Does Livelihood Sources Predict Household Food Security? Evidence From Two Urban Slums in Nairobi

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Food insecurity has consistently remained a major challenge in the horn of Africa in recent years. While focus has been on rural areas; many urban areas are now facing increasing challenges. This study aims to describe whether the sources of livelihood can predict household food security among people residing in two urban slums in Nairobi, Kenya.

METHOD: Data was collected from the Indicators of Urban Emergency project nested on the Nairobi Urban Health and Demographic Surveillance System.  A random sample of 2163 households in Viwandani and Korogocho slums were drawn into the study.  Information on food security, household livelihoods and coping strategies among other variables were collected using an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire.  The data obtained was then analyzed using descriptive analysis and logistic regression methods to establish the relationship between food insecurity and sources of livelihood.

RESULT: The main sources of livelihood in this study were casual labor (43%), monthly salary (24%) and own businesses (23%). The majority (61%) of the households were severely food insecure. In unadjusted analysis; those that did not have a regular stable source of income were more than 3 times likely to be severely food insecure compared to those that had a salaried income. After controlling for income level of the breadwinner, slum of residence and the household size; those that earned casual labor income were 1.4 times more likely to be severely food insecure compared to those that earned a monthly salary (OR=1.41; 95% CI: 1.10-1.86; p<0.01).

CONCLUSION: Building on the need to identify key indicators of urban emergencies and vulnerabilities, our study found livelihood sources a net predictor of household food security, underscoring the need to address diminishing stable economic opportunities for poor urban households in attempts to reduce urban poverty and associated food insecurity.