Multidimensionality of Household Food Security: A Systematic Review

Global, national, household and individual food security assessment varies as the challenges differ at every level. Household level assessment has gained the most attention recently. However, there are no standard measures or dimensions for measuring household food security (HHFS) but there are multidimensional tools that are evolving. This study aims to identify composite indices that have been developed to measure household food security and document the dimensions included within each, as well as the indicators and methodologies used within each index.

A systematic literature review was conducted according to PRISMA Statement 2020 reporting guidelines of the 34 studies included in the review, most are from low-income countries, particularly those in Africa and South Asia. Most studies selected a set of indicators under specified dimensions followed by aggregation to construct a composite index. Few studies resorted to aggregation of measures like Food Consumption Score, Coping Strategies Index, etc. Scoring techniques varied across literature with principal component analysis, latent class model and others being used for computation. Lack of a clear theoretical framework in the assessment of HHFS raises concerns about consistency between studies. Similar indicators were chosen under separate dimensions in different studies, such as "livestock" being classified under availability, access, and utilization dimensions in different studies. Studying the performance of composite food security index at different time periods can help in understanding the pattern of food security. There is a need for a clear theoretical framework for multidimensional food security indices used at the household level. Consistent methodologies would help in targeting vulnerable populations and allow a more focused approach to address challenging dimensions.