Baker Noah, Kang Yunhee, Makabila Gregory, Tadesse Seifu, Doocy Shannon
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.
Catholic Relief Services, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
PLOS Glob Public Health. 2025 Sep 11;5(9):e0004636. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0004636. eCollection 2025.
Frequent drought has heightened nutritional concerns in Ethiopia. This study retrospectively assesses the prevalence and risk factors of severe food insecurity and poor food consumption in Productive Safety Net Programme households in drought-prone Ethiopia. Data was from the USAID-funded Resilience Food Security Activity baseline survey in East Hararghe, Ethiopia. Severe food insecurity (n = 4628; multivariate n = 4335) was defined as Food Insecurity Experience Scale (≥7) and poor food consumption (n = 4554; multivariate n = 4268) was defined as Food Consumption Score (≤21). Logistic regression identified adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval of risk and protective factors. Severe food insecurity prevalence was 77.79% and poor food consumption was 69.74%. Risk factors for severe food insecurity included women/girls aged 15-19 (1.79; 1.36-2.34), current pregnancy (1.51; 1.17-1.96), history of pregnancy (3.46; 2.76-4.33), cash-earning work (1.35; 1.12-1.61), daily-per-capita food consumption <1.61USD (2.98; 1.91-4.66), crop-planting (1.67; 1.31-2.13), and handwashing facilities (3.83; 1.92-7.63); protective factors included two or more children-under-5 (0.72; 0.60-0.88), raising livestock/crops to sell (0.50; 0.42-0.60), and raising oxen (0.34; 0.26-0.45). Risk factors for poor food consumption included woman/girl (1.44; 1.15-1.81) and household-head no education (1.46; 1.18-1.79), daily-per-capita food consumption <1.61USD (4.01; 2.58-6.21), and financial services (2.10; 1.69-2.59); protective factors included women/girls aged 15-19 (0.59; 0.46-0.76) and 30-49 (0.76; 0.63-0.91), two or more children-under-5 (0.77; 0.64-0.91), current pregnancy (0.57; 0.47-0.70), history of pregnancy (0.70; 0.55-0.89), crop-planting (0.57; 0.44-0.75), raising livestock/crops to sell (0.40; 0.34-0.48) and raising oxen (0.68; 0.52-0.90). Vulnerable households included those with pregnant/lactating women, mothers, adolescent girls/women, no education, low assets, and no livestock. Our findings highlight a conceptual distinction, women/girls pregnancy and/or age status may influence household perception and/or definitions of food security despite reporting adequate consumption. The dual burden of food insecurity and poor consumption threatens current and future generations, and data-driven action can help progress towards the goal of zero hunger in Ethiopia.
频繁的干旱加剧了埃塞俄比亚的营养问题。本研究回顾性评估了埃塞俄比亚干旱频发地区生产性安全网计划家庭中严重粮食不安全和不良食物消费的患病率及风险因素。数据来自美国国际开发署资助的埃塞俄比亚东哈拉尔格的抗灾粮食安全活动基线调查。严重粮食不安全（n = 4628；多变量分析n = 4335）定义为粮食不安全经历量表得分（≥7），不良食物消费（n = 4554；多变量分析n = 4268）定义为食物消费得分（≤21）。逻辑回归确定了风险和保护因素的调整比值比及95%置信区间。严重粮食不安全患病率为77.79%，不良食物消费患病率为69.74%。严重粮食不安全的风险因素包括15 - 19岁的妇女/女孩（1.79；1.36 - 2.34）、当前怀孕（1.51；1.17 - 1.96）、怀孕史（3.46；2.76 - 4.33）、有现金收入的工作（1.35；1.12 - 1.61）、人均每日食物消费<1.61美元（2.98；1.91 - 4.66）、种植作物（1.67；1.31 - 2.13）以及有洗手设施（3.83；1.92 - 7.63）；保护因素包括两个或更多5岁以下儿童（0.72；0.60 - 0.88）、饲养牲畜/种植作物用于出售（0.50；0.42 - 0.60）以及饲养公牛（0.34；0.26 - 0.45）。不良食物消费的风险因素包括女性/女孩（1.44；1.15 - 1.81）以及户主未受过教育（1.46；1.18 - 1.79）、人均每日食物消费<1.61美元（4.01；2.58 - 6.21）以及金融服务（2.10；1.69 - 2.59）；保护因素包括年龄在15 - 19岁（0.59；0.46 - 0.76）和30 - 49岁的妇女/女孩（0.76；0.63 - 0.91）、两个或更多5岁以下儿童（0.77；0.64 - 0.91）、当前怀孕（0.57；0.47 - 0.70）、怀孕史（0.70；0.55 - 0.89）、种植作物（0.57；0.44 - 0.75）、饲养牲畜/种植作物用于出售（0.40；0.34 - 0.48）以及饲养公牛（0.68；0.52 - 0.90）。脆弱家庭包括那些有怀孕/哺乳期妇女、母亲以及青少年女孩/妇女、未受过教育、资产少且没有牲畜的家庭。我们的研究结果突出了一个概念上的区别，即妇女/女孩的怀孕和/或年龄状况可能会影响家庭对粮食安全的认知和/或定义，尽管报告的消费量充足。粮食不安全和不良消费的双重负担威胁着当代和后代，基于数据的行动有助于埃塞俄比亚朝着零饥饿目标取得进展。
