An Exploratory Study of the Association Among Household Food Securing Activities, Gender and Health in South Africa

Households often engage in different food securing activities to guarantee consistent and dependable access to enough food for healthy living. Food securing activities have a gender dimension and are strongly associated with socio-economic factors. This chapter thus explores the connection between household food securing activities, health, and gender in South Africa. It provides an empirical evidence on the nature of the interactions among this trio, situating the interactions within a socio-economic paradigm. Data were drawn from 2017 nationally representative General Household Survey (GHS). Food securing activities are measured by asking whether a household member engages in agricultural production of any type of food, and the type of food production and practices that are involved. A logistic regression model was employed to investigate the association. Findings reveal that food securing activities are prevalent among poor households, females, black Africans, rural dwellers, unemployed, and those living in the Eastern Cape. Further findings show that households are mostly into the production of livestock, fruits, and vegetables practiced on dry land farming. Female-headed households and household members who perceive themselves to be unhealthy are more likely to engage in food securing activity. Households need to be encouraged to engage in food securing activities.