Role of cash transfers in mitigating food insecurity in India during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal study in the Bihar state
Objective There are scant empirical data on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on food security across the globe. India is no exception, with insights into the impacts of lockdown on food insecurity now emerging. We contribute to the empirical evidence on the prevalence of food insecurity in Bihar...
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BMJ Publishing Group
2022-06-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/6/e060624.full |
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| author | Tinku Thomas Anura V Kurpad Sumathi Swaminathan Patrick Webb Sanchit Makkar Jawahar Ramasamy Manivannan Sandra M Travasso Anjaly Teresa John |
| author_facet | Tinku Thomas Anura V Kurpad Sumathi Swaminathan Patrick Webb Sanchit Makkar Jawahar Ramasamy Manivannan Sandra M Travasso Anjaly Teresa John |
| author_sort | Tinku Thomas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective There are scant empirical data on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on food security across the globe. India is no exception, with insights into the impacts of lockdown on food insecurity now emerging. We contribute to the empirical evidence on the prevalence of food insecurity in Bihar state before and after lockdown, and whether the government’s policy of cash transfer moderated negative effects of food insecurity or not.Design This was a longitudinal study.Settings The study was conducted in Gaya and Nalanda district of Bihar state in India from December 2019 to September 2020.Participants A total of 1797 households were surveyed in survey 1, and about 52% (n=939) were followed up in survey 2. Valid data for 859 households were considered for the analysis.Main outcome measures Using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale, we found that household conditions were compared before and after lockdown. The effect of cash transfers was examined in a quasi-experimental method using a longitudinal study design. Logistic regression and propensity score adjusted analyses were used to identify factors associated with food insecurity.Results Household food insecurity worsened considerably during lockdown, rising from 20% (95% CI 17.4 to 22.8) to 47% (95% CI 43.8 to 50.4) at the sample mean. Households experiencing negative income shocks were more likely to have been food insecure before the lockdown (adjusted OR 6.4, 95% CI 4.9 to 8.3). However, households that received cash transfers had lower odds of being food insecure once the lockdown was lifted (adjusted OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.99).Conclusion These findings provide evidence on how the swift economic response to the pandemic crises using targeted income transfers was relatively successful in mitigating potentially deep impacts of food insecurity. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-1d0e04a4c5f34c87adebdb05c87022422025-01-24T17:10:10ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552022-06-0112610.1136/bmjopen-2021-060624Role of cash transfers in mitigating food insecurity in India during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal study in the Bihar stateTinku Thomas0Anura V Kurpad1Sumathi Swaminathan2Patrick Webb3Sanchit Makkar4Jawahar Ramasamy Manivannan5Sandra M Travasso6Anjaly Teresa John7Division of Biostatistics, St John`s Research Institute, Bangalore, Karnataka, IndiaDepartment of Physiology, St John`s Medical College, Bangalore, Karnataka, IndiaDivision of Nutrition, St John`s Research Institute, Bangalore, Karnataka, IndiaFriedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, USADivision of Nutrition, St John`s Research Institute, Bangalore, Karnataka, IndiaDivision of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, St John`s Research Institute, Bangalore, Karnataka, IndiaDivision of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, St John`s Research Institute, Bangalore, Karnataka, IndiaDivision of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, St John`s Research Institute, Bangalore, Karnataka, IndiaObjective There are scant empirical data on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on food security across the globe. India is no exception, with insights into the impacts of lockdown on food insecurity now emerging. We contribute to the empirical evidence on the prevalence of food insecurity in Bihar state before and after lockdown, and whether the government’s policy of cash transfer moderated negative effects of food insecurity or not.Design This was a longitudinal study.Settings The study was conducted in Gaya and Nalanda district of Bihar state in India from December 2019 to September 2020.Participants A total of 1797 households were surveyed in survey 1, and about 52% (n=939) were followed up in survey 2. Valid data for 859 households were considered for the analysis.Main outcome measures Using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale, we found that household conditions were compared before and after lockdown. The effect of cash transfers was examined in a quasi-experimental method using a longitudinal study design. Logistic regression and propensity score adjusted analyses were used to identify factors associated with food insecurity.Results Household food insecurity worsened considerably during lockdown, rising from 20% (95% CI 17.4 to 22.8) to 47% (95% CI 43.8 to 50.4) at the sample mean. Households experiencing negative income shocks were more likely to have been food insecure before the lockdown (adjusted OR 6.4, 95% CI 4.9 to 8.3). However, households that received cash transfers had lower odds of being food insecure once the lockdown was lifted (adjusted OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.99).Conclusion These findings provide evidence on how the swift economic response to the pandemic crises using targeted income transfers was relatively successful in mitigating potentially deep impacts of food insecurity.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/6/e060624.full |
| spellingShingle | Tinku Thomas Anura V Kurpad Sumathi Swaminathan Patrick Webb Sanchit Makkar Jawahar Ramasamy Manivannan Sandra M Travasso Anjaly Teresa John Role of cash transfers in mitigating food insecurity in India during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal study in the Bihar state BMJ Open |
| title | Role of cash transfers in mitigating food insecurity in India during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal study in the Bihar state |
| title_full | Role of cash transfers in mitigating food insecurity in India during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal study in the Bihar state |
| title_fullStr | Role of cash transfers in mitigating food insecurity in India during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal study in the Bihar state |
| title_full_unstemmed | Role of cash transfers in mitigating food insecurity in India during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal study in the Bihar state |
| title_short | Role of cash transfers in mitigating food insecurity in India during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal study in the Bihar state |
| title_sort | role of cash transfers in mitigating food insecurity in india during the covid 19 pandemic a longitudinal study in the bihar state |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/6/e060624.full |
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