Household Dietary Diversity Research Articles

Association between consumption of edible insects with dietary diversity, and household food and nutrition security in Southern Zimbabwe

Edible insects are nutritious with potential to improve nutritional outcomes and livelihoods in low-income countries. However, it is not clear whether consumption of edible insects is positively correlated with improved dietary diversity and food security indicators. Therefore, this cross-sectional study was designed to investigate the relationship between consumption of edible insects and diet diversity and food security indicators among children and adults from Gwanda district, Matabeleland province in Southern Zimbabwe. The survey collected data on the following; household sociodemographic characteristics, household dietary diversity score (HDDS), food consumption score (FCS), and child dietary diversity score (CDDS). Logistic regression was used to examine the associations between edible insect consumption and food security indicators. A total of 303 households were surveyed. A high proportion were edible insect consumers (80.9%) and the rest non-consumers (19.1%). The most consumed insect was mopani worms (Gonimbrasia belina, madora, amacimbi) (74.8%). The consumption of mopani worms was highest in the age group 20-49 years (34.4%) and significantly associated with being married and age of the household head. There was no difference between the mean CDDS for consumers (5.9±1.7) and for non-consumers (6.0±2.0) (p=0.802). The median (IQR) FCS for consumers was lower at 49 (35, 65) than for non-consumers 53 (36.5, 64). This difference was not statistically significant (p=0.526). There also was no difference between the average HDDS for consuming households (6.2±1.7) and for non-consuming households 6.2±1.5 (p=0.866). There was no significant association between consumption of edible insects and CDDS (p=0.802), HDDS (p=0.866), and FCS (p=0.585). In conclusion, this study showed that Gonimbrasia belina (mopani worms, madora, amacimbi) were the commonly consumed insect mostly as relish due to their palatable taste. Overall, the consumption of edible insects did not seem to improve diet diversity and food security indicators in this setting. National level studies with bigger sample sizes that investigate the contribution of edible insects to overall nutrient intake and dietary diversity are required. Furthermore, interventions to promote the consumption of edible insects, including their commercialization should adopt a social ecological approach to maximise impact. Key words: Entomophagy, food security, mopani worms, stunting, gender, Zimbabwe

Household food security and household dietary diversity in rural Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic - baseline results from a community-based cluster randomized controlled trial

Household food security and household dietary diversity in rural Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic - baseline results from a community-based cluster randomized controlled trial

Household food security access and dietary diversity amidst covid-19 pandemic in nepal; an evidence from rapid assessment

Household food security access and dietary diversity amidst covid-19 pandemic in nepal; an evidence from rapid assessment

Innovative Solutions to Increase Dietary Diversity of Rural Households

Today, it is becoming important to achieve food security in all countries. This article aims to find sustainable and innovative ways to improve household dietary diversity score (HDDS). Analyzes were carried out based on 320 small farms in the Samarkand region using cross-sectional data in 2021. T-test method were applied to find differences in dietary diversity and product diversification of households that prepared food with digital and other innovative patterns and those that did not use them. Culinary special television programs, radio broadcasts are assisted the households’ dietary diversity index increased by 2.7 points compared to those who did not follow the program, and the production diversification index showed an increase of 0.18 points in crop diversification and 0.20 points in livestock diversification with high statistical significance. When comparing production and consumption diversification between those who used and those who did not use digital technologies, the diversification index of the crop was 0.12 and livestock diversification was 0.24 points higher. In addition, we observed that HDDS was 2.2 times higher. In particular, those who constantly used Internet resources to learn culinary practices had a crop and livestock diversification 0.03 and 0.16 points higher, HDDS two times greater than those who did not use Internet resources. Therefore, only a small number of 11 respondents mentioned that they participated in culinary courses. Our study also found that the level of farm production diversification was higher with respondents who attended cooking courses than those who did not. It was scientifically proven that HDDS was twice as high as those who did not use online menu programs, and crop and livestock diversification index was 0.15 and 0.19 points higher, respectively. Findings indicated that, proposed innovative objective solutions displayed positive results in increasing the dietary diversity of rural households.

