Household food insecurity and coping strategies among rural households in Kedida Gamela District, Kembata-Tembaro zone, Southern Ethiopia: mixed-methods concurrent triangulation design

Abstract Background Household food insecurity is a state in which household members experienced limited or uncertain physical and economic access to safe, plenty, and healthy food to meet the dietary needs for a fruitful, healthy, and active life. Food insecurity continues to be a major development and public health problem across the globe, having adverse consequences. This study was done to assess household food insecurity and to explore coping strategies in Kedida Gamela District, Southern Ethiopia. Method A cross-sectional study complemented with the qualitative inquiry was carried-out from August to November 2020. Multistage sampling was used to select study subjects. A total sample of 597 households was selected randomly using up to date family folder list in the district as a sampling frame. For the qualitative study, 16 food-insecure households were selected randomly from food in secured households. Quantitative data were entered using Ep-Data 3.1 and exported to SPSS 20 for analysis. Bivariate analysis was carried out to see the crude association between each independent variable and outcome variable. P-value < 0.05 and 95%CI for adjusted odds ratios (AOR) were used to declare the significance of the associations. The qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Result The findings of this study showed that 76% of the households were food insecure. Being female-headed households [AOR: 2.82:CI(1.10, 7.24)], absence of formal education [(AOR: 9.75:CI (3.7, 11.31)], lack of engagement in non-farm farm activities [(AOR; 3.30: CI (1.86, 5.96)], absence of credit service [AOR:4.04; C I (2.11,7.73)], presence of dependent household members [AOR: 3.47;(2.91,6.34)], poorest wealth status [AOR;9.86:CI (3.72, 15.85)] were factors significantly associated with food insecurity of the households. Food insecure households employed different coping strategies with the respective level of food insecurity. Conclusion The findings of this study indicated that household food insecurity was higher in the study area. Moreover, sex, educational status, wealth status of the households; engagement of households in off/non-farm farm activities, credit service, and active and inactive labor force were significantly associated with household food insecurity. Food insecure households practice different coping strategies with respective food insecurity levels from the less severe strategy of eating inedible, fewer-quality foods to the most severe of migrating and begging for food. Planning and exhaustively implementing sustainable food security programs should get due attention.