CompletedAwinera Africa Ltd

Validating Resilience Metrics for Food Security and Women's Dietary Diversity During COVID-19 in Uganda

Overview

Empirical validation of key resilience indicators affecting food security and women's nutrition during the pandemic period.

Research Objectives

Validate resilience measurement tools for food security among smallholder households in Uganda during the COVID-19 pandemic
Assess changes in women's dietary diversity and its determinants during the COVID-19 crisis period
Test the psychometric properties of resilience index components in a crisis context
Provide methodological recommendations for resilience measurement in fragile and shock-affected settings

Methodology

Household panel data was collected across multiple rounds during the COVID-19 pandemic period using phone-based surveys adapted for remote data collection. Confirmatory factor analysis validated the structure of resilience measurement tools. Women's dietary diversity was measured using the FAO Women's Dietary Diversity Score (WDDS) protocol. Regression analysis identified household and community-level determinants of dietary diversity and resilience scores.

Key Findings

Resilience measurement tools demonstrated acceptable validity under COVID-19 conditions, though some components showed reduced reliability in the crisis context, warranting methodological refinement. Women's dietary diversity declined significantly during the peak lockdown period, with the greatest impacts felt by female-headed households and those with limited access to markets. The findings contributed to global methodological guidance on resilience measurement in crisis settings.

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