DETERMINANTS OF FOOD INSECURITY IN RURAL HOUSEHOLDS IN NORTH-WESTERN REGION OF BANGLADESH

Abstract

The main objective of the study was to identify some of the factors that influence household food insecurity in the North-South region of Bangladesh. Two upazilas one from Rajshahi and another upazila from Chapainawangonj district. A simple random sampling method was employed to select the final sampling units. The study period was from June 2021 to June 2022. A household food balance food model was adopted and the recommended daily calorie requirement was used to determine the household food security status. Household food insecurity causation was then examined using the logistic regression model. The descriptive result observed that 42.50% of the respondents said that their food is secure and 57.50% of the respondents said that their food is insecure. We have used the chi-square test to describe the relationship between food security status and its determinants. From the chi-square test, it is seen that family size, annual income, and annual yield, were significantly related to household food security status at 1%, 97.5%, and 99% level of significance. The values of Cox and Snell and Nagelkerke R Square .536 and .720 indicate that 53.6% and 72% of the total variation of household food security status was explained by family size, annual income, and annual yield. The Hosmer- Lemeshow test result reported chi–a square value of 2.062 with a p-value of .846 on 5 degrees of freedom. Showing that there is no difference between observed and expected values. The model fits the data at an acceptance level. Assessment of the interaction terms showed that none of them were statistically significant and hence were excluded from the model. Internal consistency reliability of the data used in the study is concerned; Cronbach alpha coefficient of .182 is obtained. This means on average, household heads have similar opinions or judgments towards considering the 4 items or variables (Family Size, Annual Income Annual Yield) as major determinants of food insecurity.