；两组中只有3%的妇女在终期调查时表示有中度饥饿感。多变量回归模型显示，拥有住房和农业用地、财富指数（最富有五分位数）以及没有发烧与粮食安全显著相关（P < 0.05）。
我们的分析表明，弱势群体发展项目的大米分配计划显著改善了弱势妇女的粮食安全状况；然而，在孟加拉国弱势群体发展项目地区，拥有住房和农业用地是与家庭粮食安全最相关的重要因素。
