Children's experiences of food insecurity, emotional and behavioural states in Masaka District, Uganda: A qualitative study using a multi-modal, interpretivist paradigm

Abstract

Despite growing evidence connecting food insecurity to children's emotional well-being, social participation, and learning outcomes, less attention has been given to the processes through which these effects are experienced and interpreted by children themselves, particularly in rural Sub-Saharan African contexts. This study addresses this gap by examining how children in rural Uganda make sense of food insecurity in their everyday lives, and how these experiences shape their emotional responses, social relationships, and engagement with learning. This study employed a qualitative, child-centred, multi-modal interpretivist design to explore how children perceive and describe the connection between food insecurity and their emotional and behavioural states. Rooted in an interpretivist paradigm, which assumes that reality is socially constructed and that meaning derives from individuals’ subjective experiences and social contexts.