The study examined the dynamics of society, food availability and consumption, a call for the promotion of health of community dwellers in South Africa. Food availability and dietary intake were discussed in terms of food groups available in society. The study group was selected through random sampling and before data collection, a pre-test of the questionnaire was carried out with the help of 15 enumerators who were trained for the purpose of this study. Structured questionnaires employed were divided into sections as follows: i) the socio-economic, demographic information and farm-level characteristics of respondents, ii) various food items and sources, iii) dietary and food consumption patterns. The food consumption frequency was captured through 7-day recall pattern suggested by World Food Programme (WFP) of the United Nations, commonly referred to as Food Consumption Score (FCS). Findings indicate that there was a high intake of cereals and tubers amongst men in the two villages (Mzinti and Kabokweni). Fulfilling the WFP principles, FCS was re-grouped into two clusters: poor, borderline as ‘Acceptable’ (1) and ‘Unacceptable’ (0). The outcome variable, FCS, was grouped as a dichotomous variable, categorized as ‘Acceptable’ with assigned value of 1 and ‘Unacceptable’ assigned 0. The determinants of food consumption were specified, using logistic regression. Overall, males (24%) had more energy intake (cereals and tuber) in Mzinti as compared to females (21%). However, results reveal that fruits and pulses were the least commonly consumed food groups over a 7-day recall period for Kabokweni and Mzinti. The findings also reveal that 60.97% of respondents in Kabokweni and 64.96% in Mzinti were within the acceptable food consumption score. The following variables: age (p < 0.022), level of education (p < 0.006 and p < 0.039), household size, (p < 0.007), extension services (p < 0.001 and p < 0.028), and farm experience (p <.018**) were positively and significantly associated with FCS. Food insecurity impacts directly on physical, economic and mental health of people and understanding the food security status of communities is vital for planning. Additionally, the study underscores the relevance of obtaining necessary statistics for dietary diversity of households to support government policy making. An evolving and innovative policy direction is proposed for exploring the dynamics of integrating food security into government health programmes. Key words: Smallholders, food insecurity, food consumption score, South Africa
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