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Food insecurity and ill treatment among older adult widows in India

Ajay Verma, Banaras Hindu University (BHU)
Jadi Bala Komaraiah, Banaras Hindu University
Achal Gaur, Banaras Hindu University
Adrita Banerjee, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

The objective of this study is to examine the association between severe food insecurity and ill treatment of elderly widows. The present study used data from the longitudinal ageing study in India (LASI) wave-I. The present study used bivariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression to measure prevalence of severe food insecurity among widows after controlling several confounding individuals, household and life style predictors. The overall prevalence of severe food insecurity was about 10% among widows in India. Widows who felt ill-treated in the household and out of household, 26% reported they faced problem of severe food insecurity because enough food was not in the home. The results of multivariate logistic regression revealed the adjusted association between severe food insecurity and lower socioeconomic and disadvantageous predictors. Widows who experienced ill-treatment in the past one year were more likely to be at risk of severe food insecurity than those who did not experience ill-treatment (OR, 3.13; 95% CI, 2.50, 3.92). In conclusion study suggests that ill-treatment with widows increases the risk of severe food insecurity that may affect the well-being of widows. This study recommendation for the intervention to reduce the risk of food insecurity among widows through empower their status through make supportive policy and programme.

Keywords: Older adults, Gender, Population ageing

See paper.

  Presented in Session 106. Gender Disparities and Disadvantage: Perspectives from India