FOOD INSUFFICIENCY IN RURAL KILIMANJARO, TANZANIA

Abstract

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of reported food insuffi ciency associated socio-demographic
factors and health indicators in rural Tanzania.
Design: A cross-sectional study.
Setting: A rural community in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.
Subjects: Eight hundred and ninety nine individuals aged 15-36 years. A structured questionnaire
was administered to collect information on socio-demographic factors, health indicators and food
insuffi ciency. Participants were tested for HIV- 1 using saliva samples.
Results: The prevalence of food insuffi ciency was 25.3% with no sex difference. After controlling
for potential confounders age (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 1.05; 95% Confi dence Interval
[CI]: 1.02-1.08), low education level (AOR = 4.73; CI: 1.30-17.11), being a peasant (AOR = 2.29; CI:
1.04-5.04), poor self-rated health status (AOR = 4.35; CI: 1.71-11.00) and having health problems
(AOR = 2.23; CI: 1.21-4.08) were associated with food insuffi ciency among women but not men.
In unadjusted analysis, women with food insuffi ciency had over twice the odds of testing HIV
positive although the association did not reach statistical signifi cance (AOR = 2.12; CI: 0.87-5.19)
in adjusted analysis.
Conclusions: Food insuffi ciency was prevalent in rural Tanzania. It was associated with sociodemographic
factors and health indicators among women but not men. Our fi ndings suggest that
food insuffi ciency may play a role in increasing vulnerability to HIV infection particularly among
women however; more research is needed to explore further this relationship.