Abstract

Sub-Saharan Africa is facing a huge challenge on how to feed the ever-increasing population. Food availability, therefore, is a problem for many people in Ghana and especially for the rural households in Upper West region. The study is aimed at using a mediation factor to determine the effect of household food security on health status of individuals through a recursive structural equation modelling (SEM) approach. The research design was primarily explanatory. The study selected twelve (12) farming communities through a cluster random sampling. Data was collected by administering a structured questionnaire to the respondents. The study applied the four main stages of model specification under Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) framework. The results showed that the indirect influence of food security on health status of respondents was high relative to the indirect effect of food security on health status. The mediation effect of demographic factors on health status was relatively weak. Moreover, there were disproportional effect on the latent factors from the measurement variables. In conclusion, household food security had influence on the health status of individuals, to some extent, with the role of the mediation factor. Stakeholders, therefore, are charged to improve access and sustainability relative to ensuring food security and the physical health of farmers.