Household food insecurity and diet diversity after the major 2010 landslide disaster in Eastern Uganda: a cross-sectional survey.

In 2010, a landslide in Bududa, Eastern Uganda, killed about 350 people and nearly 1000 affected households were resettled in Kiryandongo, Western Uganda. A cross-sectional survey assessed household food insecurity and diet diversity among 1078 affected and controls. In Bududa, the affected had a lower adjusted mean score of food insecurity than controls - 92 (se 04) v. 123 (se 04) (P<001) - but higher diet diversity score (DDS) - 71 (se 01) v. 59 (se 01) (P<001). On controlling for disaster and covariates, recipients of relief food had higher food insecurity - 120 (se 06) v. 104 (se 03) (P=002) - whereas farmers had higher DDS - 66 (se 02) v. 56 (se 03) (P<001). Household size increased the likelihood of food insecurity (OR 115; 95 % CI 100, 132; P<005) but reduced DDS (OR 093; 95 % CI 087, <100; P=004). Low DDS was more likely in disaster affected (OR 422; 95 % CI 265, 672; P<001) and farmers (OR 252; 95 % CI 137, 464; P<001). In Kiryandongo, affected households had higher food insecurity - 123 (se 08) v. 26 (se 08) (P<001) - but lower DDS - 58 (se 03) v. 70 (se 03) (P=002). The latter reduced with increased age (OR 099; 95 % CI 097, 100; P<005), lowest education (OR 054; 95 % CI 031, 093; P=003), farmers (OR 059; 95 % CI 035, 098; P=004) and asset ownership (OR 056; 95 % CI 039, 081; P<001). Addressing social protection could mitigate food insecurity.