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Validation of a household food security survey applied with low-income households with pre-school aged children participating in the MANA food supplement program in Antioquia, Colombia

Hackett, Michelle

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2008, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Ohio State University Nutrition.

Valid measures of household food insecurity are critical to accurately evaluate the impact of food assistance programs in developing countries. The goal of this dissertation research was to assess the validity the Colombian Household Food Security Scale (CHFSS), used in the 2006 food supplement component evaluation of the Plan for Improving Food and Nutrition in Antioquia, Colombia (MANA). The twelve-item household CHFSS was applied to a cross-sectional stratified random sample of 2,784 low-income households with pre-school children receiving MANA food supplements. Internal validity of the CHFSS was established using Rasch Modeling to evaluate the psychometric characteristics of the items through measure and INFIT values.

To assess the criterion validity of the CHFSS, households were characterized as food secure, mildly food insecure, moderately food insecure, and severely food insecure based on their survey score. Chi-square tests and ANOVA analyses were used to determine associations between the food security categories and demographic characteristics, socioeconomic characteristics and child health status. A multiple linear regression model was developed to determine coefficients of household food expenditure by food security status. Logistic regression models were further developed to assess the risk of child malnutrition by household food insecurity status in both bivariate and multiple regression models.

Rasch Modeling revealed that most CHFSS items presented good fitness. Statistically significant differences were found between household food security status and household size, parental age, income, area of residence, gender head of household, consumption of MANA food supplements and household food expenditures (p<0.01). Statistically significant associations were found between household food insecurity and diagnoses of children's diarrhea, upper respiratory infection and parasitosis (p<0.0001). The risk for child stunting and underweight increased is a dose-response manner as food insecurity became more severe.

These results indicate that the adapted CHFSS is a valid tool to assess household food security in participants of food assistance programs like MANA. This research provides agencies and institutions carrying nutrition interventions in similar areas and conditions with a valid tool that can be adapted to specific evaluation needs and describes the methodology to assess the validity of the proposed tool.

Hugo Melgar-Quinonez, PhD, MD (Advisor)
Amy Ferketich, PhD (Committee Member)
Christopher Taylor, PhD (Committee Member)
Carla Miller, PhD (Committee Member)
Mark Failla, PhD (Committee Member)
112 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Hackett, M. (2008). Validation of a household food security survey applied with low-income households with pre-school aged children participating in the MANA food supplement program in Antioquia, Colombia [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1208375793

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Hackett, Michelle. Validation of a household food security survey applied with low-income households with pre-school aged children participating in the MANA food supplement program in Antioquia, Colombia. 2008. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1208375793.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Hackett, Michelle. "Validation of a household food security survey applied with low-income households with pre-school aged children participating in the MANA food supplement program in Antioquia, Colombia." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1208375793

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)