Table 1: Dependent, Explanatory and Control Variables
Indices and Indicators / SurveyQuestion / Factor Loadings of Indicators
Food Security Index
% Households primarily dependent on self farmed food. / Where does your family get most of its food? / 0.76
Average crop diversity index
% Households that do not Sell/barter crops for other food supplies / What kind of crops does your household grow? / 0.81
Do you trade the food you grow with others for different food? Do you sell the crops your grow for money to buy other food goods? / 0.77
% Households depending significantly on fishing/ hunting for food / Is most of your food obtained from hunting and/or fishing? / 0.67
Cronbach’s α / 0.82
Socio-demographic Index
Dependency ratio / Please list the ages and sex of every person who eats and sleeps in this house? / 0.88
% of female headed households / Are you the head of the household?
If male head is away from home >6 months per year, the female is counted as the head. / 0.69
% Household heads did not attend school / Did you ever go to school? If yes, did you finish primary school? / 0.75
% Households with members needing dependent care / Do any members of your household require daily care because of age, physical or mental condition, illness or disability? / 0.75
Cronbach’s α / 0.87
Livelihood Strategies Index
% Household without members working outside the community / How many people in your household go to a different community to work? / 0.78
% Households mainly income dependent on agriculture /fishing/hunting / Do you or anyone in your household grow crops, raise animals? Do you or anyone in your household collect something from the forest, swamp, rivers of surroundings? Do any of these activities account for your main income? / 0.81
Avg. agricultural livelihood diversity index / Same as for indicator (7) above. / 0.87
% Households with non agricultural livelihood income contribution / Do you or anyone in your household work in an activity not related to growing crops, rearing animals or collecting something from the forest, swamp or rivers? Do any such activities account for your main income? / 0.77
Cronbach’s α / 0.79
Social Networks Index
Avg. receive: give ratio / Ratio of (the number of types of help received by a household in the pat month + 1) to (number of types of help given by household to another household in the past month +1) / 0.85
Avg. borrow: lend ratio / Did you borrow any money from relatives or friends in the past month? Did you lend any money to relatives or friends in the past month? / 0.80
% Households that have gone to government for assistance in last 12 months / In the past 12 months, have you or another in your household gone to your local government office/official for help? / 0.79
Cronbach’s α / 0.77
Climatic Change Index
Average number of floods/ droughts in past 3 years / How many times has this area been affected by flooding/drought between 2007-2009 / 0.88
% Households with losses to physical assets (house/ machinery) due to flooding / In the last 3 years, what physical assets have you lost or been severely damaged due to flooding/ storm events? / 0.76
% Households with injury or death from natural disasters in last 3 years / Was anyone in your household injured in any severe weather events in the last 3 years? / 0.84
Mean standard deviation of monthly avg. of avg. max. daily temperature (1999-2005) / Data obtained from the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Services. / 0.65
Mean std. deviation of monthly avg. of avg. minimum daily temperature (1999-2005) / Data obtained from the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Services. / 0.69
Mean std. dev. of monthly avg. precipitation / Data obtained from the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Services. / .076
Cronbach’s α / 0.81
Health Security Index
Avg. time to health facility / Avg. time to travel to the nearest health facility (mins) / 0.85
Household members suffering chronic illness / % households reporting at least 1 member with chronic disease / 0.80
Households where member missed work/school in last 2 weeks due to illness / Number of ill household members / 0.79
Avg. dengue exposure prevention index / Months reported exposure to dengue * Owning at least 1 bednet (yes=0.5; no=1) / 0.65
Cronbach’s α / 0.79
Water Security Index
Households without pipe borne water / % of households not receiving water through the public water system / 0.85
Households utilizing natural water systems / % of households obtaining water from wells, rain, springs / 0.80
Avg. days without regular water supply per household / Number of days / 0.79
Avg. days supply stored per household / Number of days supply (est. 1 barrel equivalent per day) / 0.68
Cronbach’s α / 0.75
Table 2: Descriptive statistics
Index / Indicators / Caroni Households(averages) / Nariva Households (averages) / Max. value in both communities / Min. value in both communities
Actual value / Standardized / Actual value / Standardized
Food Security Index / 0.36 / 0.36
% households primarily dependent on self farmed food.
