Food Consumption Score Research Articles

Does adaptation to climate change promote household food security? Insights from Indonesian fishermen

ABSTRACT Although climate change adaptation plays a vital role in improving global food security, little is known about whether it can increase household food security of small-scale fishermen. This study offers new evidence by investigating the effect of climate change adaptation on household food security, measured by the food insecurity experience scale (FIES) and food consumption score (FCS). The cross-sectional data were collected from 301 small-scale fishermen in East Java Province, Indonesia. This study applied two-stage residual inclusion (2SRI), and two-step predictor substitution (2SPS) approaches to solve an endogeneity issue in modelling the effect of climate change adaptation on household food security. This is achieved by considering the observable and the unobservable factors. The empirical result indicates that climate change adaptation significantly improves household food security. Further estimation also highlights the positive and significant effect of adaptation intensity on the food security measurement. Therefore, this study suggests that fishermen continuously apply adaptation strategies to improve their food security.

Caveat utilitor: A comparative assessment of resilience measurement approaches

As development and humanitarian agencies increasingly advance the objective of ‘building resilience’, three resilience measurement methods have come into especially widespread use: the Resilience Indicators for Measurement and Analysis approach developed by FAO, the multi-dimensional index approach developed by TANGO International, and the probabilistic approach of Cissé and Barrett. We compare performance across those three methods using nationally representative panel data from Ethiopia and Niger. We find that the three measures exhibit significantly different distributions and orderings among households, and they vary significantly in the households they identify as resilient or least resilient. All three measures exhibit only modest out-of-sample predictive accuracy, generating many false negatives and false positives relative to the food security outcome measure whose resilience they are meant to reflect. It remains unclear what these measures capture and what value they add beyond more established wellbeing measures such as the food consumption score or real expenditures. There is significant room for improvement in resilience measurement to better guide and evaluate development resilience interventions.

Does food security exist among farm households? Evidence from Ghana

BackgroundFood security exists when households have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food at all times that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. Food security remains a serious challenge for many households in Ghana and the situation is even more prevalent among smallholder farmers. Therefore, this study had its objectives to assess food security status and also estimate their determinants for policy recommendations.MethodologyUsing data collected from 2,603 farm households across Ghana and employing an ordered probit model the determinants of food security among farm households were assessed. The food security indicator, Food Consumption Score (FCS) which combines diet diversity, frequency of consumption and relative nutritional importance of different food groups was used to determine food security status of farm households.ResultsResults showed that farm households (76%) across Ghana were within the acceptable household food consumption groups. Nonetheless, 19% and 6% of farm households, respectively, were within the borderline and poor food consumption groups, respectively. Determinants of food security included experience, gender, improved variety adoption, access to credit and location.ConclusionFood security risk is prevalent among farm households in Ghana. Based on the results on determinants of food security, the suggestions are that government and private institutions should create an enabling environment to enhancing credit access and encouraging adoptions of improved crops varieties for increased production.

Traditional Dietary Knowledge of a Marginal Hill Community in the Central Himalaya: Implications for Food, Nutrition, and Medicinal Security.

