Food insecurity levels among prison officers in Malaysia: Do socio-economic factors matter?

Abstract

This study examines the prevalence and socio-demographic determinants of food insecurity among lower-ranking, low-income (B40) prison officers in Malaysia. Although civil servants are generally perceived to have stable employment, increasing living costs, dependence on imported food, and inflation continue to threaten household food security. A multi-stage random sampling technique was employed across Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires from 420 prison officers who met the inclusion criteria of having a household income below RM5,249 per month and at least three years of service. Food security status was assessed using a six-item instrument adapted from the Malaysian Adult Nutrition Survey (MANS) 2014. Descriptive findings showed that most respondents were male (91.7%), aged between 20 and 30 years (63.3%), Malay (64.8%), and possessed STPM or Diploma qualifications (67.6%). More than half of the respondents (55.0%) earned between RM1,500 and RM2,000 monthly and served mainly as entry-level Prison Wardens (58.6%) with less than five years of service. The study revealed that 89.5% of households were at risk of food insecurity. Common coping strategies included reducing meal portions (54.8%) and purchasing inexpensive, low-nutrient foods for children (18.6%). Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analyses demonstrated that age and length of service were significant negative predictors of food insecurity. Length of service (β = -0.535, p = 0.001) and age (β = -0.412, p = 0.022) were associated with greater financial resilience, whereas household size showed no significant effect. The findings suggest that policy interventions should prioritise younger and newly recruited officers through targeted food assistance, welfare support, and improved wage structures to reduce food insecurity among low-income prison officers in Malaysia.