Table 1 Computation of the coping strategy index: an illustration
Coping strategies | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Never | Seldom (1-3 days/month) | Sometimes (1-2 days/week) | Often (3-6 days a week) | Daily | ||||
Relative frequency score (A) | 0 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 4.5 | 7.0 | Severity weight (B) | Score (AxB) | |
E1 | Skip entire days without eating? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 8.0 | 0 |
E2 | Limit portion size at mealtimes? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 2.0 | 9 |
E3 | Reduce number of meals eaten per day? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 2.0 | 1 |
E4 | Borrow food or rely on help from friends or relatives? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4.0 | 0 |
E5 | Rely on less expensive or less preferred foods? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 2.0 | 1 |
E6 | Purchase/borrow food on credit? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4.0 | 6 |
E7 | Gather unusual types or amounts of wild food/hunt? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 8.0 | 0 |
E8 | Harvest immature crops (e.g. green maize)? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 8.0 | 0 |
E9 | Send household members to eat elsewhere? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4.0 | 0 |
E10 | Send household members to beg? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 8.0 | 0 |
E11 | Reduce adult consumption so children can eat? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6. | 0 |
E12 | Rely on casual labour for food? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 2.0 | 0 |
TOTAL HOUSEHOLD SCORE | \( ={\displaystyle \sum_{k=0}^n\mathrm{A}\times \mathrm{B}=17.0} \) | |||||||