Household Food Insecurity Negatively Impacts Diet Diversity in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Healthy, diverse diets are vital for life. In low/middle-income countries, however, the focus is more on food quantity rather than diet quality. This study assessed household diet diversity (HDD) in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta and its associations with household food insecurity (HFI) and household food availability (HFA) controlling for socioeconomic factors. Primary food-preparers in 552 randomly selected households in two rural provinces were interviewed about socioeconomic factors, HDD, HFI, and HFA. More than 80% of households predominantly consumed energy-dense foods, whereas less than 20% consumed nutrient-dense foods. Lower HDD was associated with HFI, lower HFA, for the Khmer ethnic minority, and low livelihood capitals (landlessness, low expenditure, debt) and low utensil scores. The study highlighted the need to provide improved food and nutrition policies that increase availability and access to diverse and healthy foods as well as reduce poverty and increase incomes for at-risk rural and ethnic minority groups.

Food insecurity, dietary diversity and the right to adequate food among households in landslide-prone communities in Eastern Uganda: A cohort study.

We assessed food insecurity, dietary diversity and the right to adequate food among households in communities in Eastern Uganda that were affected by major landslides in 2010 and 2018. A prospective cohort study was applied to select 422 households during May-August (the food-plenty season) of 2019. In January-March (the food-poor season) of 2020, 388 households were re-assessed. Socio-demographic, food security, dietary diversity and right to adequate food data were collected using structured questionnaires. Four focus groups discussions and key informant interviews with 10 purposively sampled duty-bearers explored issues of food insecurity, dietary and the right to adequate food. The affected households had significantly higher mean (SE) food insecurity scores than controls, both during the food plenty season: 15.3 (0.5) vs. 10.8 (0.5), and during food-poor season: 15.9 (0.4) vs. 12.5 (0.0). The affected households had significantly lower mean (SE) dietary diversity scores than controls during the food plenty season: 5.4 (0.2) vs. 7.5 (0.2) and during the food poor season: 5.2 (0.2) vs. 7.3 (0.1). Multivariate analyses showed that the disaster event, education and main source of livelihood, were significantly associated with household food security and dietary diversity during the food-plenty season whereas during the food-poor season, the disaster event and education were associated with household food security and dietary diversity. During both food seasons, the majority of affected and control households reported to have consumed unsafe food. Cash-handout was the most preferred for ensuring the right to adequate food. Comprehension and awareness of human rights principles and state obligations were low. The severity of food-insecurity and dietary diversity differed significantly between the affected and control households during both food seasons. Moreover, the right to adequate food of landslide victims faced challenges to its realization. There is need for policy and planning frameworks that cater for seasonal variations, disaster effects and right to adequate food in order to reduce landslide victims' vulnerability to food insecurity and poor dietary diversity. In the long-term, education and income diversification program interventions need to be integrated into disaster recovery programs since they are central in enhancing the resilience of rural livelihoods to shocks and stressors on the food system.

Undernutrition and Associated Factors among HIV-Infected Adults Receiving ART at Health Centers, Lega Tafo and Surrounding, Ethiopia, 2021

Background: Globally, 38 million people were living with HIV in 2019. In Africa, 25 million people are living with HIV/AIDS undernutrition and food insecurity is endemic. Hence, the study aimed to assess the magnitude of undernutrition and associated factors among HIV-infected adults receiving ART. Methods: Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted among HIV/AIDS patients who followed the ART service was selected by a simple random sampling method. The data were collected by direct interview, using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and a logistic regression model were employed. Result: The study revealed that the magnitude of undernutrition was 18.8%. The history of opportunistic infection (AOR=4.518:95% CI: 2.304-8.857), Patients taking ART for less than one year (AOR=3.675:95% CI: 1.831-7.377) household food insecure (AOR= 3.113:95% CI: 1.628-5.950) and dietary diversity score (AOR=2.340:95% CI: 1.221-4.485) were found to have a statistically significant association with undernutrition. Conclusion: The magnitude of undernutrition among people living with HIV/AIDS was found to be high. Having an opportunistic infection, duration of taking ART treatment, household food security status, and dietary diversity status were found to statistically significant association with undernutrition.

