Food insecurity among senior citizens in high out-migration areas: evidence from Western Nepal

Abstract

Background: Food insecurity is a critical public health challenge, particularly in low-and middle-income countries such as Nepal. The demographic transition has resulted in a growing population of senior citizens. However, the determinants of food insecurity among Nepali senior citizens remain unknown. This study aims to fill this gap by assessing food insecurity among the older populations in the far-western region, one of the poorest regions of the country. Further, we also aim to assess the potential association between adult children's migration and the food insecurity status of the left behind older parents. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 260 randomly selected senior citizens in the Kanchanpur district in far-western Nepal. The short form of the household food security scale, originally developed by the United States Department of Agriculture, was used to measure household food security. Associations were examined by logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of food insecurity in senior citizens' households was 41.1%. Senior citizen households with their adult children's migration (AOR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.24-0.95) had lower odds of being food insecure whereas households with lower family income (<$100 compared to ≥ $100) had two times higher odds of being food insecure (AOR = 2.26, 95% CI: 1.08-4.76). Also, households owning a cultivable land/farm (AOR = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.05-0.40), primary source of income as service/pension (AOR = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.08-0.89) or business (AOR = 0.15, 95% CI: 0.03-0.59) and participants who received geriatric allowances (AOR = 0.05, 95% CI = 0.01-0.16) had lower odds of being food insecure. Conclusion: The prevalence of food insecurity among households with a senior citizen in Kanchanpur district was high and associated with the migration status of adult children, and household socioeconomic status. This calls for a greater policy response focused specifically on households with older adults and the integration of gerontological evidence into the existing food security and nutrition strategies.

Household food security status and its associated factors among pensioners in Arba Minch town, South Ethiopia

“…In this study, homes with one or more dependent members (children under the age of 15) had a higher likelihood of experiencing food insecurity than households without children under the age of 15. This result concurred with studies from Tehran, Iran, and the Kanchanpur area in far-western Nepal (22,24). This is mostly because children under the age of 15 are not productive, which would result in increased food insecurity as more people depend on an inadequate income to survive.…”

“…The findings were higher than the proportion of food insecurity among pension users in Jimma and Debre Markos towns, which were 83.5 and 82.5%, respectively. The level of household food insecurity reported in the current study is also higher than in a previous study conducted in the Kanchanpur district of far-western Nepal (41.1%) (22), and in Tehran, Iran (56.9%) (23). The significant rate of food price inflation in the nation over the previous 12 months may help to explain the study's high level of food insecurity.…”

Food insecurity during COVID-19 pandemic: A genuine concern for people from disadvantaged community and low-income families in Province 2 of Nepal

“…Our study shows that families from poor socio-economic backgrounds and disadvantaged ethnic groups, who mostly relied on daily wage and low or unskilled labours, experienced increased food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous studies in Nepal conducted before the pandemic shows that Dalits, who are socially marginalized ethnic groups in the country, have been highly vulnerable to food insecurity as compared to other advantaged ethnic groups such as Brahmin and Chhetri [43][44][45]. In addition, a recently conducted study with civil society and the government authorities explicitly reflected that wages-based labourers, indigenous communities, and women from marginalized ethnic groups and geographically disadvantaged regions have suffered severe forms of food insecurity and malnutrition during the COVID-19 pandemic [24].…”