Determinants of Household Food Insecurity in Rural Areas of the Hilly Region of Kumaun, Uttarakhand, India: A Pilot Study

ABSTRACT

The food security status of rural inhabitants of the hilly region of the Uttarakhand State was poorly documented. This study aimed to determine the extent and determinants of household food insecurity in rural-hilly areas of Kumaun, Uttarakhand. A cross-sectional, interview-administered survey was conducted among 155 households. Food insecurity, as measured by Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, was found in a large number of households; 2.6% of households were categorized as severely food-insecure, 53.3% as moderately food-insecure, 7.1% as mildly food-insecure, and 36.8% as food-secure. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that food insecurity was significantly associated with the poverty level of the family, number of children or adolescents in the household, educational level of household head, number of employed family members, and social class (p < 0.05). The food security policies in India must modify focus from food entitlement to include education, income, employment, and household composition. Nutrition-sensitive interventions in agriculture to promote the cultivation of fruits and vegetables in hilly areas. Promotion of poultry farming, goat rearing, freshwater fish farming, and related training will increase the availability of animal food sources. It is an urgent need to design and implement location-specific programs and policies to address food insecurity and food access.

KEYWORDS:

• Household food insecurity
• social class
• dietary diversity
• hilly region
• Uttarakhand

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. Sudha Jukaria, Subject Matter Specialist, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Jeolikote, Mr. Harish Chandra Joshi, a native of village Patali, and all the study participants for their cooperation in this study.

Conflicts of interest

Authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

The University Grants Commission supported this work through Junior Research Fellowship to the first author [UGC Ref. No.: 1499/(NET-JULY 2018)].