Household dietary diversity across regions in Ethiopia: Evidence from Ethiopian socio-economic survey data.

Household food and nutrition insecurity continued to be a development and policy agenda in Ethiopia. Assessing the patterns and determinants of household dietary diversity is an important area of research given its importance for policy uptake in the country. This study is, therefore, initiated to identify the dominant food groups consumed by households and to investigate the determinants of household dietary diversity in the country. We used data from the 4th wave of the Ethiopian socioeconomic survey. The survey data for this study included 3,115 households living in rural areas (hereafter called 'rural households'). Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) was calculated and categorized as per the FAO's recommendation: low HDDS category for those who consume three or less food groups, medium HDDS for those who consume four to six, and high HDDS for those who consume seven and more food groups during the past seven days. Ordinal logistic regression model was employed to estimate the determinants of rural household's dietary diversity. Cereals were the most dominant food group consumed by 96.4% of the households followed by pulses, which was consumed by 82% of the households Nutrition-dense food commodities such as lean meat, vegetables and fruits were the least consumed food groups by households in Ethiopia. In terms of determinants of dietary diversity, female headed households have 38% more chance of consuming diverse foods compared to their male-headed counterparts (AOR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.73). Household heads who completed secondary education and above have 62% more chance of consuming diverse foods compared to uneducated household heads (AOR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.2, 2.30). Household heads who are single have 37% less chance of consuming diverse foods compared to those household heads who are married (AOR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.50, 0.80). Those households located in Harari regional state and in the rural surroundings of Diredawa town have 6.56 times more chance of consuming diverse foods compared to those households living in Tigray and Amhara regional states (AOR = 6.56, 95% CI: 4.60, 9.37). The results also highlighted that households who are in the upper wealth category have 9 times more chance of consuming diverse foods compared to those households who are the lower wealth category (AOR = 8.54, 95% CI: 6.79, 11.98).

Malnutrition is associated with increased disease risk in older people in the Makkah region of Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study.

There is little research on the nutritional status of older people in Saudi Arabia. This study investigated the factors associated with the nutritional status of older people in the Makkah region, Saudi Arabia. We hypothesized that older people who are at risk of malnutrition are at higher risk of different diseases. This cross-sectional study surveyed 271 people aged ≥60 years from October 2021 to January 2022. We collected data on demographics, body mass index, the Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form, Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index, Mini Nutritional Assessment, Eating Attitudes Test, and Household Dietary Diversity score. Among the 271 participants, 13.3% were malnourished and 53.9% were at risk of malnutrition. The oral health (P < 0.001), depression (P < 0.001), and eating disorder (P < 0.002) scores were significantly associated with malnutrition. Congestive heart failure, asthma, peripheral vascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, and hypertension were more prevalent among malnourished participants-this supports our original hypothesis. The HDD score showed no significant differences between men and women. Malnutrition was associated with overweight or obesity, poor oral health, and depression. Older people in the Makkah region, Saudi Arabia, had a high risk of malnutrition.

Linking nutrition education and farm production diversification to fruit and vegetable consumption in Zimbabwe

The main aim of the research was to analyze whether nutrition education and farm production diversification improved household dietary diversity as well as fruit and vegetable consumption among rural households in Zimbabwe. A cross-sectional survey using systematic random sampling was conducted in eight rural districts covering 1417 households. Poisson, Instrumental Variables Poisson, and Instrumental Variables probit regressions were used for analysis. Nutrition education and farm production diversity were associated with 53% and 2% increase in household dietary diversity, respectively. Nutrition education shows a significant and positive association with both fruits and vegetables intake. Nutrition education was associated with a 50% and 18% likelihood of consuming fruits and vegetables, respectively. Farm production diversification was associated with fruit consumption among rural households. Using alternative model specifications, we note that nutrition education was associated with an increase in the frequency of consuming vegetables. Farm production diversification and income were positively correlated with the frequency of fruit intake. Therefore, government, private sector, and development agencies need to promote nutrition education programs that emphasize production and consumption of fruits and vegetables. Second, interventions that promote crop and livestock diversification, including household cultivation of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables, need to be upscaled.

