ABSTRACT
This study assessed the food insecurity and nutrition coping strategies among undergraduates in Abia State Nigeria, focusing on Michael Opkara University of Agriculture Umudike and Abia State University Uturu. Using systematic random sampling, 400 students were selected from 5 colleges of each school in the University to participate in the study. The factors examined include personal information, food habits, socio economic status, food insecurity situations, and food related coping strategies of the respondents. It was observed that 45.5% of the respondents in MOUAU and ABSU respectively say lack of money was the main cause of food insecurity, and 60.3% of respondents in both schools said sometimes they get hungry but could not afford more foods. On the issue of which of the coping strategies, you adopt when there is food insecurity. Majority (44.7%) of the respondents interviewed in both schools said sometimes rely on less preference foods. ABSU and MOUAU respondent ticked relying on less preferred food, 46.8% of the respondents often rely on less expensive foods, 47.7% Changes the pattern of eating food. It was also observed that majority (48.5%) of the respondents ticked never true on Borrowing money to buy food, 51.7% ticked never true on Purchase food on credit, 39.5% often Ration feeding money, 44.7% sometimes Limit portion of food eating, 46.2% Reduce number of meals and 756.5% sometimes stay whole day without food. Food insecurity seems to be a significant issue for students. It is necessary to carry out this research on different Campus settings and further strengthens support systems to increase access to nutritious foods for the population. Other initiatives and policies should be considered to increase access to nutritious foods and more broadly improve student’s economic stability (i.e. if they are able to address their basic needs, including food, so that they can focus on their education)
TABLE OF
CONTENT
TITLE
PAGE i
CERTIFICATION ii
DEDICATION iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iv
TABLE OF
CONTENT v
LIST OF
TABLE vii
LIST OF
FIGUERES viii
ABSTRACTS
ix
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background of the study
1
1.1.1
What is
food
1
1.1.2
What is nutrition
1
1.1.3
What is food insecurity
2
1.1.4
What is coping strategies
3
1.2 Statement of the problem
5
1.3 Objective of the study
6
1.3.1 General objective of the study
6
1.3.2 Specific objective of the study
6
1.4 Significance of the study
7
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 The Concept of food and nutrition
security
8
2.2 Food insecurity
9
2.2.1 Types of food insecurity
11
2.2.2 Food insecurity, physical and mental health 12
2.2.3 Relationship between food insecurity and
academic performance 13
2.2.4 Effects of food insecurity
16
2.3 Coping strategies
17
2.3.1 Coping Strategies Index (CSI)
19
2.4 Types of coping strategies
19
2.4.1 Formal approach
20
2.4.2 Informal approach
20
CHAPTER 3
MATERIALS AND METHODS
3.1 Scope study 22
3.2 Area of study 22
3.3 Population and sample size determination 24
3.4 Sampling
26
3.5 Preliminary activities
27
3.5.1 Preliminary visits
27
3.5.2 Letter of introduction
27
3.6 Study design
27
3.7 Questionnaire formulation
28
3.7.1 Validation of questionnaire
28
3.7.2 Questionnaire administration
28
3.8 Data analysis
28
CHAPTER 4
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Personal information of subjects 30
4.2 Socio-economic
characteristics of subjects 32
4.3 Food habits of subjects 35
4.4 Food insecurity situations f subjects 40
4.5 Coping strategies of subjects 49
CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
5.0 Conclusion 54
5.1 Recommendations 54
REFERENCES
55
APPENDIX: Questionnaire 65
LIST OF TABLES
Table 2.1:
Types of food insecurity 11
Table 4.1: Personal characteristics of subjects 31
Table4.2: Socio-economic characteristics of
subjects 33
Table 4.3: Food habits of subjects
36
Table 4.3b: Food
habits of subjects 38
Table 4.4: Food
insecurity of subjects 41
Table 4.4b: Food
insecurity of subjects 43
Table 4.4c: Food
insecurity of subjects 46
Table 4.4d: Food
insecurity of subjects 48
Table 4.5:
Coping strategies of subjects 50
Table 4.5b: Coping strategies of subjects 52
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure
1: The Nigeria food guide pyramid 13
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE
STUDY
1.1.1
What is food?
