Breaking the cycle of food insecurity and malnutrition: parametric and non-parametric evidence from Indonesia

Abstract

The dissertation examines how parent-child and household dynamics shape food insecurity and malnutrition in Indonesia, where 30.8% of children under five are stunted. Its main findings are as follows.

Well-being and food security (Chapter 2): Subjective well-being (SWB) and food security influence each other. SWB in 2007 significantly predicted Food Consumption Scores in 2014, while the link with nutritional status was weaker. Economic empowerment, job creation and support for rural women may improve both.

Parental child marriage (Chapter 3): Children of parents who married as minors fare worse. They face a higher likelihood of stunting, food insecurity and obesity risk, and have lower food consumption scores. Education, gender equality and poverty reduction are key entry points. Intergenerational mobility (Chapter 4): Children from disadvantaged families often enjoy better food security than their parents, but their nutrition has not improved to match. This gap may reflect difficulty adopting healthier diets and lifestyles, calling for education and health promotion. Technology and rural resilience (Chapter 5): Internet access is associated with greater household food resilience, in terms of availability and stability. This suggests that digital inclusion for low-income rural households is a promising policy direction, although data limitations call for caution. Overall, food and nutrition security emerges from interacting individual, family and contextual factors.