Validation and use of the HFIAS questionnaire for measuring household food insecurity in Varamin-2009

ABSTRACT

Measuring food insecurity has been an ongoing challenge to researchers. This study was carried out to assess the validity of the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale [HFIAS] in measuring household food insecurity in an urban area of Varamin in 2009. In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 400 households from different parts of Varamin, a city south of Tehran, were selected by the multi stage cluster sampling method. Household food security was measured by the 9-item HFIAS questionnaire that asks whether a specific condition associated with the experience of food insecurity ever occurred during the previous 30 days. Based on the HAFIAS questionnaire score, households were categorized in 4 groups according to access to food; food secure, mildly, moderately and severely food insecure access. In the second stage of the study, 30 households were selected from each group. Food security was observed in 21% of households. Mildly, moderately and severely food insecure access was 46.5, 25 and 7.5%, respectively. Based on the responses to the 9 questions of the HFIAS questionnaire, perceptions that food is of insufficient quality [72%], two main factors emerged from the rotated principal component factor including 1] Insufficient food quality and 2] Insufficient food intake. Both factors explained 77.5% of the total variance. HFIAS has good internal consistency [Cronbach's a= 0.95]. Food insecurity was observed in households in this urban area of Varamin. The HFIAS measurement instrument shows acceptable validity and reliability in measuring food insecurity among households