Short Oral Presentation Nutrition Society of Australia 50th Annual Scientific Meeting 2026

A Population-based Study of the Factors Associated with Food Insecurity among Women of Reproductive Age in Nigeria. (147223)

Chioma Anidi 1 , Kathryn Backholer 1 , Tanita Botha 2 , Christina Zorbas 1
  1. Institute for Health Transformation, Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, School of Health and Social Development, Faculty of Health. , Deakin University, 1 Gheringhap Street, Geelong, Victoria, 3220, Australia
  2. Biostatistics Unit, Faculty of Health., Deakin University, 1 Gheringhap Street, Geelong, Victoria, 3220, Australia

Aim: Food insecurity remains a major public health challenge in Nigeria, with important implications for health and well-being, particularly for women of reproductive age (WRA)1. However, evidence on the factors associated with the experiences of food insecurity across different levels of severity remains limited among WRA. This study therefore aimed to identify the individual and household-level factors associated with moderate and severe food insecurity among WRA in Nigeria.

 Methods: Data for this study was from the 2021 UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey in Nigeria (MICS6). Sample size was 38,806 WRA. Food insecurity was measured using the food insecurity experience scale validated for the Nigerian population according to the Rasch methodology2. Survey-weighted logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess associations between food insecurity and individual- and household-level determinants, adjusted for sociodemographic and household covariates. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise weighted percentages for each sociodemographic variable.

Results: Women who were formerly married (AOR=1.49, 95% CI: 1.18–1.89), never married/not in union (AOR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.06–1.87), had ≥5 children (AOR = 1.75, 95% CI: 1.34–2.30) and justified domestic violence (AOR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.03–1.35) had higher odds of moderate FI. Women from wealthier households had lower odds of moderate FI (AOR=0.48, 95% CI:0.37-0.61). The odds of severe food insecurity were higher among women aged 20-29 years (AOR=1.13, 95% CI: 1.02-1.26), those with only primary education (AOR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.02–1.27), those living in larger households (AOR =1.13, 95% CI: 1.03-1.25), and those without livestock (AOR= 1.29, 95% CI: 1.17- 1.42).

Conclusion: Food insecurity among WRA in Nigeria is shaped by a range of intersecting sociodemographic, socioeconomic, and gender-normative factors. These findings highlight the importance of intersectional and gender transformative policies that address economic vulnerability while also considering the influence of gender norms of women’s food security. 

 

 

 

  1. 1. Branca, F., Piwoz, E., Schultink, W., & Sullivan, L. M. (2015). Nutrition and health in women, children, and adolescent girls. Bmj, 351, h4173. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h4173
  2. 2. FAO. (2016). Methods for estimating comparable prevalence rates of food insecurity experienced by adults throughout the world.