Food insecurity is a worrying challenge worldwide
with sub-Saharan Africa including Tanzania being the most affected.
Although factors that influence household food access security status
and ways of coping with such factors have been examined, little has
been reported on how these coping strategies vary along the urbanrural
continuum especially in medium-sized towns. The purpose of
this study was to identify food insecurity coping strategies employed
by households and assess whether they are similar along the urbanrural
continuum. The study was cross-sectional in design whereby a
random sample of 279 households was interviewed using structured
questionnaire. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for
Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 20 software. It was revealed that the
proportion of households relying on less preferred and quality foods,
eating fewer meals per day, undertaking work for food or money,
performing farm and off-farm activities, and selling fall back assets
was higher in rural settings compared to urban and peri-urban areas.
Similarly, more households in urban and peri-urban areas cope with
food access insecurity by having strict food budgets compared to
those in rural households (p ≤ 0.001). The study concludes that food
insecurity coping strategies vary significantly from one spatial entity
to another. It is thereby recommended that poor, particularly rural
households should be supported to diversify their income-generating
activities not only for food security purposes during times of food
shortage but also as businesses aimed at increasing their household
incomes.