Himalayan communities illustrate a rich agriculture–medicine use system that not only provides adequate dietary diversity and nutrition but also delivers therapeutic security. This study explores the food–medicine interface as observed by the marginal hill communities in the central Himalaya with an aim to assess traditional agriculture and food plants with relation to dietary diversity and nutritional and medicinal values based on comprehensive research. A total of 445 respondents were interviewed to obtain data on food intakes using dietary recall methods and dietary diversity indices (DDIs). The ethnomedical use of plant species was gathered from respondents as well as from various published studies for respective species. Nutritional parameters were collected from the Indian Food Composition Table developed by the ICMR, India to analyze the average nutritional intake. The traditional food system achieves the dietary and nutritional needs of the community within the standard norms. The average household dietary diversity of 7.45, 7.34, and 8.39 in summer, monsoon, and winter seasons, respectively, sustain 79, 74, and 93% of energy requirements in respective, seasons. The average food consumption score (FCS) was 73.46, and all the food exhibited rich phytochemicals, such as amino acids, alkaloids, carotenoids, flavonoids, glycosides, and phenolic acids. These plants also provided effective treatments against several ailments and illnesses, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetics, gastrointestinal issues, and inflammation The indigenous cuisines also have significant food and medicinal values. Considering that the community had significant knowledge of food systems with their nutritional and therapeutic utility, there is a need to protect and document this indigenous knowledge. Also, most of the crops are still under cultivation, so there is a need to create more awareness about the nutritional and therapeutic value of the system so that it could be retained intact and continued. The implications of this research are of both academic importance and practical significance to ensure food–medicine security and avoid malnutrition among rural communities. It is expected that the study would lead to renewed thinking and policy attention on traditional agriculture for its role in food and nutritional security that may lead to a sustainable food supply system.

Food consumption according to the level of processing and sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background and aimsConsumption of ultra-processed foods is negatively associated with health outcomes, however, the contribution to sleep quality is limited. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the association between food intake by frequency and degree of processing and sleep quality in adults during the covid-19 pandemic.MethodsPopulation-based survey of adults from October to December 2020 in the Iron Quadrangle region, Brazil. The exposure variable was a food intake score that considered the frequency of consumption and food processing degree. The total score ranged from 0 (best) to 48 points (worst food quality), categorized into quartiles. Furthermore, we also evaluated whether individuals replaced their lunch and/or dinner based mostly on fresh/minimally processed foods for ultra-processed foods, for five or more days in the week. The outcome variable was sleep quality assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. We constructed a contrasting directed acyclic graph (DAG) model to estimate the adjusted odds ratio of the association between score eating and sleep, by logistic regression.ResultsMost of the 1762 individuals evaluated had poor sleep quality (52.5%). The minimum and maximum food scores were 0 and 30 points (mean 9.16; 95% CI 8.50, 9.81). The higher values of the score corresponded to lower consumption of fresh and minimally processed foods and higher consumption of ultraprocessed foods. In multivariate analysis, individuals in the third food consumption score had 71% greater odds of poor sleep quality (OR = 1.71; 95% CI: 1.03, 2.85) and in the fourth quartile 144% greater odds (OR = 2.44; 95% CI: 1.32, 2.44). Besides, replacing the dinner meal with ultra-processed foods five days or more in the week was also associated with poor sleep quality (OR = 2.01; 95%CI: 1.14, 3.57).ConclusionHigher consumption of ultra-processed foods concomitant with lower consumption of fresh and minimally processed foods is associated with a higher chance of poor sleep quality.

Factors associated with food consumption score among pregnant women in Eastern Ethiopia: a community-based study

IntroductionAlthough assessing the nutritional status of pregnant women is becoming a common research agenda, evidence on food consumption scores, particularly among rural residents, is limited. This study aimed to assess the level of food consumption score and associated factors among pregnant women in Haramaya district, eastern Ethiopia, 2021.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 448 pregnant women in Haramaya district, eastern Ethiopia. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews by trained research assistants, using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Food consumption score, a proxy measure for food security, was assessed through a seven-day dietary recall of consumption of food items. Each food item was given a score of 0–7 depending on the number of days it was consumed then grouped into food groups and summed up each food group. The pregnant women were labeled as "acceptable food consumption score" when they had a food composite score of > 42 during the reference period. Otherwise, they were defined as "unacceptable." A Poisson regression model with robust variance estimation was used to investigate the association of the independent variables with the food consumption score. An adjusted prevalence ratio with a 95% confidence interval was reported to show an association using a p value < 0.05.ResultsThe acceptable food consumption score among the study participants was 54.46% (95% CI 49–59%). The level of acceptable food consumption score was higher among respondents who were in the richest class (APR = 1.31; 95% CI 1.04–1.66), those who had ANC follow-up (APR = 1.78; 95% CI 1.40–2.27), those who had a favorable attitude toward dietary practice (APR = 1.30; 95% CI 1.12–1.52), and those who consumed high animal source foods (APR = 1.28; 95% CI 1.01–1.51). However, acceptable food consumption score was lower among women who were not owned agricultural land (APR = 0.84; 95% CI 0.72–0.99).ConclusionWe found a low acceptable food consumption score among pregnant women in this predominantly rural setting. Nutritional counseling in pregnancy should address the importance of food diversity and consumption of animal source foods to improve nutrition in pregnancy. Our findings highlight the imperative requirement for policies and programs to support farmers who had no farmland to improve their overall food security and maximize their food consumption score. Assessing perinatal outcomes associated with food consumption score is essential for unraveling the spectrum of nutrition in pregnancy and beyond.

