Socioeconomic Factors Associated with Household Food Insecurity in Guamote Canton, Ecuador

Food insecurity remains a major public health challenge in Guamote Canton, Ecuador, particularly in areas characterized by high levels of poverty and limited educational attainment. This study examined the association between household income, educational level, and food insecurity in Guamote Canton.

A cross-sectional survey based on the Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale (ELCSA) was administered to 368 households, allowing food insecurity to be classified into four categories: food security, mild insecurity, moderate insecurity, and severe insecurity. An Ordinal Logistic model was applied to identify the socioeconomic factors associated with food insecurity.

The results showed that household income and educational level were significantly associated with lower probabilities of food insecurity (β = -0.639, p = 0.001; β = -0.366, p = 0.008, respectively). Gender, Area of residence, and Access to nutrition information were also significantly associated with food insecurity.

Households located in rural areas and those headed by women were more likely to experience moderate or severe food insecurity. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of improving income opportunities, educational attainment, and structural living conditions, which may contribute to lower levels of food insecurity.