Do crop diversity and livestock production improve smallholder intra-household dietary diversity, nutrition and sustainable food production? Empirical evidence from Pakistan

Crop diversification and livestock production is an important strategy to enhance nutrition, sustainable food production, and improve food security, especially at the smallholder household level. However, existing evidences are mixed and there are limited information about the relationship among agriculture crops, household income diversification (HID), and household dietary diversity (HDD) among smallholder farmers in developing country setting like Pakistan. Therefore, this study aims to understand the role of crop diversification (CD) on HDD, nutrition, and sustainable agriculture and food production in the context of smallholder households in Punjab, Pakistan. The study employed ordered probit regression and cross-sectional data from 450 households collected using 24-h recall method. Regression results indicate that crop diversity and intra-household dietary diversity are positively associated across adults, adolescents, and children in all the study districts. Moreover, annual income, key crops grown by the household and family education are also the significant drivers of dietary diversity. Greater travel distance between markets was the most crucial factor in all regions which significantly affect dietary diversity. The overall research findings indicated that crop diversification and livestock production in the selected areas is significantly contributing to improve nutrition and sustainable food production. Therefore this study recommends for promoting crop diversification and livestock production for sustainable agricultural development and improving nutrition in the context of developing countries like Pakistan.

Determinants of household dietary diversity in rural Ethiopia: A household panel study

BackgroundDiet diversification ensures nutritional security and hence helps in meeting nutrient requirements in humans. Despite its importance, diet diversification remains a challenge, especially in rural communities in developing countries. This study aimed to identify the determinants of DD in rural Ethiopia. MethodsIn this study, we used an agricultural and nutrition household panel data. This study collected data from 1200 households twice a year for two years in nine districts. The household dietary diversity score (HDDS) was used as the outcome measure. Several potential demographic, social, economic, and geographic determinants of HDDS were assessed. Mixed effects truncated Poisson regression was used to identify which of these determinants were associated with HDDS at household level. ResultThe HDDS value ranged from 1 to 10 with a mean of 5.52 and standard deviation (SD) of 1.54. A unit increment in the variety of crop production gave a 3.4% [95% CI: 1.9%, 4.9%,] increase in relative change (RC) of HDDS. A birr increases in income generated from livestock products resulted in a 2.6% [1.5%, 3.7%] increase in RC of HDDS. The post-harvesting season contributed to a 6.4% [3.6%, 9.3%] increase in RC of HDDS compared to the pre-harvesting. Households headed by a woman had an HDDS that was −7.9% [-12.5%, −3.3%] lower in RC of HDDS than male-lead households. An additional year of education of the household head resulted in a 1.2% [0.7%, 1.7%] increase in RC of HDDS. As the mean women's decision-making score increased by one point, the RC in HDDS increased by 3.8% [1.1%, 6.4%]. No significant association was found between the time taken to reach local markets and HDDS. ConclusionThis study identified economic, educational, social, and seasonal factors associated with HDDS, which should be considered when planning interventions aimed at improving HDDS in rural Ethiopia or elsewhere.

An Empirical Assessment Of Poverty, Food Security And Nutritional Status Of Former Enclave People In A Selected Area Of Bangladesh

This article empirically investigates poverty, food security and nutritional status of selected former enclave households. Binary logistic regression was carried out to find out the factors affecting food security of the households. Following simple random sampling technique, a sample of 80 households from two villages of Dibiganj upazila of Panchagarh district of Bangladesh was surveyed in January 2020. On an average, they consumed 20 food items of which their daily per capita intake was 1414.52 gm. Mean of daily per capita protein and calorie intake was 63.14 gm. and 1619.67 Kcal, respectively. Rice occupied the major contributing source of protein and calorie intake as per capita consumption of rice was highest among all other food items (609.35 gm.). Among the respondents, 61.25% belonged to ultra-poor following by hard core poor (20%) and absolute poor (7.5%). Based on FCS, 81.25% of them were in poor diet clusters but consequently 91.25% of them belonged to high dietary diversity as indicated by household dietary diversity score. Assessment of CSI and HFIAS indicated that most of the sample households were suffering from moderately to severely food insecure. But based on MAHFP, 20% of the respondents were found to be food insecure as they had food provisioning for 0- 9 months out of 12 months. At the same time, 51.25% of the sample households were underweight based on their BMI. There was no household member whose physical feature was found to be obese based on BMI characterization. The result of the binary logistic regression shows that food security is positively correlated with total land size and family consumption of food. So, diversification of crop production and diversification of family consumption can be the recommended steps for the enclaves’ households to upgrade their food and nutrition security status&#x0D; Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 46(4): 353-372, December 2021