Household food insecurity, maternal nutrition, environmental risks and infants’ health outcomes: protocol of the IMPALA birth cohort study in Uganda

IntroductionIn low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), food insecurity and undernutrition disproportionately affect women of reproductive age, infants and young children. The disease burden from undernutrition in these vulnerable sections of...

Socioeconomic determinants of rural households’ food security status in Northern Ghana

National aggregate data to analyze food security status at the national level has often been used in many countries including Ghana to determine food security status. This has been a reason that many interventions that have had minimum or no impact on households’ food security status due to variation within region in the design of such interventions. This study used household level-data data from 2260 rural households to determine rural household food insecurity status, and also identify and analyze the socioeconomic factors that significantly influence rural household level food insecurity. The study used the Food Consumption Score (FCS) as the index for household food security status. An ordinal logit model was used to predict household food security status with respect to twelve explanatory variables. The results showed that 70% of the sampled rural households were food insecure, and in particular, food insecurity was found to be more pronounced among female-headed households. The results further showed that improved education, increased household income, improved access to agricultural credit and large farm size increase the probability of households to attain high food security status. On the other hand, high food prices and large household size were found to reduce the probability of households to attain high food security status. For policy implication, these micro-level factors need to be considered in the implementation of food insecurity interventions programs in order to achieve desired outcomes.

COVID-19 home isolation and food consumption patterns: Investigating the correlates of poor dietary diversity in Lebanon: a cross-sectional study

Background: The unfurling COVID-19 pandemic has uncovered the defenselessness of the Lebanese food system leading to serious implication in maintaining a healthy sustainable lifestyle. Aim: The main purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food consumption patterns and dietary diversity of the Lebanese people. Methods: The online survey, completed between April and June 2020, consisted of a cross-sectional study on 2282 Lebanese participants (mean age: 29.36±12.221, 80.9% women) that was part of a survey across 38 different countries conducted by De Backer, C. et al. A food frequency questionnaire was used to investigate the consumption patterns along with the calculation of the Food Consumption Score (FCS), a proxy indicator of dietary diversity. Data collected on cooking attitudes, shopping, and food stock identify the community mitigation measures. Results: Home isolation due to COVID-19 induced an increase in the consumption of legumes and pulses (3.2%, p-value=0.001) and whole wheat groups (2.8%, p-value=0.03). In contrast, a decrease of 5.4%, 6.9%, 5.8%, 5.1%, 3.1%, 3.4% and 2.8% was observed in the consumption of fruits (p-value=0), vegetables (p-value=0), processed meats, poultry, and fish (p-value=0), other dairy products (p-value=0), sweet snacks (p-value=0.001), sugared beverages (p-value=0), fats and oils (p-value=0.001), respectively. The FCS decreased by 4.6%. As food-related behaviors, most cooking attitudes, and practices (10 out of 13) showed an amelioration during the lockdown and the proportions of food stocked have been changing since the start of the pandemic seeing higher amounts of pasta, rice or other grains, flour, and legumes/pulses stocked. Conclusion: To conclude, the hostile home isolation strategy followed to prevent the COVID-19 spread in Lebanon, came at a high nutritional cost, driving poor dietary diversity.

