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RETHINKING POVERTY IN NIGERIA: THE DEMOGRAPHICS AND HEALTH OF HOUSEHOLDS WITH THREATENED LIVELIHOODS Esther Omowumi Lamidi A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY August 2016 Committee: Wendy D. Manning, Advisor John Liederbach Graduate Faculty Representative Kelly S. Balistreri Karen B. Guzzo Kara Joyner © 2016 Esther O. Lamidi All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Wendy D. Manning, Advisor Many studies have reported staggering levels of food insecurity and highlighted important socioeconomic correlates of food poverty in Nigeria. Yet, a more nuanced assessment is required to determine how food insecurity relates to other aspects of household socioeconomic wellbeing and how traditionally vulnerable groups avoid food insecurity while others with high levels of resources experience food insecurity. Further, food insecurity is often treated as a static indicator but may be episodic. Accordingly, further attention to the correlates and implications of persistent and transitory food insecurity is warranted. The present study draws on relevant theoretical frameworks to advance our knowledge about household food insecurity and wellbeing in Nigeria. Using nationally representative and panel data from the Nigeria General Household Survey (n= ~4700 households), the study: 1) analyzes the sociodemographic correlates (including wealth index) of persistent and transitory household food insecurity in Nigeria; 2) examines three mechanisms by which the presence of two vulnerable populations (children and older adults with a disability) in the household relate to household food insecurity; and 3) investigates the association between household food insecurity and child malnutrition and how the relationship is modified by community-level characteristics. The findings reveal that household food insecurity presents a very different picture of household socioeconomic wellbeing than many other measures of household socioeconomic status. The results reaffirmed the episodic nature of poverty, including food insecurity. Whereas only half of Nigerian households were food insecure in 2010, the majority had experienced food insecurity by 2013. Persistently food secure households were more economically advantaged than persistently food insecure households. Yet, iv chronically food insecure households were not predominantly uneducated, unemployed, or without support. Inadequate access to financial support does not explain the gap in the experiences of food insecurity between households with vulnerable populations and those without vulnerable populations. But, the longer time spent collecting cooking fuel by households with children partially account for their vulnerability to severe food insecurity. Household food insecurity was significantly related to under-five malnutrition but the association is complex. The findings of this dissertation provide new insights into processes underlying household food insecurity and their implications for child wellbeing. v This dissertation is dedicated to my father, Pa Ayankoso vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My single most important advice to doctoral students is, find someone who believes in you! I found mine at Bowling Green State University. Wendy Manning is, to many people, a mentor, a teacher, an advisor, and many more, but to me, she is my encourager. When the going got rough, she gave me reasons to persevere. She is seldom thought of as a motivational speaker but I’m convinced she will make a great second career speaking to young people after retiring. Professor Manning, I am very grateful for your supports. My heartfelt gratitude also goes to my dissertation committee members – Dr. Karen Guzzo, Professor Kara Joyner, and Dr. Kelly Balistreri - for their unquantifiable contributions to my graduate education. Dr. Karen, you have set a very high standard for me in terms of prioritizing the needs of others and I really hope I can be a great mentor to my students as you have been to me. I pride myself in the fact that I was taught by one of the best in the field of Demography. Professor Joyner, I really appreciate your investments in me. Thank you Dr. Balistreri for motivating me to be the best I can. You were extremely accommodating and I greatly appreciate the opportunity to learn from you. Thinking about the statistical support from Hsueh-Sheng Wu, motivations for healthy living from Ms. Lesley Wadsworth, professional guidance from Dr. Krista Payne, and the therapeutic laughing sessions with Kasey, Sue, Matthew, Gwen, Vanessa, Lindsey, Lydia, and others, I realized how blessed I was to be part of the amazing NCFMR/CFDR/TARS team. You make the ‘cubicles’ feel like living rooms and I will miss you all. I also thank all faculty and staff members of the Department of Sociology at BGSU for their supports and encouragements. I appreciate all former teachers, friends, and relations who were there for me during my graduate studies. Words cannot express how grateful I am to my two amazing mothers - Mrs. Lamidi and Mrs. Paula Rhodes – and my beloved friend, Michael. May God preserve you to reap the fruit of your labor. Finally, I give all glory to my source, my anchor, and the lifter of my head - Jesus Christ. