Objective: To evaluate the nutritional situation of the victims of the 2010 landslide
disaster in Uganda, food varieties consumed and coping strategies were assessed.
Design: Cross-sectional. Food variety scores (FVS) were obtained as the total of
food items eaten over the last week while an index was based on severity
weighting of household food insecurity coping strategies. We included 545
affected and 533 control households.
Setting: Victims in the affected Bududa district in Eastern Uganda and those victims
resettled in the Kiryandongo district, Western Uganda.
Results: Adjusted for covariates, in Bududa significantly higher mean FVS were
observed among: affected than controls; farmers than others; and relief food
recipients. Control households scored higher means (SE) on severity of coping:
28·6 (1·3) v. 19·2 (1·2; P<0·01). In Kiryandongo, significantly higher FVS were
observed among: control households; household heads educated above primary
school; those with assets that complement food source; and recipients of relief
food. Severity of coping was significantly higher among affected households and
non-recipients of relief food. Affected households had a higher likelihood to skip a
day without eating a household meal in Bududa (OR =2·31; 95 % CI 1·62, 3·29;
P<0·01) and Kiryandongo (OR=1·77; 95 % CI 1·23, 2·57; P<0·01).
Conclusions: Whereas FVS and severity of coping showed opposite trends in the
two districts, resettlement into Kiryandongo led to severe coping experiences.
Administrative measures that provide a combination of relief food, social
protection and resettlement integration may offset undesirable coping strategies
affecting diet.