Dietary Diversity in the Eastern Mediterranean Region Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Disparities, Challenges, and Mitigation Measures.

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the Eastern Mediterranean Region's food system's fragility posing severe challenges to maintaining healthy sustainable lifestyle. The aim of this cross-sectional study (N = 13,527 household's family members, mean age: 30.3 ±11.6, 80% women) is to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food consumption patterns and household's dietary diversity in 10 Eastern Mediterranean countries. A food frequency questionnaire was used to investigate the consumption patterns along with the calculation of the Food Consumption Score (FCS), a proxy indicator of dietary diversity. Data collected on cooking attitudes, shopping and food stock explore the community mitigation measures. In the overall population, before and during the pandemic, most food groups were consumed less or equal to 4 times per week. As evident from our findings and considering that the pandemic may be better, but it's not over, small to moderate changes in food consumption patterns in relatively short time periods can become permanent and lead to substantial poor dietary diversity over time. While it is a priority to mitigate the immediate impact, one area of great concern is the long-term effects of this pandemic on dietary patterns and dietary diversity in Eastern Mediterranean households. To conclude, the COVID-19 crisis revealed the region's unpreparedness to deal with a pandemic. While the aggressive containment strategy was essential for most countries to help prevent the spread, it came at a high nutritional cost, driving poor dietary diversity.

Understanding the drivers of food security among agriculture-based households in Gurué District, Central Mozambique

BackgroundThe prevalence of food insecurity in Mozambique is alarming, despite progress made during the 2010s. Several studies apply different proxy indicators of food security (FS) to assess the FS situation. However, these studies overlook the factors affecting FS, using only a single data point that results in an incomplete picture of FS. Food security is expected to fluctuate, being better and worse than what studies suggest. Using a sample of 296 households to assess FS, key drivers conditioning households’ capacity to achieve FS in Gurué District, Central Mozambique, are identified. Data were collected in the pre-harvest period and during the harvest period to capture relevant interseasonal variation of FS. Household FS is assessed using three standard indicators: Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS), Household Food Consumption Score (HFCS), and Months of Adequate Household Food Provisioning (MAHFP).ResultsEach household was classified into a specific FS status depending on the indicator applied. Generally, most households were classified as being severely or moderately food insecure during the pre-harvest season, while during the harvest season, medium and high levels of FS predominated. Nevertheless, varying outcomes were found depending on the indicator used to assess FS. MAHFP and HDDS are more related to the consumption of farm-sourced food, while HFCS responds more strongly to purchased food. Gender and age of the household head, geographic location, size and quality of land, staples production (especially cassava), livestock and crop diversity, as well as cash crops had a statistically significant effect on FS indicators.ConclusionsThe study concludes that the decision whether farmers should rely on staple foods production for increasing their FS status or specialize on cash crops production to generate income and buy food depends on the indicator used to assess FS, since each indicator captures a specific domain of food security. Thus, one central recommendation derived from our results is that policy makers should promote a balance between market-oriented agriculture and subsistence production to achieve FS.

COVID-19 home isolation and food consumption patterns: Investigating the correlates of poor dietary diversity in Lebanon: a cross-sectional study.

