Exploring the Factors that affect Household Higher Food Intake Cost and Economic Instability in Pakistan

Abstract

The current study aims to investigate the factors that influence the higher price of household food intake cost and dietary diversity pattern score in Southern Punjab Pakistan. Food intake cost and household dietary diversity pattern score indicate a family’s financial access to a variety of foods to meet their nutritional requirements. The Primary data source was three hundred urban households. A well-structured questionnaire for collecting responses was developed by FAO guidelines. Multivariate Multiple Regression was used to analyze the data. The estimated coefficients of education level, landholding, age and family size all have positive effects on household food intake cost & dietary diversity pattern score while income has a negative effect. The findings of that study indicate that due to covid 19 impacts and economic instability, food price increases and the income level of households decreases and, in that way, they can’t easily afford more dietary diversity pattern score. Based on the findings of this study, we can conclude due to the rapid increase in FIC affects urban households' dietary diversity pattern score. In addition, the study offered important policy recommendations to control food prices, and improve household dietary diversity pattern scores and socioeconomic factors that affect urban households.