Persistent Malnutrition among Children under five in Pastoral Communities of Aweil Centre, South Sudan

Malnutrition is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among children globally, and has been linked to 60% of the 10.9M deaths annually of under-fives. High prevalence of infectious diseases contributes to malnutrition and vice versa making the situation even worse. In WHO’s African region, the median stunting prevalence is 31.3%.&#x0D; The worst scenarios are seen in the war tone countries; for example Aweil Center of South Sudan has consistently high malnutrition rates despite running nutrition projects by UN agencies, government and other partners with relative stability. Results from Survey carried out in 2013 indicated poverty levels at 76%, severe acute malnutrition (SAM) prevalence rate of 6.3% (95% CI, 4.5-8.9), Global acute malnutrition (GAM) rate of 22.4% (95% CI, 17.8-27.7) with under five mortality rate of 152 deaths/ 1,000 live births.&#x0D; A cross-sectional study with two-stage cluster sampling method done to determine the associated factors of malnutrition among children 6-59 months in Aweil Center County. The results showed high burden of infectious diseases like fever, diarrhea, eye, skin and respiratory tract infections at 94.5% with p-value 0.00022 (95%C.I, 0.1667-0.291). Very low household dietary diversity score of only 24 % (125out of 513 families). There was low coverage of primary health care interventions; e.g. Vitamin A, LLITN and measles vaccinations at 53%, 52.8% and 55% respectively. Accessibility to CBDs for iCCM associated with better nutrition status of children p-value 0.032 and OR 0.62 (95% CI 0.41-0.94). Poor feeding methods, family planning practices; and poor access roads to markets impact on nutrition status of children.&#x0D; Multifaceted approach is needed to root out the persistent malnutrition from Aweil Center: Shift from food aid to support of food production, scale up of primary health care and iCCM interventions to include IPT for malnourished children and community awareness on feeding practices and family planning

Covid-19 related factors to food security and dietary diversity among urban households in western Oromia, Ethiopia

BackgroundThis study aims to assess factors associated with food security and dietary diversity among poor urban households of western Oromia, Ethiopia, after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. MethodA cross-sectional, community-based study was conducted in May to June 2021 with 361 poor urban households in the Horo Guduru Wollega zone, western Oromia, Ethiopia. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data. Twenty-four hour reminder points were used to assess household dietary diversity, and household food security was assessed using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale tool. Data were evaluated using the statistical software SPSS version 25.0. ResultsThis study showed a prevalence of food insecurity in households of 59.6%. The mean and standard deviation of household dietary diversity values were 4.19 ± 1.844. Family size (AOR = 8.5; 95% CI:3.295–21.92), monthly income (AOR = 3.52; 95% CI; 1.771–6.986), dietary diversity (AOR = 8.5; 95% CI; 3.92–18.59), knowledge (AOR = 3.0, 95% CI = 1.08–)8.347), attitude (AOR = 8.35, 95% CI:3.112–22.39) and practices against Covid-19 (AOR = 2.12; 95% CI:1.299–11.4) were factors significantly associated with food insecurity. Variables like educational status (AOR = 3.46; 95% CI:1.44–8.312), increased family size after the Covid-19 pandemic (AOR = 2.26; 95% CI:1.02–5.04), food security (AOR = 6.7; 95% CI:4.01–19.01), knowledge (AOR = 3.96; 95% CI:1.57–10.0), attitude (AOR = 3.9; 95% CI:1.75–8.82) and practices toward coronavirus (AOR = 2.23; 95% CI:2.18–23.95) were predictors significantly associated with dietary diversity. ConclusionThis study concluded that family size, monthly income, and dietary diversity were factors contributed to household food security. On the other hand, variables such as educational status, family size, and food security were highly relevant factors for dietary diversity after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices were also variables related to both household food security and dietary diversity. Therefore, immediate interventions such as nutrition-specific interventions can be suggested to address food insecurity and problems of inadequate food intake in poor urban households. In addition, governmental and non-governmental organizations should raise awareness and policies to support those at higher risk by developing affordable, sustainable and targeted social protection systems that ensure food security and adequate dietary intake at the household level.

