Household Food Insecurity in Regions of the Vietnamese Mekong Delta: Prevalence and Risk Factors

ABSTRACT Household food security in Vietnam remains tenuous. We surveyed 552 households to investigate household food insecurity (HFI) in rural districts in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. HFI prevalence was 34.4% and 48.4% in the last month and last year, respectively. Khmer households were twice as likely to experience HFI compared to their Kinh counterparts. The primary factors associated with HFI were weak livelihood assets including lower natural, financial, and human assets (being landless, low incomes), physical and social assets (poor market access, social networks), lower kitchen utensil scores, belonging to a minority and experiencing financial, agricultural, and extreme weather shocks.