Knowledge and attitudes about traditional African vegetables are related to their consumption in Kenya and Tanzania

Abstract

This study compares the frequency of consumption of traditional African vegetables (TAVs) in Kiambu, Kenya, and Arusha, Tanzania, as it relates to attitudes about the status of these vegetables, and knowledge about their nutritional value. The study is done within the context of a program promoting TAVs (Amaranthus spp., Solanum spp., Cleome gynandra, Vigna unguiculata, Ipomoea batatas) based on their nutritional attributes, including high micronutrient content and potential to improve overall diet quality. A baseline survey was administered in 2007 to 360 small farmer households, some of whom had been previously exposed to the promotion of traditional vegetables. The survey, as well as focus group discussions, gathered information on knowledge and attitudes about the vegetables, and diet. Survey data show that greater nutritional knowledge and more favorable attitudes about the TAVs are highly significantly predictive of TAV consumption at the household level. Qualitative data support these associations, and indicate that knowledge and attitude changes precede consumption changes. These findings suggest that promotion of crops based on nutrition and image is likely to be successful in increasing consumption of those crops among small farmer households in the study regions.Funding sources: Kilimo Trust; NSF; HE Babcock Chair and Einaudi Center, Cornell University