Background: TheunfurlingCOVID-19pandemic hasuncoveredthedefenselessnessof the Lebanese food system leading to serious implication in maintaining a healthy sustainable lifestyle. Aim: The main purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food consumption patterns and dietary diversity of the Lebanese people. Methods: The online survey, completed between April and June 2020, consisted of a cross-sectional study on 2282 Lebanese participants (mean age: 29.36±12.221, 80.9% women) that was part of a survey across 38 different countries conducted by De Backer, C. et al. A food frequency questionnaire was used to investigate the consumption patterns along with the calculation of the Food Consumption Score (FCS), a proxy indicator of dietary diversity. Data collected on cooking attitudes, shopping, and food stock identify the community mitigation measures. Results: Home isolation due to COVID-19 induced an increase in the consumption of legumes and pulses (3.2%, p-value=0.001) and whole wheat groups (2.8%, p-value=0.03). In contrast, a decrease of 5.4%, 6.9%, 5.8%, 5.1%, 3.1%, 3.4% and 2.8% was observed in the consumption of fruits (p-value=0), vegetables (p-value=0), processed meats, poultry, and fish (p-value=0), other dairy products (p-value=0), sweet snacks (p-value=0.001), sugared beverages (p-value=0), fats and oils (p-value=0.001), respectively. The FCS decreased by 4.6%. As food-related behaviors, most cooking attitudes, and practices (10 out of 13) showed an amelioration during the lockdown and the proportions of food stocked have been changing since the start of the pandemic seeing higher amounts of pasta, rice or other grains, flour, and legumes/pulses stocked. Conclusion: To conclude, the hostile home isolation strategy followed to prevent the COVID-19 spread in Lebanon, came at a high nutritional cost, driving poor dietary diversity.

Diversify, produce or buy? An analysis of factors contributing to household dietary diversity among shrimp and non-shrimp farmers in coastal Bangladesh

Until the Covid-19 pandemic, Bangladesh had reported consistent improvements regarding its food and nutrition security (FNS) status, and yet, the country still features poor FNS outcomes among parts of its population. In rural coastal regions of the Ganges–Brahmaputra-Meghna delta, farming households’ vulnerability is particularly exacerbated by a range of environmental hazards, increasing challenges for agriculture to contribute to higher FNS levels. In the context of existing literature on the trade-offs between subsistence agriculture and cash-earning livelihood activities, vis-à-vis food and nutrition security outcomes, this article assesses the relative contribution of crop diversification vis à vis other factors on the households’ Food Consumption Score (FCS) in specific livelihood contexts. We provide differentiated analyses between primarily export-oriented shrimp farming and non-shrimp farming households, so policy makers can better address FNS targets. Quantitative data from 1,188 sample households across the delta were analysed through descriptive and linear regression analyses. Results show that households cultivating shrimp have a significantly higher dietary diversity than households that do not. Among shrimp farmers, crop diversification has the relatively strongest significant positive effect on dietary diversity, suggesting part of the aquacultural crops are geared towards subsistence. By contrast, crop diversification seems to have a negative effect on dietary diversity among households that do not produce shrimp, especially when different agricultural crops are combined. Importantly, both for shrimp and non-shrimp farmers, crop diversification systems combining agriculture with aquaculture, and agroforestry seem to improve diverse diets among households. While by no means a panacea to solving FNS challenges among rural households, we suggest that promoting specific crop diversification systems could be a beneficial pathway to improved FNS outcomes.

Food Security Interventions among Refugees around the Globe: A Scoping Review.

There are 26 million refugees globally, with as many as 80% facing food insecurity irrespective of location. Food insecurity results in malnutrition beginning at an early age and disproportionately affects certain groups such as women. Food security is a complex issue and must consider gender, policies, social and cultural contexts that refugees face. Our aim is to assess what is known about food security interventions in refugees and identify existing gaps in knowledge. This scoping review followed the guidelines set out in the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews. We included all articles that discussed food security interventions in refugees published between 2010 and 2020. A total of 57 articles were eligible for this study with most interventions providing cash, vouchers, or food transfers; urban agriculture, gardening, animal husbandry, or foraging; nutrition education; and infant and young child feeding. Urban agriculture and nutrition education were more prevalent in destination countries. While urban agriculture was a focus of the FAO and cash/voucher interventions were implemented by the WFP, the level of collaboration between UN agencies was unclear. Food security was directly measured in 39% of studies, half of which used the UN’s Food Consumption Score, and the remainder using a variety of methods. As substantiated in the literature, gender considerations are vital to the success of food security interventions, and although studies include this in the planning process, few see gender considerations through to implementation. Including host communities in food security interventions improves the refugee–host relationship. Collaboration should be encouraged among aid organizations. To assess intervention efficacy, food security should be measured with a consistent tool. With the number of refugees in the world continuing to rise, further efforts are required to transition from acute aid to sustainability through livelihood strategies.

