A role of gender in food insecurity: findings from a nationally representative survey

NATJERA THONGCHAROENCHUPONG, Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University, Thailand
SIRINYA PHUKERD, Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University

Introduction: This study aimed to examine gender differences in food insecurity and association between gender determinants and food insecurity in Thai population. Methods: The study used data from a nationally-representative sample survey of Thai households. The respondents age 15 years or older were asked about food insecurity, socio-demographic characteristics, and other food related factors. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association between the variables and food insecurity. Results: Of total 5,066 male and 6,060 female respondents, females experienced having more food insecurity (29.7%) than males (20.2%). The study found similar results in males and females. Strong associations with food insecurity in all genders were found in some socio-demographic characteristic such as age, place of residence, education and income. Food insecurity in all genders also associated with home gardening and family support, except for males being associated with community support. People who were the main household food provider were more likely to have food insecurity. Conclusion: This study provide better understanding of the gendered dimensions of food insecurity. It highlights a need for targeted policies to address gender disparities in food insecurity that contribute towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG5) on Gender Equality.

Keywords: Inequality, Disadvantage and Discrimination, Population Policies, Gender Dynamics

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