- : Ms Word, Ms Word Format
- : 80 Pages
- : ₦5,000
- : 1-5 Chapters
- Click to DOWNLOAD Materials
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY: A RURAL-URBAN COMPARISON AMONG MOTHER/CAREGIVER-CHILD PAIR IN PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA
Abstract
Background: Household food security is an important determinant of nutritional status of the members of the households. Therefore, individuals and families need to have sustainable access to adequate, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and preferences in order to have healthy and active households. Food production in Nigeria as in other developing countries is mainly in rural settlements and transported to urban communities and cities for sale. This study was therefore set out to assess how households compare in food security among mother/caregiver-child pair in rural and urban communities in Plateau State.
Methodology: The study was a comparative cross-sectional study in design. Using multi-staged sampling techniques, 357 and 352 respondents were selected from the rural (Miango) and urban (Ungwan Rukuba) communities respectively, while data generation from the respondents was done through the administration of semi-structured interviewer questionnaires, anthropometric measurements and Focus Group Discussions. Quantitative data was processed and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20 and World Health Organisation’s Anthro version 3.2.2. Chi Square test and Student’s t-test were applied for the statistical analysis at 95% confidence level and p-value less than or equal to 0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: The mean ages of the respondents among the rural and urban respondents were 29.3±7.4 years and 30.2±8.2 years respectively. Among the rural respondents, 21.8% were food secure, while 28.1% of the urban respondents were food secure. The difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.054). Over 80% of the respondents in both groups reported that the rising food prices affected their food access. The major predictors of food security was the cost of healthcare among the rural group (OR = 1.911, CI = 0.809-2.460, p = 0.002), while among the urban group, the proportion of household income spent on food and having social protection
were the major predictors (OR = 3.987, CI = 1.987-5.744, p = 0.001) and (OR = 2.053, CI = 1.127-2.996, p = 0.001) respectively. Commonly adopted coping mechanisms when there was food shortages include limiting meal portions and eating less preferred foods. Wasting (rural; p = 0.013, urban p = 0.027) and stunting (rural; p = 0.001, urban; p = 0.010) were significantly associated with food insecurity in this study in both groups.
Conclusion: This study has shown low levels of food security in the rural and urban communities studied. High cost of food, inadequate social protection, healthcare cost and low household income were associated with food insecurity. These accounted for the various coping mechanisms adopted by respondent’s households with significant associations with the poor nutritional status of their children. Strategies targeting increased food production, household income and poverty alleviation among others will improve food security in rural and urban community households and enhance the nutritional status of children who are more vulnerable when households are food insecure.