DIETARY DIVERSITY OF HOUSEHOLDS AND LEVELS OF FOOD SECURITY IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF ABOMEY-CALAVI

Populations have access to a variety of foods, at more or less affordable costs, which condition different states of food security. The objective of this research is to analyze the diversity of household food consumption in order to identify food security levels in the commune of Abomey-Calavi. The methodological approach adopted consisted of data collection, processing and analysis of the results. The survey was conducted among 442 households selected in the urban cores of each of the nine arrondissements of the Commune. The tools and materials used for the data collection consisted of the questionnaire, the interview guides, GPS and digital cameras. The results were analyzed using the Consolidated Food Security Indicator Approach (CARI). The results show that cereals constitute the main daily diet for 99% of households. The food consumption score indicates three levels of household food consumption namely acceptable food consumption, borderline food consumption and poor food consumption which concentrate 54%, 27¨% and 19% of households respectively. The Food Security Index determined by the CARI approach allowed us to distinguish four levels of food vulnerability in Abomey - calavi: Food Security (42%), Borderline Food Security (30%), Moderate Food Insecurity (25%) and Severe Food Insecurity (3%).

Socio-demographic predictors of food security among rural households in Langai district in Plateau-Nigeria: a cross-sectional study

household food insecurity is a critical social determinant of health globally. There is a rising global prevalence of food insecurity which affects households' access to food of adequate quantity and quality. This study assessed the level of food security and its socio-demographic determinants among rural households. this is a cross-sectional community survey among 201 rural households in Langai district representing a total population of 1,284. Reported food security was assessed using Food Consumption Scores and Coping Strategy Index. Data were analysed with SPSS 21. Analysis was done to assess the level of food-security associated factors. Multivariable analysis was done to assess determinants of food security. P-value <0.05 is considered significant. forty-three percent of all households have a total income greater than the national minimum wage. Overall, 21.4% are quality-food insecure (FCS), 6.5% have severe coping behaviour (CSI-food insecure) and 34.8% are highly economically vulnerable to food insecurity. Significant predictors of household food security include women earning than the basic monthly wage (AOR: 4.29 [95%CI: 1.34-13.71]; p=0.014); those without marital partners (AOR: 4.91 [95%CI: 1.01-23.90]; p=0.049); smaller household size (≤ 5) (AOR: 2.69 [95%CI: 1.16-6.24]; p=0.021); and those not receiving financial support (AOR: 2.68 [95%CI: 1.17-6.13]; p=0.020). almost a quarter of all households' experience food insecurity with more than one-third being highly vulnerable to food insecurity. Efforts should be made to cushion the effect of global food insecurity among vulnerable populations and improve livelihood through improved agricultural practices to have sustainable and equitable food security.

Effects of a Community-Based Intervention on the Lifestyle and Health of People at Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Benin

Introduction: Worldwide, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is increasing at an epidemic rate. The objective of this study was to measure the effects on lifestyle intervention in subjects at risk of T2D in a West African country. Methods: This study involved Beninese adults at risk of T2D randomly selected from 2 groups of villages: control villages and villages exposed to nutrition education, cooking demonstrations and physical activity sessions. Anthropometric, clinical, and biological measurements were taken in both groups at the beginning and end of the intervention, which lasted 12 months. The paired sample t-test was used to assess the effect of the intervention on the lifestyle of people at risk of T2D. Results: After 12 months of exposure to nutrition education, cooking demonstrations and physical activity sessions in the intervention villages, the mean body mass index, waist circumference, body fat percentage, blood glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol and amount of alcohol consumed per week had significantly decreased. Conversely, the mean intensity of physical activity and food consumption score had significantly increased. In the control group, 5.6% of the people at risk developed to diabetes. The relative risk was RR = 0.20 [0.14 - 0.56]. Conclusion: The intervention significantly improved metabolic indicators, intensity of leisure activity and dietary score. We suggest larger studies to better assess the effect of community-based interventions on the lifestyle and health of people at risk of T2D in Africa.