Average crop diversity index (1/no. of crops)
% households that do not sell/barter crops for other food supplies
% households primarily dependent on fishing/ hunting / 32 / 0.32 / 43 / 0.43 / 100 / 0
0.24 / 0.28 / 0.24 / 0.28 / 0.5 / 0.14
42 / 0.42 / 27 / 0.27 / 100 / 0
40 / 0.40 / 45 / 0.45 / 100 / 0
Socio-demographic Index / 0.27 / 0.29
Dependency ratio
% of female headed households
Avg. age of female headed household (1/years)
% household heads did not complete school
% households with members needing dependent care / 1.49 / 0.22 / 1.69 / 0.26 / 6.0 / 0.2
35 / 0.35 / 30 / 0.30 / 100 / 0
0.02 / 0.24 / 0.02 / 0.28 / 0.04 / 0.01
2 / 0.29 / 34 / 0.34 / 100 / 0
26 / 0.26 / 27 / 0.27 / 100 / 0
Livelihood strategies Index / 0.5 / 0.47
% Household with member(s) working outside community
% households mainly income dependent on agriculture/fishing/hunting
Avg. agricultural livelihood diversity index (1/no. of livelihoods)
% households with non agricultural livelihood income contribution / 68 / 0.68 / 75 / 0.75 / 100 / 0
73 / 0.73 / 71 / 0.71 / 100 / 0
0.26 / 0.47 / 0.23 / 0.20 / 100 / 0
12 / 0.12 / 21 / 0.21 / 100 / 0
Social networks Index / 0.36 / 0.32
Avg. receive: give ratio
Avg. borrow: lend ratio
% households that have gone to government for assistance in last 12 months / 1.41 / 0.25 / 1.3 / 0.23 / 5 / 0.2
1.06 / 0.06 / 1.16 / 0.16 / 2 / 1
77 / 0.77 / 57 / 0.57 / 100 / 0
Health Security Index / 0.36 / 0.46
Avg. time to health facility (minutes)
% households with members suffering chronic illness
% households where members missed school/work in the last 2 weeks due to illness
Avg. dengue exposure prevention index (months x bednets) / 34.7 / 0.21 / 64.9 / 0.64 / 90 / 20
18 / 0.18 / 20 / 0.20 / 100 / 0
10 / 0.10 / 11 / 0.11 / 100 / 0
6.73 / 0.93 / 6.56 / 0.89 / 7 / 3
Water Security Index / 0.3 / 0.56
% households without pipeborne water
% households utilizing natural water systems
Avg. days without supply per month
Avg. days supply stored per household (1/days) / 46 / 0.46 / 100 / 1.00 / 100 / 0
29 / 0.29 / 68 / 0.68 / 100 / 0
5.69 / 0.28 / 9.71 / 0.50 / 10 / 4
0.63 / 0.18 / 0.39 / 0.04 / 2 / 0.33
Climatic Change Index / 0.30 / 0.37
Average number of floods/droughts in past 3 years
% households with losses to physical assets (house/ machinery) due to flooding
% households with injury or death from natural disasters in last 6 years
Mean standard deviation of monthly avg. of avg. max. daily temperature (1999-2004) (celsius)
Mean std. deviation of monthly avg. of avg. minimum daily temperature (1999-2004) (celsius)
Mean std. dev. of monthly avg. precipitation (mm) / 9.08 / 0.69 / 8.62 / 0.54 / 10 / 7
23 / 0.23 / 23 / 0.23 / 100 / 0
4 / 0.04 / 11 / 0.11 / 100 / 0
0.6 / 0.4 / 0.7 / 0.6 / 0.9 / 0.4
0.5 / 0.2 / 0.8 / 0.5 / 1.4 / 0.3
55.4 / 0.17 / 72.3 / 0.25 / 224.4 / 21.2
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