Food is any
substance consumed to provide the nutritional support for the body. It is
usually of plant and animal origin, and contains essential nutrients such as
carbohydrate, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. These substances are
ingested in the cell to provide energy, maintain life, or stimulate growth.
Therefore, food is one of the most basic needs and necessity for human
survival; and it is achieved through qualitative feeding practices. Regular intake of adequate quality
and quantity of diet is vital for optimal health, growth and development of
students (Wein, 1995).
1.1.2 What is nutrition?
Nutrition is the science that
interprets the interaction of nutrients and other substances in food in
relation to maintenance, growth, reproduction, health and disease of an
organism. It includes food intake, absorption, assimilation, biosynthesis, catabolism
and excretion (David, 2014). Nutrition can also be defined as a combination of
processes by which all parts of the body receives and utilize the materials
necessary for the performance of their functions and the growth and renewal of
the entire component (Wein, 1995).
1.1.5
What is food insecurity?
Food insecurity is
defined as the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and
safe foods, or the limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in
socially acceptable ways (USAID, 2000) and interpreted as not having sufficient food,
experiencing hunger as a result of running out of food and being unable to
afford more, eating a poor-quality diet as a result of limited food options,
and anxiety about acquiring food or having to rely on food relief (Rychetnik
et al., 2003). Inadequate dietary
intake related to food insecurity is particularly common. When food supplies
are constrained, the countries including students are exposed to using coping
strategies that compel them to reduce the quality and quantity of foods
consumed (Norhasmah et al., 2010). Food insecurity can negatively affect food
consumption, including reduced dietary variety, nutrient intake, and
nutritional status of students. Food insecurity causes hunger and malnutrition
in most countries, including Nigeria (FAO, 2008).
According to Obayelu (2010), food
insecurity exists when there is limited or uncertain ability to acquire
nutritionally adequate, affordable, culturally acceptable or safe foods. It is
an issue that reduces physical and mental ability, decreases social and
economic development through reduced social participation and increases risk of
diet related diseases (Patton-Lopez et
al., 2014).
According to Adeskoya (2009),
students frequently undergo financial hardship which can translate into budget
demands that compete with foods (such as tuition, textbooks, housing, utilities
and healthcare). Food insecurity during these years can potentially impact on
cognitive, academic and psychosocial development. Students are part of the society; they are
also under constant stress due to personal, financial or any other reasons.
Usually female students are believed to be more financially stressed. Causes of
financial stress in female students includes low family income, turnovers,
large family size with more siblings, high expenses, personal health issues,
bad parental relationships, death of parent, peer pressure, new fashion trends,
unhealthy coping behaviors and demands of university education (Ndlovus, 2001;
Hughes et al., 2011; Chaparro et al., 2009)
Food insecurity in
students has been identified as an emerging skeleton in the university closet
in low in-come countries with relatively low national food insecurity,
including Nigeria (Foster,
1992) and in other Africa countries (Hughes et al., 2011).
Food insecurity was found to be consistently higher in students in these
countries than that reported in the general population (Akinyele, 2009). Food insecurity represents a continuum.
1.1.6
What
is coping strategies?
Coping strategies are periods when
students adopt strange food habits that may further compromise their health and
academic performance in present times and in the immediate future (Kempson,
2002; Lazarus, 2007). Coping strategies is frequently a learned behavioral
patterns used to cope with real life situations that are challenging.
Obayelu (2010) reported that there
are negative coping mechanisms and positive coping mechanisms. Many often use
their coping mechanisms to benefit them in a positive way. Coping strategies are employed to
mitigate the effects of not having enough food to meet the student’s needs.