Sustainable intensification and household dietary diversity in maize-based farming systems of Zambia and Zimbabwe

With only four years before the end date for the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition, the need to identify nutrition-sensitive and sustainable agricultural interventions that can address hunger and malnutrition cannot be more urgent. This paper assesses associations between sustainable intensification practices and dietary diversity in maize-based farming systems of Zambia and Zimbabwe. Using survey data from 1124 households, we apply an instrumental variable approach that allows to control for the fact that farmers self-select themselves into adopting sustainable intensification practices, making adoption endogenous. We also explore pathways from intensification to dietary diversity. We find significant positive associations between the adoption intensity of sustainable intensification practices (SIPs) such as minimum tillage, minimum tillage and crop rotation, and minimum tillage and intercrops and improved production and crop diversity and in turn, dietary diversity on average. These findings hinge on there being widespread adoption of SIPs. There is need for concerted efforts to address current bottlenecks that hinder widespread adoption and promote broader food group diversification to realize the nutrition related co-benefits associated with sustainable intensification.

Unlocking the potential of smallholder dairy farm: Evidence from the central highland of Ethiopia

Sustainable livestock farming practices have the potential to improve productivity and high income, reduce greenhouse gases, and improve household food security. Despite previous efforts to disseminate these technologies, the rate of adoption has remained very low in Ethiopia. In this study, we investigate the determinants of adoption and the impact of improved dairy farming practices (IDFP), which include improved breed, improved feed, and improved feeding conditions, on household food security in the central highland of Ethiopia. A multi-stage stratified random sampling technique was used to select 480 smallholder farmers from four districts. The study employed principal component analysis (PCA) to group IDFPs, and the endogenous switching regression model (MESR) was used to examine household food security status. Our findings showed that IDFP adoption had a significant and positive impact on per capita food consumption and increases the likelihood of smallholder farmers being food secure compared to non-adopters. The adoption of integrated IDFP had a greater impact on household food security when smallholder farmers used a package that incorporates improved breeds, feeds, and feeding systems (B1F1S1). The implementation of this package increased food security by 31% in terms of household food consumption score (HFCS) and 26% in terms of household diet diversity score (HDDS). Additionally, the size of livestock holdings, off-farm income, extension services, and milk collection centers all influenced the adoption decision of this package. It has been confirmed that improving dairy farming practices for sustainable development can significantly contribute to the food security of smallholder farmers when used in combination. Interventions that address access to farm resources, the supply chain for technological inputs and services, and output markets may assist in the adoption of dairy technologies.

The Role of Smallholder Farming on Rural Household Dietary Diversity.

