Food insecurity and self-rated health in rural Nicaraguan women of reproductive age: a cross-sectional study
Abstract Background Access to food is a basic necessity, and food insecurity may impair the individual’s well-being and health. Self-rated health measurements have frequently been used to assess population health. Little is known, however, as to whether food security is associated with self-rated he...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2018-09-01
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| Series: | International Journal for Equity in Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12939-018-0854-5 |
| _version_ | 1828408280808947712 |
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| author | Wilton Pérez Mariela Contreras Rodolfo Peña Elmer Zelaya Lars-Åke Persson Carina Källestål |
| author_facet | Wilton Pérez Mariela Contreras Rodolfo Peña Elmer Zelaya Lars-Åke Persson Carina Källestål |
| author_sort | Wilton Pérez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Access to food is a basic necessity, and food insecurity may impair the individual’s well-being and health. Self-rated health measurements have frequently been used to assess population health. Little is known, however, as to whether food security is associated with self-rated health in low- and middle-income settings. This study aims at analyzing the association between food security and self-rated health among non-pregnant women of reproductive age in a rural Nicaraguan setting. Methods Data was taken from the 2014 update of a health and demographic surveillance system in the municipalities of Los Cuatro Santos in northwestern Nicaragua. Fieldworkers interviewed women about their self-rated health using a 5-point Likert scale. Food insecurity was assessed by the household food insecurity access (HFIAS) scale. A multilevel Poisson random-intercept model was used to calculate the prevalence ratio. Results The survey included 5866 women. In total, 89% were food insecure, and 48% had poor self-rated health. Food insecurity was associated with poor self-rated health, and remained so after adjustment for potential confounders and accounting for community dependency. Conclusion In this Nicaraguan resource-limited setting, there was an association between food insecurity and poor self-rated health. Food insecurity is a facet of poverty and measures an important missing capability directly related to health. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T11:37:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-388e55cfc0ca440d97590ffe4a4ff256 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1475-9276 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T11:37:20Z |
| publishDate | 2018-09-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal for Equity in Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-388e55cfc0ca440d97590ffe4a4ff2562022-12-22T01:50:23ZengBMCInternational Journal for Equity in Health1475-92762018-09-011711810.1186/s12939-018-0854-5Food insecurity and self-rated health in rural Nicaraguan women of reproductive age: a cross-sectional studyWilton Pérez0Mariela Contreras1Rodolfo Peña2Elmer Zelaya3Lars-Åke Persson4Carina Källestål5International Maternal and Child Health (IMCH), Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala UniversityInternational Maternal and Child Health (IMCH), Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala UniversityInternational Maternal and Child Health (IMCH), Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala UniversityAsociación para el Desarrollo Económico y Social de El Espino (APRODESE)International Maternal and Child Health (IMCH), Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala UniversityInternational Maternal and Child Health (IMCH), Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala UniversityAbstract Background Access to food is a basic necessity, and food insecurity may impair the individual’s well-being and health. Self-rated health measurements have frequently been used to assess population health. Little is known, however, as to whether food security is associated with self-rated health in low- and middle-income settings. This study aims at analyzing the association between food security and self-rated health among non-pregnant women of reproductive age in a rural Nicaraguan setting. Methods Data was taken from the 2014 update of a health and demographic surveillance system in the municipalities of Los Cuatro Santos in northwestern Nicaragua. Fieldworkers interviewed women about their self-rated health using a 5-point Likert scale. Food insecurity was assessed by the household food insecurity access (HFIAS) scale. A multilevel Poisson random-intercept model was used to calculate the prevalence ratio. Results The survey included 5866 women. In total, 89% were food insecure, and 48% had poor self-rated health. Food insecurity was associated with poor self-rated health, and remained so after adjustment for potential confounders and accounting for community dependency. Conclusion In this Nicaraguan resource-limited setting, there was an association between food insecurity and poor self-rated health. Food insecurity is a facet of poverty and measures an important missing capability directly related to health.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12939-018-0854-5Self-rated healthFood insecurityCapability approachNicaragua |
| spellingShingle | Wilton Pérez Mariela Contreras Rodolfo Peña Elmer Zelaya Lars-Åke Persson Carina Källestål Food insecurity and self-rated health in rural Nicaraguan women of reproductive age: a cross-sectional study International Journal for Equity in Health Self-rated health Food insecurity Capability approach Nicaragua |
| title | Food insecurity and self-rated health in rural Nicaraguan women of reproductive age: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Food insecurity and self-rated health in rural Nicaraguan women of reproductive age: a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Food insecurity and self-rated health in rural Nicaraguan women of reproductive age: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Food insecurity and self-rated health in rural Nicaraguan women of reproductive age: a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Food insecurity and self-rated health in rural Nicaraguan women of reproductive age: a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | food insecurity and self rated health in rural nicaraguan women of reproductive age a cross sectional study |
| topic | Self-rated health Food insecurity Capability approach Nicaragua |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12939-018-0854-5 |
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