Table 3. Comparison of participant characteristics according to food security status a .
| Severely Food Insecure (%) | Not Severely Food Insecure (%) | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| N | 74 | 35 | - |
| BMI, mean (range) | 23.5 (11.6–38.7) | 23.3 (13.0–36.0) | 0.88 |
| Malnourished (BMI <18.5) | 16 (21.6) | 9 (25.7) | 0.63 |
| BMI categories | 0.86* | ||
| Very severely underweight (BMI <15.00) | 2 (2.7) | 2 (5.7) | - |
| Severely underweight (BMI 15.00–15.99) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | - |
| Underweight (BMI 16.00–18.49) | 14 (18.9) | 7 (20.0) | - |
| Normal weight (BMI 18.50–24.99) | 32 (43.2) | 13 (37.1) | - |
| Overweight (BMI 25.00–29.99) | 17 (23.0) | 7 (20.0) | - |
| Obese (BMI ≥30.00) | 9 (12.2) | 6 (17.1) | - |
| MUAC, mean (range) | 273.5 (145–385) | 261.8 (170–330) | 0.24 |
| MUAC ≤ 230mm | 12 (16.2) | 12 (35.3) | 0.04 |
| IDDS score, mean | 5.8 | 7.1 | 0.01 |
| Age (years), mean (range) | 44.8 (19–67) | 40.9 (20–60) | 0.07 |
| Female | 62 (83.8) | 29 (82.9) | 1.00 |
| Marital status- Never married | 6 (8.1) | 7 (20.0) | 0.11 |
| Marital status- Widowed | 25 (33.8) | 13 (37.1) | 0.83 |
| Educated b | 16 (21.6) | 15 (42.9) | 0.04 |
| Unemployed | 41 (55.4) | 16 (45.7) | 0.41 |
| Personal cell-phone | 58 (78.4) | 28 (82.4) | 0.80 |
| HH size c ≤ 5 | 17 (23.0) | 14 (40.0) | 0.07 |
| HH size c ≤ 10 | 52 (70.3) | 22 (62.9) | 0.51 |
| HH monthly income (USD) d , mean (range) | 99.2 (0–593.7) | 222.9 (0–670.4) | 0.01 ** |
| Economic Indicators | |||
| HH Electricity | 49 (66.2) | 31 (91.2) | 0.01 |
| HH Television | 40 (54.1) | 30 (88.2) | 0.01 |
| HH Water piped | 40 (54.1) | 28 (82.4) | 0.01 |
| HH Flush toilet | 9 (12.2) | 12 (35.3) | 0.01 |
| HH Tile floor | 19 (25.7) | 18 (52.9) | 0.01 |
| HH Livestock | 23 (31.1) | 17 (48.6) | 0.09 |
| HH Agriculture | 14 (18.9) | 6 (17.1) | 1.00 |
| HH daily food expenditure (USD) e , mean (range) | 3.0 (0–14.5) | 4.7 (0–12.1) | 0.01 ** |
| Prior food aid | 35 (47.3) | 7 (20.0) | 0.01 |
aSeverely food insecure: HFIAS score = 4, Not severely food insecure: HFIAS score 1–3; BMI = Body Mass Index; MUAC = Mid-upper arm circumference; IDDS = Individual Dietary Diversity Scale (see text); HH = Household
bEducated is defined as completed primary school or more
cNumber of individuals per household
dEstimated household monthly income in U.S. Dollars
eEstimated U.S. Dollars spent on food for the household per day
*p-value for trend
**Mean and range based on raw data, p-value based on square root transformation