The importance of smallholder farming is increasingly recognized in rural areas where increased crop productivity and market participation can effectively improve their dietary diversity and nutrition quality. However, rural households are still faced with severe food insecurity and malnutrition. The study sought to assess the role of smallholder farming in crop productivity and market access on rural household dietary diversity. The secondary data were collected using a quantitative research method, and 1520 participants were selected using a stratified random sampling technique. The descriptive results showed that cereals were the most (98%) consumed food group, while vegetables and fruits were the least consumed food groups, at 37% and 23%, respectively. The results from the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) showed that 57% of smallholder farmers consumed highly diverse diets (more or equal to six food groups), whereas 25% and 18% of smallholder farmers consumed medium dietary diversity (four to five food groups) and low diverse diets (less or equal to three food groups), respectively. The findings from the Conditional Mixed Process (CMP) and Poisson endogenous treatment effect models showed that household size, ownership of livestock, wealth index, and involvement in crop production positively influenced household dietary diversity. On the other hand, output and access to market information showed a negative effect. Social grants had contradicting effects: they had a negative impact on the HDDS received from crop productivity while they had a positive effect on the HDDS from market participation. Providing different ways smallholder farmers can use their funds effectively can help improve household dietary diversity and nutrition quality. The study recommended that more workshops and training be conducted that cover all the sustainable production systems that smallholder farmers can undertake to produce different food groups. These will raise awareness among smallholder farmers about the requirements for balanced diets for food and nutrition security.

Impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on household diet diversity in rural Bihar, India: a longitudinal survey

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic disrupted livelihoods and diets across the world. This study aimed to assess changes in household diet diversity and food consumption between the pre-COVID-19 period (December 2019–January 2020) and during the lockdown (March–May 2020), and to identify the socio-economic characteristics that determine these changes in rural Bihar, India.MethodsHouseholds that had provided their phone numbers in the pre-COVID-19 household survey (n = 1797) were contacted for interviews during the lockdown telephonic survey in a longitudinal survey in two districts (Gaya and Nalanda) in Bihar. In total, 939 households were interviewed. Using data on food consumption from both surveys, 876 households were included in the analysis. Food and Agriculture Organization’s household diet diversity score (HDDS) was used to compare diet diversity between the pre-COVID-19 period and during the lockdown. Logistic regression was used to identify factors affecting household diet diversity and food consumption in the study households.ResultsLow diet diversity increased from 51.6% (95% CI 48.3–54.9) to 75.8% (95% CI 73.0–78.6) from the pre-COVID-19 to the lockdown period. Reduced food consumption was reported across all foods with nearly a quarter of the households reporting reduced consumption of fruits (27%), pulses (25%) and cereals (21%). Nearly 60% and above reported stopping consumption of nutrient-rich foods such as chicken, fish and eggs although the population was predominantly non-vegetarian. Logistic regression analysis revealed that taking a loan from neighbours/relatives (OR = 1.8; 95% CI 1.3–2.5) and belonging to lower social groups (OR = 1.8; 95% CI 1.1–2.9) increased odds of low HDDS. While those possessing ration cards had lower odds of reduced consumption of all food items, it was not associated with stopping consumption of any food item. In an unadjusted analysis, receipt of cash transfer during lockdown was also not associated with diet diversity (OR = 1.2; 95% CI 0.9–1.7).ConclusionsCOVID-19 has impacted the consumption of nutrient-rich foods among already low-income rural households in India. Maintaining diet diversity among socio-economically vulnerable households during periods when food consumption is most threatened by shocks such as COVID-19 would need sustained government support in terms of social protection coverage and benefit transfers in rural communities.

Beyond the bean: Analyzing diversified farming, food security, dietary diversity, and gender in Nicaragua’s smallholders coffee cooperatives

ABSTRACT Diversification is key for agroecological transformations, but little is known about how it relates to farmers’ dietary diversity and food sovereignty. Our team and coffee cooperative staff conducted a participatory action research mixed methods study, including 171 surveys and 50 interviews. Over 70% of the farmers reported self-initiated diversification activities. Statistical analysis showed a significant positive correlation between crop diversity and dietary diversity, while controlling for farm size and income. To assess gender relations females responded to 41% of the surveys, and we separated focus groups by sex. Average male-owned farms were 1.8 ha larger than women-owned farms, yet we found no significant differences in household food security or dietary diversity. Additional disparities included male vs. female perceptions about who does additional diversification work and who decides about strategies. Although the co-op has a strong gender equity and technical assistance program, our analysis of extension training documents identified useful content and a smaller percent of female participants in diversification vs. gender sessions. Suggested strategic actions for co-op planning include supporting: (1) female land ownership, (2) diversification focused farmer-led experimentation, and (3) more training for men on gender, women on diversification, and all participants in feminist agroecology.