Abstract
More than half of Africa’s urban population lives in slums. Little is known about their nutritional situation, as slums are often underrepresented in standard surveys. This study analyzes issues of food security and dietary quality in East African slums using household-level and individual-level data collected in Nairobi and Kampala. The household food insecurity access scale (HFIAS) is used as a subjective measure of food security. Moreover, calorie availability and different dietary diversity scores are calculated based on 7-day food consumption recalls at the household level and 24-hour dietary recalls at the individual level. The large majority of the slum households are food insecure and suffer from low dietary quality. Rates of undernourishment are considerably higher than what country-level statistics report, suggesting that slum dwellers deserve more explicit attention in initiatives to improve nutrition. Household-level indicators are significantly correlated with individual-level indicators for women and children. This means that household-level data, which are easier to collect, can proxy for individual nutrition up to a certain extent when individual-level data are unavailable. Regression models show that household income is one of the main factors explaining dietary patterns. Hence, facilitating access to lucrative employment is an important entry point for improving nutrition in slums.
Highlights
Most countries in Africa are experiencing rapid urbanization [1]
Calorie availability and different dietary diversity scores are calculated based on 7-day food consumption recalls at the household level and 24-h dietary recalls at the individual level
In this study we address three research questions: (i) What is the situation of food security and dietary quality in African slums? (ii) Can household-level food security and dietary indicators be used as proxies for individual diets, especially the diets of women and children as the most vulnerable groups? (iii) What socioeconomic factors influence the dietary situation in African slums? We are interested in understanding the role of different employment sources
Summary
Most countries in Africa are experiencing rapid urbanization [1]. Unlike developed countries, where urbanization in the past coincided with strong economic growth, rural-urban migration in Africa is often associated with rising rates of urban poverty [2]. The rapid increase in the urban population combined with poor planning and weak economic growth means that African governments do not always manage to provide adequate basic services and decent living conditions [3]. Commonly known as slums, are proliferating in many African cities [3,4,5]. Slum dwellers are vulnerable to food insecurity, low dietary quality, and poor health. Slums are typically characterized by crowded and unhygienic living conditions and poor access to basic public services, including health and education [1,7]. We analyze issues of food security, dietary quality, and socioeconomic correlates in slums of Nairobi and Kampala, the capital cities of Kenya and Uganda
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