Gender disparities in perceived life satisfaction within food insecure populations

Women are over-represented globally among the food insecure population, yet only recently have analyses on gender differences in perceived life satisfaction (LS) controlled for food insecurity (FI). This research hypothesizes that FI is a strong determinant of low LS and that at the same FI level, women will report lower perceived LS than men. Using data collected through the 2014 Gallup® World Poll, which included the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), responses to the FIES (8 questions) comprised the FI variable, with 0 affirmative responses denoting food security, and 1–8 affirmative responses denoting FI. A single well-being question (adapted from Hadley Cantril’s Self-Anchoring Striving Scale) comprised the LS variable, with possible answers ranged 0–10. Responses of 4 or lower denoted “lower LS”, versus 5–10 denoting “higher LS”. Cross-sectional data from 142 countries shows that, globally, women had higher odds for FI than men in both uncontrolled (Odds Ratio: 1.14, 95% CI = 1.11–1.16), as well as controlled models (Odds Ratio: 1.04, 95% CI = 1.01–1.07). Those who were food insecure had significantly higher odds of perceiving low LS (Odds Ratio: 3.25, 95% CI = 3.14–3.36). Men were less likely to report higher LS than their female counterparts (Odds Ratio: 0.83, 95% CI = 0.81–0.86) when controlling for FI. This research provides evidence of differing reports of LS between men and women who experience the same FI status, calling for continued research on why reported LS is lower for men when controlling for FI, what the consequences are for food insecure populations, and what implications exist for national policies.