Can Family Planning Programmes Assist Food Security Mission in Underdeveloped and Developing Countries: Evidence from Nigeria

Chandan Kumar, Central University of Karnataka
Prashant Kumar Singh, Institute for Human Development

Family planning is one of the earliest life-cycle interventions that can contribute to the reduction of hunger. This study aims to analyze whether use of contraception associated with the food security among Nigerian children. Guided by the report from International Food Policy Research Institute, this study takes into account the undernutrition among under-five children as the proxy indicator for food insecurity. This study has used data from the three rounds of the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) conducted during 2003 (NDHS-3), 2008 (NDHS-4), and 2013 (NDHS-5). Along with weighted prevalence of undernutrition by background characteristics, the binomial logistic regression was applied to understand the association between contraceptive use and the undernutrition among Nigerian children. The analyses suggest the probabilities of children being underweight and stunted were lower for mothers who were using modern methods of contraception, compared to those mothers who were not using any method of contraception.