Socio-demographic and geographic disparities of population-level food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand.

Introduction: This study investigated the prevalence of food insecurity, and the association between socio-demographic and geographic factors and food insecurity in Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The study extracted data on 5,066 persons age 15 years or older from a nationally-representative sample survey of Thai households, conducted during June-December 2021. The respondents were asked about food insecurity, socio-demographic characteristics, debt, and role of the primary household food provider. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association between the variables and food insecurity. Results: Of the total sample, 28.6% had food insecurity. The highest probability of having food insecurity ( Conclusion: This suggests that government attention is required in developing policies and strategies to improve food security through addressing the socio-economic determinants, and buffer the negative impact of a national crisis on diets. Investment to improve household income and raise the educational profile of the population is needed. Addressing the regional disparities in food security requires area-specific measures which target the most vulnerable population groups.