Coping Strategies for Household Food Insecurity, and Perceived Health in an Urban Community in Southern Mozambique: A Qualitative Study

In low- and middle-income countries, food insecurity (FI) is a living reality for many households, particularly among the most vulnerable groups. The burden of household FI in Mozambique and how FI and coping strategies relate to perceived health are unknown. This study investigated the lived experi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sustainability 2022, Vol.14 (14), p.8710
Main Authors: Militao, Elias M. A., Salvador, Elsa M., Silva, José P., Uthman, Olalekan A., Vinberg, Stig, Macassa, Gloria
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Climate change
Content analysis
Cooking
coping strategies
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Data analysis
Data collection
Diabetes mellitus
Empowerment
food insecurity
Food quality
Food safety
Food security
Health Sciences
Households
Hypertension
Hälsovetenskaper
in-depth interviews
Interviews
Meals
Medical and Health Sciences
Medicin och hälsovetenskap
Mozambique
Nutrition
Pandemics
Pathogens
perceived health
Population
Qualitative analysis
Qualitative research
Substance use
Sustainability
Urban areas
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Summary:In low- and middle-income countries, food insecurity (FI) is a living reality for many households, particularly among the most vulnerable groups. The burden of household FI in Mozambique and how FI and coping strategies relate to perceived health are unknown. This study investigated the lived experiences and coping strategies of food-insecure households, along with their perceived health. Altogether, 16 in-depth interviews were performed, audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim. A qualitative content analysis was carried out and five themes emerged: lived experiences of FI, coping strategies used in situations of FI, food choices, climate change and food security, and FI and perceived health. A wide range of lived experiences and coping strategies were reported, including cooking whatever is available, skipping meals, receiving money or food from friends and relatives, eating unsafe and low-quality foods, taking on additional work, cooking least-preferred foods, and having a monotonous and less-nutritious diet. Furthermore, the participants reported emotional distress, anxiety and depression, substance use, and other negative health outcomes. Some had diagnoses of hypertension, diabetes or HIV/AIDS. The findings suggest the need for employment creation and women’s empowerment, as well as the implementation of appropriate policies and programmes to alleviate household FI.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su14148710