Inside the crowd: Assessing the suitability of SMS-based surveys to monitor the food security situation in Uganda

Summary

This study assessed the validity of SMS-based surveys as a rapid and cost-effective monitoring tool for food security in Uganda by conducting monthly surveys of 2,000 respondents over one year and triangulating results with face-to-face and phone survey data. The analysis found that SMS surveys can reliably detect changes in food security over time but are less accurate for measuring absolute food security status; questions about general food situation proved more reliable than those on dietary diversity or market prices. Even when samples showed selection bias in gender, location or age composition, they produced comparable trend estimates, though adequate sample size remained necessary for accuracy.

Regional applicability

This study was conducted in Uganda and directly addresses food security monitoring challenges in sub-Saharan Africa. The findings may have limited direct applicability to United Kingdom food security measurement, as the UK context differs substantially in phone penetration, food availability, and monitoring infrastructure; however, the methodological findings on SMS survey bias and validation approaches could inform rapid monitoring systems in resource-constrained settings or for hard-to-reach UK populations.

Key measures

Food security status, dietary diversity, food consumption, market prices, sample representativeness, selection bias, attrition, non-response bias, trends in food security over time

Outcomes reported

The study evaluated the suitability of SMS-enabled surveys for monitoring food security status and detecting changes over time in Uganda, comparing SMS survey responses with face-to-face household surveys and phone survey data to assess accuracy and bias.

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