Some coping strategies are positive means of overcoming food shortages.
However, for many students who cannot afford enough food, coping strategies are
negative, that is, they have long-term detrimental effects. Examples of
negative coping strategies are: severe reduction in food consumption, reducing
expenditures on basic services such as health and education, and abnormal
migration (Africa Food Security Brief (AFSB) 2011)
In a recent study, Patton-Lopez et al. (2014) found that unexpectedly
large number of tertiary students were unable to find or afford nutritious
food. They further reported that many students worry about gaining weight
during their first year in tertiary institutions, thereby putting their
physical health, mental wellbeing and academic performance at risk. While
research on the extent of these problems among tertiary students is limited, it
nevertheless highlighted the dilemma that various class of students face on a
daily basis.
Patton-Lopez et al. (2014) in a study with University students in the United
States of America found that 59% of students at the university in Oregon in the
United States were found to be food insecure at some point during the previous
year. Thus, they had limited or uncertain access to nutritious and safe foods.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (2012) stated that providing the nation’s
citizen low income youths with nutritious foods has been a concern over a
hundred years and still is a problem. Since eating, has been theorized as a
coping strategy for stressful situations (Ahamad and Khondker, 2010).
1.2
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The Nigerian student population is already
ravaged with gross undernutrition in many essential nutrients that affects
their wellbeing (Obayelu, 2010). Sustained food
insecurity eventually becomes hunger (USAID, 2000). Furthermore, food insecurity negatively affects cognitive
function and academic performance of students (Hughes et al., 2011; Alaimo et
al., 2001; Faulkner et al., 2016). However, food insecurity in students at higher education
institutions is a neglected field of research (Kremmyda et al., 2008). Student nutrition is given less
attention in nutrition policies, strategies and programs of low income
countries; which might explain the high prevalence of both acute and chronic
malnutrition students in developing countries
(Kimbro and Denney, 2015; Gundersen and Ziliak, 2015; Olson, 1999). In the face
of these challenges to adequate nutrition, students summarily have had to develop,
manipulate and adopt nutrition coping mechanisms to address occasional and
sometimes continuous financial deficits in schools due to irregular source of
fund, changing food prices and other cost of learning in school.
Unfortunately, the prevalent forms of
malnutrition that are affecting students of higher institutions in Abia State
is not known and the types and levels of financial difficulties encountered
during studies or the nutrition coping strategies that are in place to address
short and long term financial stress. Also the period of the day or month or
year of students those specific strategies are most common is also not known.
And with this, we do not know if the same coping methods are suitable for
student living in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) and
students in Abia State University (ABSU). These are but a few gaps in knowledge
that the study is set to fill.
1.3 OBJECTIVE
OF THE STUDY
1.3.1
General objectives of the study
The objective of the study is to
investigate food insecurity and nutrition coping strategies amongst undergraduate
students of two tertiary institutions in Abia State.
1.3.2
Specific Objective of the study
The specific objectives of the study are to:
1. Determine
the socio-economic characteristics of the subjects.
2. Access
the food habits of the subjects.
3. Evaluate
the level of food insecurity amongst undergraduate students in MOUAU and Abia
State University (ABSU).
4. Access
different coping strategies used by the students of MOUAU and ABSU.
1.4
SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
This research will go a long way in
providing information that can be used to improve the feeding pattern, health
status and nutritional status of undergraduate students in MOUAU and ABSU.
This research will also help undergraduate
students to see the need to develop good dietary habits and practices and also
help them to be conscious of the food they consume. It will also stimulate them
to change from unhealthy food habit and help them to adopt healthy food habit
as part of their lifestyle, so as to have better nutritional status in the
future.
The research work will also highlight the
sensitive periods of financial constraints faced by students in tertiary
institutions and how to maximize helpful mechanism and eradicate the harmful
ones. This shall encourage further research for programme planning and
implementation.
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