An Analysis of the Relationship between Dual-labor market, Food Security, and General Health in Rural Areas

Research on the relationship between dual-labor market, food security, and general health in rural areas has been scarce. The purpose of this study was to determine whether dual-labor market increases the income and consequently the food security of rural households and whether it also improves the general health of the heads of these households. To achieve this goal, a descriptive cross-sectional survey with comparative designs was performed to study the relationship between research variables. The statistical population comprised of the heads of rural households living in the rural district of Mahidasht in Kermanshah County, Kermanshah province, Iran. Overall, 283 household heads who were chosen by the systematic sampling method were interviewed. Food security and general health were measured using the 18-item Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM-18) and the 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). The validity of the research instrument was assessed and confirmed by the expert panel at Razi University and its reliability was established using the Cronbach's alpha. Data analysis was performed using SPSS16 and AMOS. The results showed that dual-labor market significantly increases the income of the household heads who work in secondary labor forces, and as a result, they enjoy a higher degree of food security in their households. However, a closer examination showed that the income generated from secondary labor market has a significant inverse correlation with the general health of these household heads, as they are more likely to suffer from severe depression, anxiety and insomnia, social dysfunction.