Cross-sectional study of alcohol preferences and expenditures on food insecurity between urban and rural settings in Zambia

Abstract

This study investigated potential differences in rural and urban alcohol expenditures and the relationship between alcohol and food insecurity. The 2015 Zambia Living Conditions Monitoring Survey was used with a sample of 12,260 households. Bivariate analyses and logistical regression evaluated the differences in rural/urban alcohol preferences and the relationship between alcohol and food insecurity. Traditional brew consumption was found to be significantly higher in rural areas (p<0.001). Rural households with alcohol expenditures had 23 percent lower odds (OR: 0.770, p<0.01) of eating three or more meals a day compared to households without alcohol expenditures. Rural characteristics around alcohol consumption need to be taken into consideration when determining food security and nutrition policies. Alcohol assessments and services should be adapted to rural conditions in Zambia to increase the effectiveness of prevention programs.