Factors Associated with Food Security Optimism in Bangladesh

Food security is fundamental to psychological well-being, perhaps especially so in developing countries such as Bangladesh. This study aimed to examine factors associated with food security optimism (FSO), or the belief that the household food security will improve in the future, by testing the following hypotheses: (1) Wealthier and more food secure households are more optimistic than their poorer and food insecure counterparts. (2) There is a difference between the levels of optimism in men and women living in the same household. The results supported the first hypothesis, but there was no significant difference in levels of optimism on the basis of gender. Since optimism has been associated with other factors contributing to well-being, understanding what affects optimism could positively guide stakeholders in decisions concerning programming targeted to the poor.