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………..... 1 Chapter 2: Rethinking Poverty in Nigeria: Food Insecurity and Household Wealth ………………………………………………………..... ............ 4 Chapter 3: Household Composition and Experiences of Transient and Persistent Food Insecurity in Nigeria: The Role of Social Capital, Education, and Time use ………………………………………………………..... .................... 5 Chapter 4: Multilevel Analysis of Household Food Insecurity and Child Malnutrition in Nigeria ………………………………………………………..... .... 5 CHAPTER 2: RETHINKING POVERTY IN NIGERIA: FOOD INSECURITY AND HOUSEHOLD WEALTH ………………………………………………………..... ........... 7 Introduction………………………………………………………..... ....................... 7 The Study Context………………………………………………………..... ............ 9 Measuring Household Welfare…………………………………………………..... 11 Household Livelihoods Based on Food Security………………………………..... .. 15 The Present Study………………………………………………………..... ............. 18 Data and Methods………………………………………………………..... ............. 22 Sample………………………………………………………......................... 24 Analyses of the relationship between household wealth and household food insecurity………………………………………..... .. 24 Analyses of persistent and transitory household food insecurity……………………………………………..... .................... 25 viii Measures………………………………………………………..... ................ 26 Outcome variables……………………………………………..... ..... 26 Household wealth……………………………………………........... 27 Other household sociodemographic variables……………………. .. 28 Analytic strategy………………………………………………………..... .... 29 Results………………………………………………………..... ............................... 30 Findings on transitions into and out of household food insecurity……..... .... 37 Discussion………………………………………………………..... ......................... 40 CHAPTER 3: HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION AND EXPERIENCES OF TRANSIENT AND PERSISTENT FOOD INSECURITY IN NIGERIA: THE ROLE OF SOCIAL CAPITAL, EDUCATION, AND TIME USE………………..... 55 Introduction………………………………………………………..... ...............…… 55 Household Structure and Food Insecurity………………………………………...... 59 The Role of Social Capital in the Experience of Food Insecurity among Vulnerable Populations …………………………………………………..... ............ 63 Alternative Explanations …………………………………..... .................................. 69 Food management skills (education)……………………………………..... 69 Time use………………………………………………………..... ................. 70 Current Investigation………………………………………………………..... ........ 72 Data and Methods………………………………………………………..... ............. 74 Sample………………………………………………………......................... 75 Cross-sectional sample…………………………………………........ 75 Longitudinal sample……………………………………………........ 76 ix Measures………………………………………………………..... ................ 77 Outcome variable……………………………………………..... ....... 78 Focal predictor……………………………………………..... .......... 79 Focal variables……………………………………………..... .......... 79 Social capital……………………………………………..... .. 79 Educational attainment of household head………………..... 80 Time spent collecting cooking fuel………………………..... 80 Control variables……………………………………………..... ....... 80 Analytic strategy………………………………………………………..... .... 82 Results………………………………………………………..... ............................... 83 Household composition and transitions in and out of food insecurity ... ....... 91 Transitions into food insecurity by number of children and presence of older adults with a disability in the household………………………..... ...... 92 Transitions out of household food insecurity by number of children an d presence of older adults with a disability in the household………… ..... 96 Discussion………………………………………………………..... ......................... 101 CHAPTER 4: MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS OF HOUSEHOLD FOOD INSECURITY AND CHILD MALNUTRITION IN NIGERIA………………………………………..... .. 120 Introduction………………………………………………………..... ....................... 120 Background………………………………………………………..... ....................... 123 The paradox of food security and poor child health…………………..... ...... 126 Current Investigation………………………………………………………..... ........ 128 Data and Methods………………………………………………………..... ............. 131 x Sample………………………………………………………......................... 132 Stunting………………………………………..... .............................. 133 Wasting………………………………………..... .............................