Year-end Sale % OFF 
Abstract
This study was conducted to research and develop recommendations for gender transformative approaches that will address misconceptions around food and nutrition, and reducing barriers around dietary diversity within rural Khatlon Province, Tajikistan. Most of the population in Tajikistan live in rural areas and spend a large part of their income on food. While stunting in children under 5 years has decreased, acute malnutrition and the number of underweight children has increased. This is a qualitative, cross-sectional study that involved secondary data analysis, key informant interviews (KIIs), and focus group discussions (FGDs) to gauge appropriate interventions for agricultural extension agents seeking to improve the nutritional outcomes of their communities. In February of 2017, data were collected from 4 KIIs and 15 FGDs that were stratified as mothers with young children, mothers-in-law, and husbands, across 12 different villages. Analysis of the KIIs and FGDs included NVivo software for coding and to uncover the most salient themes and characteristics from each. The participants of this study reported several misconceptions and taboos surrounding certain foods, especially during pregnancy, and food practices for children under the age of 5 years. Results also indicated a household hierarchy of decision-making surrounding food that included who buys, cooks, and decides what to buy. The findings of this study will be used as a springboard to launch gender-responsive and nutrition-sensitive interventions through the local agricultural extension agents.
Highlights
Tajikistan is a landlocked, mostly mountainous country within Central Asia that borders Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, and China
Of children under 5 years suffering from acute malnutrition, 26% from chronic malnutrition, and over 75% of the population living within rural Tajikistan still facing food insecurity [6].Tajikistan has four provinces (Sughd, Khatlon, Gorniy-Badakhshan, and the Region of Republican Subordination); Khatlon Province was chosen for this study because of its potential for agricultural production, high undernutrition rates, and having the most people living in poverty [5]
The scarcity of jobs in rural Tajikistan drives over 800,000 people, mostly men, to migrate out of Tajikistan in search of employment; over 95% of people that migrate go to Russia [7]
Summary
Tajikistan is a landlocked, mostly mountainous country within Central Asia that borders Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, and China. The gross domestic product (GDP) is gradually improving with a specific emphasis on diversifying the agricultural sector, which accounts for 23% of the GDP and provides approximately 75% of the labor force [4, 5] Despite these improvements, Tajikistan has struggled with having the highest malnutrition rates within Central Asia, with 10%. The specific aims of this study were to identify and understand ways to engage husbands and mothers-in-law (who live within or near the same domicile) in household nutrition through extension services and to investigate practices within households around dietary habits and nutritional behavior These groups were chosen as a result of young women, often young or new mothers, being forced to leave school in order to take on the burden of feeding the household, being the caretaker of children, and managing the household chores, such as collecting water [9]. By working within the unique community and household context of rural Tajikistan, efforts to improve nutrition will be more sustainable and have increased impact on the lives of people in the region
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