Práticas alimentares parentais e consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados em pré-escolares

ABSTRACT: Objective: To investigate the association between parental feeding practices and the consumption of ultra-processed foods in preschool children. Methods: Cross-sectional study with 140 parents (father and mother) and their children (2-6 year-old). Parental feeding practices were assessed using the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire. Children’s body weight and height were measured, and body mass index z-score per age was calculated. Parental anthropometric measurements (body weight and height) were obtained by self-report, and body mass index was calculated. The consumption of ultra-processed foods was assessed through the Child Food Frequency Questionnaire and the daily intake score was calculated. Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between parental feeding practices and the consumption of ultra-processed foods. Results: Children’s ultra-processed food consumption was negatively associated with the “Monitoring” parental feeding practices. On the other hand, “Emotion Regulation” and “Health restriction” parental feeding practices were positively associated with the ultra-processed food consumption score. Conclusion: Ultra-processed food consumption was associated to the “Monitoring”, “Emotion regulation” and “Health restriction” parental feeding practices in preschool children. These results support the importance of using successful parental feeding practices to promote healthy eating in preschoolers.

Gender inequality in livestock asset ownership: implication for food security in the Wa West District, Ghana

Food security is a complex phenomenon involving sociocultural and economic factors. This study examines gender inequality in livestock assets ownership on household food security in the Wa West District of Ghana. Data were collected from 400 households based on a cross-sectional survey and a multistage sampling of the respondents. Gender disparity in livestock assets distribution among men and women within the household was ascertained using the Gini index, while the household food consumption score technique was employed to determine household food security status. A binary logit regression model was used to assess the effect of gender inequality in livestock assets on household food security. The results indicated that, on average men owned 1.72 TLU compared to an average of 0.22 TLU owned by women. Livestock contribution to household food security was estimated at 16% of annual household food expenditure, with a composition of 0.90%, 6.04%, and 9.14% jointly owned, women owned, and men owned. Also, 33% of households were food insecure, while 67% of households were food secure at the time of the survey. The empirical results showed that a unit increase in the Gini index of livestock assets distribution in favour of men has a negative effect on household food security. The results further showed that household ownership of livestock, farm size, and education negatively influence household food insecurity, whereas household size, female-headed households, and dependency ratio positively affect household food insecurity in the study area. The study recommends that development programmes should target women’s economic empowerment and education to bridge the gender livestock assets gap to improve food security.

Impact of Adoption of Sustainable Agricultural Practices on Household Food Security in Small-scale Paddy-Cattle Farming Systems in Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka

The Paddy-Cattle Integrated Farming System (PCIFS) is one of the dominant farming systems in the dry zone, Sri Lanka which contributes to the well-being of small-scale farmers. These systems are subjected to high risk and uncertainty uttered by poor productivity and food insecurity related issues. Hence, the study aimed at investigating the impacts of adoption for sustainable agricultural practices on household food security in PCIFS in Anuradhapura district. A survey was employed to gather data from 300 randomly selected paddy-cattle integrated farmers. Descriptive and regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Farming experience, age of respondents, income from milk, awareness on sustainable agricultural practices, training participation and gender were identified as the factors affecting the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices. Further, household income (p&lt;0.1), age, farming experience, and adoption for sustainable agricultural practices significantly (p&lt;0.05) affected on the Food Consumption Score while household size (p&lt;0.1), access to credits, and adoption for sustainable agricultural practices significantly (p&lt;0.05) influenced the Household Food Insecurity Access Score. The study concludes that the adoption for sustainable agricultural practices ensure sustainable and food secured farming systems in the Anuradhapura district. The results suggest the importance of promoting sustainable agricultural practices among the paddy-cattle integrated farmers.