Food Insecurity And Coping Strategies During Of Covid-19 Pandemic And Associated Factors Among Workers In Informal Sectors In Addis Ababa Ethiopia

COVID-19 pandemic is a serious biological hazard that could cause a simultaneous systemic failure. It is disturbing the livelihoods and food security of a large number of people living in developing countries. The far-reaching adverse impact of the pandemic is particularly reflected on the workers in informal sectors’ food security. This paper examines the workers in informal sectors food insecurity situation, food coping response, and associated factors during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study mixed explanatory research design was applied to frame the research activities and processes. A pre-tested questionnaire survey was used to collect data from 347 participants at their work place. Accordingly, participants’ food security status was determined using the household food insecurity access scale (HFIAS), household dietary diversity score, and reduced coping strategy index methods. Besides, various statistical methods such as percentage, mean, standard deviation, and bivariate logistic regression analysis methods were applied. Thematic content analysis method was used to analyze data collected from key informant interview. The study revealed that 16.1% of participants were food secure, while 83.9% were found to be food insecure. Among food insecure participants about 22.3% 56.4% and 21.3% were mildly, moderately, and severely food insecure respectively. The study shows that the workers in informal sectors have been commonly employing food coping responses such as reduced portion size of meals at meals time, reduced number of meals eaten per day, and relied on less preferred and less expensive food. Gender, age, monthly income, distance from workplace, COVID-19 related economic crisis, and COVID-19 prevention protocols were significantly associated with food security of the workers in informal sectors. Socio-economic, demographic characteristics, and COVID-19 prevention protocols were associated with food insecurity, dietary diversity, and coping strategic index. It seems clear that the COVID-19 pandemic is a clear danger to informal selectors’ food security situation and coping response. We argue that different concerned stockholders’ concentrated effort is required to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the informal sectors’ food insecurity problem.

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