Exploring women’s perspectives on food insecurity and the impacts of climate change in the Karaga district of Northern Ghana: a community-based mixed-methods study

Abstract

Food insecurity is a prevalent issue in rural communities within Ghana and particularly within the Karaga District (Northern Region), where climate change is intensifying vulnerabilities. Extreme and unpredictable weather events are disrupting agriculture and worsening food insecurity across all four pillars: availability, accessibility, affordability, and utilisation. Despite women’s central role in household food decisions, limited evidence exists on their experiences of food insecurity under climate change. This study surveyed 384 women in Pishigu (Karaga District) in March 2025, assessing food insecurity (Food Insecurity Experience Scale), climate impacts (using the Global Strategic Food Insecurity & Nutrition framework), health (RAND SF-36), and dietary diversity (Global Diet Quality Project). Rasch modelling estimated prevalence, descriptive statistics explored climate impacts, and multivariate logistic regression identified predictors of severe food insecurity. Results revealed that 93.4% experienced moderate or severe food insecurity, and 52.6% were severely food insecure, exceeding national and regional averages. Nearly two-thirds reported worsening food insecurity over five years, with climate change affecting all pillars: 83.1% cited crop and livestock losses, 86.98% reported reduced storage capacity, and 86.72% noted reduced income. Only 30.2% consumed a sufficiently diverse diet, and mean general health scores (56.12, SD ± 18.23) were lower than urban areas. Relative wealth, perceived energy, dietary diversity, knowledge of climate change and nutrition-related healthcare use were significant predictors of severe food insecurity. Findings underscore the urgent need for gender-sensitive, climate-informed policies and education, to strengthen resilience and empower women, ensuring sustainable progress in Karaga District and similar rural communities.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Jessica Boxall: orcid.org/0009-0009-1912-0380

ORCID for Michael Head: orcid.org/0000-0003-1189-0531

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