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R. Mandal and M. Sarma
The odds ratio of residence (Ur) has turned out to be greater than one. This implies
that the probability of being food insecure is more in the urban areas than in the rural
areas. The odds of food insecurity for an urban household are 1.076 times that of
its rural counterpart. The reason for rural households being less food insecure is that
they are mostly engaged in cultivation as subsistence farmers, and hence they have
better availability of food items in the villages.
Household size (HS) is found to have a positive impact on food insecurity. This
implies that the probability of food insecurity increases with increase in the size
of households. Larger sized households have more mouths to feed and hence have
lesser availability of food consumption per capita. An increase in household size by
one member causes the probability of food insecurity to increase by 20%.
As far as the differential impact of caste on food insecurity is concerned it is
found that compared to general caste, food insecurity is more among Other Backward
Classes (OBC), Scheduled Castes (SC) and Schedule Tribes (ST ). The odds of being
food insecure for a household belonging to OBC, SC and ST are 1.49, 1.63 and 2.09
times, respectively, of a general category household. This is quite expected because
usually the general category people are economically better-off than other social
classes.
The dummy used to capture differential impacts of religions are also found to
have significant coefficients. The odds ratios of the Hindu have turned out to be 1.20.
This implies that households belonging to the Hindu religion are more likely to be
food insecure compared to non-Hindu religions that include Muslim, Christian, Sikh
and other religions.
Per capita income (PCI) is found to have a negative impact on the probability of
household level food insecurity. Its odds ratio turned out to be 0.99. This implies
that an increase in per capita income of the households by one rupee reduces its
probability of food insecurity by 1%. This is quite expected because an increase in
per capita income capacitates a household to have access to a higher amount of food
items for its members.
Dependency ratio (DR), showing the number of young and adult dependents as a
percentage of number of economically active members in the households, is found
to increase the probability of food insecurity. The odds ratio of this variable is 1.15
which implies that an increase in dependency ratio by 1% increases the probability
of being food insecure by 15%.
Female adult education (FAE) is found to have a negative impact on food insecurity
with odds ratio of 0.98. This means an increase of one year of schooling of adult
female members reduces the probability of food insecurity by 2%. The female adult
household members in India take the responsibility of preparing and distributing food
among other members. Hence, as their level of education increases they become more
aware about the importance of nutritious contents of food. Thus, with improvements
in their education expenditure by the households on diverse food items containing
calorie, proteins and fats also increases, thereby reducing food insecurity.
The odds ratio of Cultivation is found to be 0.78. This implies that the households
whose main occupation is cultivation are less likely to be food insecure than others.
This is quite intuitive. The cultivator households in India are primarily subsistence
R. Mandal and M. Sarma
The odds ratio of residence (Ur) has turned out to be greater than one. This implies
that the probability of being food insecure is more in the urban areas than in the rural
areas. The odds of food insecurity for an urban household are 1.076 times that of
its rural counterpart. The reason for rural households being less food insecure is that
they are mostly engaged in cultivation as subsistence farmers, and hence they have
better availability of food items in the villages.
Household size (HS) is found to have a positive impact on food insecurity. This
implies that the probability of food insecurity increases with increase in the size
of households. Larger sized households have more mouths to feed and hence have
lesser availability of food consumption per capita. An increase in household size by
one member causes the probability of food insecurity to increase by 20%.
As far as the differential impact of caste on food insecurity is concerned it is
found that compared to general caste, food insecurity is more among Other Backward
Classes (OBC), Scheduled Castes (SC) and Schedule Tribes (ST ). The odds of being
food insecure for a household belonging to OBC, SC and ST are 1.49, 1.63 and 2.09
times, respectively, of a general category household. This is quite expected because
usually the general category people are economically better-off than other social
classes.
The dummy used to capture differential impacts of religions are also found to
have significant coefficients. The odds ratios of the Hindu have turned out to be 1.20.
This implies that households belonging to the Hindu religion are more likely to be
food insecure compared to non-Hindu religions that include Muslim, Christian, Sikh
and other religions.
Per capita income (PCI) is found to have a negative impact on the probability of
household level food insecurity. Its odds ratio turned out to be 0.99. This implies
that an increase in per capita income of the households by one rupee reduces its
probability of food insecurity by 1%. This is quite expected because an increase in
per capita income capacitates a household to have access to a higher amount of food
items for its members.
Dependency ratio (DR), showing the number of young and adult dependents as a
percentage of number of economically active members in the households, is found
to increase the probability of food insecurity. The odds ratio of this variable is 1.15
which implies that an increase in dependency ratio by 1% increases the probability
of being food insecure by 15%.
Female adult education (FAE) is found to have a negative impact on food insecurity
with odds ratio of 0.98. This means an increase of one year of schooling of adult
female members reduces the probability of food insecurity by 2%. The female adult
household members in India take the responsibility of preparing and distributing food
among other members. Hence, as their level of education increases they become more
aware about the importance of nutritious contents of food. Thus, with improvements
in their education expenditure by the households on diverse food items containing
calorie, proteins and fats also increases, thereby reducing food insecurity.
The odds ratio of Cultivation is found to be 0.78. This implies that the households
whose main occupation is cultivation are less likely to be food insecure than others.
This is quite intuitive. The cultivator households in India are primarily subsistence