Socio-economic and environmental factors that influence household food insecurity in the Andes of Peru

Abstract

The objective of the study was to determine the social, economic and environmental factors that influence the food insecurity of households located in the Andes of Peru. Using the database of the National Household Survey of 2018 produced by the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics of Peru and estimating a logistic regression model, the results show that food insecurity is directly related to household size. It was also found that there is greater food insecurity in homes where there are children under the age of 19, homes where the head of the household is male, homes with overcrowding, and in those homes that are located in the northern highlands or central highlands of Peru and, likewise, food insecurity is inversely related to household income, the number of household income recipients, and non-food expenses. Finally, there is less food insecurity in homes where the head of household has an occupation, homes that access school social food programs, homes that access public water and electricity services, and homes that reside in the rural highlands.