ABSTRACT
The study assessed the food, nutrition security and anthropometric status of farmers in Obowo L.G.A of Imo state. A cross sectional study design was conducted among 355 farmers from Obowo Local Government, where 5 out of 14 communities in Obowo were randomly selected with the help of balloting without replacement. A total of 355 structured questionnaires were developed to collect information from the study participant. The questionnaire was divided into five (5) sections: (personal and socio-economic status, household characteristics, anthropometry, food security and nutrition security). The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Service Solution (SPSS) for Windows Version 20.0 software programs. The association between food/nutrition security and anthropometric status of the farmers were analyzed using Chi-square and Pearson’s correlation. The result on socio-economic characteristics of the farmers showed that 51% were female, 35.8% were between the ages of 36-45 years and 95.2% were Christians. Also, it was indicated that 47.3% of the farmers were married while 31% were single. Less than half (47.9%) of the farmers had primary school education and 29.3% had secondary education. From the study, 67% of the farmers got food from the market and 27.3% from their farms. Also, 41.4% of the houses were floored with cement and 25.1% with carpet. Furthermore, 54.4% were food secure, 40.4% were food insecure without hunger while 5.2% were food insecure with hunger. Results showed that 60.2% were nutrition secure, 31.9% were moderately nutrition insecure while 7.9% were severely nutrition insecure. Also, 1.7% of the farmers were underweight, 13.5% had normal weight, and 47.1% were overweight while 37.7% of the farmers were obese. From this study, there was negative but significant relationship between food and nutrition security status and BMI of the farmers. Also, there was a significant association between nutrition security status of the farmers and their anthropometric status. Health care providers should provide nutrition education that focuses on food procurement, preparation, storage and hygienic methods in other to address the food and nutrition insecurity experienced at the community level.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE i
CERTIFICATION ii
DEDICATION iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS v
LIST OF TABLE vii
LIST OF FIGURES viii
ABSTRACT ix
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Statement of problem 5
1.2 Objectives 7
1.3 Significance of study 7
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Food security 8
2.1.1 World food security 14
2.1.2 Food security in Nigeria 16
2.1.3 Factors affecting food security 18
2.1.3.1 Insufficient production 18
2.1.3.2 Gender inequality 19
2.1.3.3 Inefficient policies and corruption 20
2.1.3.4 Conflict and civil insecurity 21
2.1.3.5 Climate change and natural disasters 22
2.1.3.6 Low technology for processing and storage 23
2.2 Nutrition security 24
2.3 Anthropometry 28
2.3.1 Anthropometric measurements 28
2.3.1.1 Height and weight 30
2.3.1.2 Waist and hip circumference 31
2.3.1.3 Waist and Hip Ratio 32
CHAPTER 3
MATERIALS AND METHODS
3.1 Study design 33
3.2 Area of study 33
3.3 Population of the study 34
3.4 Sampling and sampling techniques 34
3.4.1 Sample size 34
3.4.2 Sampling procedure 36
3.5 Preliminary activities 36
3.5.1 Preliminary visit 36
3.5.2 Training of research assistants 36
3.5.3 Informed consent 37
3.6 Data collection 37
3.6.1 Questionnaire administration 37
3.6.2 Interview 37
3.6.3 Anthropometric measurement 38
3.6.4 Food security assessment 39
3.6.5 Nutrition security assessment 39
3.7 Data analysis 40
3.8 Statistical analysis 41
CHAPTER 4
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Personal data and socioeconomic characteristics of the farmers 42
4.2 Household characteristics of the farmers 45
4.3 Food security status of the farmers 48
4.5 Nutrition security status of the farmers 52
4.6 Anthropometric status of the farmers 57
4.7 Relationships between food security and anthropometric status of the Farmers 59
4.8 Association between nutrition security and anthropometric status of the Farmers 61
CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSION
5.1 Conclusion 63
5.2 Recommendations 63
REFERENCES 64
Appendix I 72
Appendix II 77
LIST OF TABLES
2.1: BMI classifications 29
3.1: Food security scale 39
3.2: Nutrition Security Scale 40
3.3: Body Mass Index Classifications 40
4.1: Personal and Socio-economic characteristics of the Farmers 44
4.2: Household characteristics of the farmers 47
4.3: Food security indicators of the Farmers 50
4.4: Overall mean food security status 52
4.5a: Nutrition security status of the farmers 54
4.5b: Continuation of nutrition security status of the farmers 55
4.5c: Continuation of nutrition security status of the farmers 56
4.5d: Overall nutrition security status of the farmers 57
4.6: Anthropometric status of the farmers 58
4.7: Relationship between food security status of the farmers and their anthropometric status 60
4.8: Association between Nutrition security status of the farmers and their BMI 62
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 2.1: The food security framework 13
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
The persistence of hunger in a world of plenty is the most profound moral contradiction of our age. New estimates for 2005-2007 show that around 790 million people in the developing world do not have enough to eat (Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), 2009). The world produces enough food to feed everyone with a minimally adequate diet but guaranteeing the right to this food and freeing the world from hunger continues to be an unrealized dream (Pinstrup-Anderson, 2009). Food insecurity remains a major global concern despite efforts by national governments and the international community. Latest estimates show that 870 million people were undernourished between 2010 and 2012, of which 852 million were in developing countries (FAO, 2012). Where food is available, the diets consumed are normally monotonous; cereal based and lack diversity (Bwibo and Neumann, 2003). These diets, many of which are staples, are low in micronutrient contents or are in forms not easily absorbed when ingested (Ruel, 2002). The diets often contain little or no fresh vegetables and fruits, and are low in animal source foods rich in iron and Vitamin A (Nungo et al., 2012). Recent food price surges have increased vulnerability while increases in income and urbanization trends in developing countries have also affected diet quality, resulting in more and more households consuming diets rich in high fat and sugars (Rankin et al., 2010). These poor diets have led to an increase in the incidence of malnutrition, present in many countries in the form of under or over-nutrition.
Over-nutrition encompasses excessive intake of macronutrients and/or energy foods, while under-nutrition refers to micronutrient deficiencies most commonly vitamin A, iodine, iron and zinc and protein-energy malnutrition (Faber and Wenhold, 2007). Many countries suffer from the double burden of malnutrition, where a large number of households with inadequate diets and micronutrient deficiencies suffer from under-nutrition while at the same time the existence of poor diets and diseases increase the prevalence of over-nutrition (Nungo et al., 2012). However, Food and nutrition security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life (Quinn et al., 2011).The access to secure food at all times is based on four main concepts; food sufficiency, access to food, security and time food is reflected by the calories needed by an individual to maintain a healthy life, access to food is reflected by the entitlement to produce, purchase or receive food; while security is shown by vulnerability, insurance and risk (Maxwell and Smith, 2012). Food security risks include natural, market, state and community risks which are caused or elevated by food supply variations, lack of employment and wages, poor health among other factors.
Operationally, individual or household security can be determined by channels through which food access is usually mediated, and by assets that act as buffers in case of food shortages. The most food insecure and vulnerable households are the ones which face the greatest probability of food entitlement failure, and have the least assets. Such households are normally forced to cope with the food insecurity by making changes to their food consumption, including reducing their dietary intake (Labadarios et al., 2005). Nutrition Security is when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to food, which is safe and consumed in sufficient quantity and quality to meet their dietary needs and food preferences, and is supported by an environment of adequate sanitation, health services and care, allowing for a healthy and active life. Nutrition security is defined by four dimensions: right to adequate food, availability, accessibility, and utilization (Labadarios et al., 2005).
A sustainable, global food system should be grounded in human rights, most particularly the Right to adequate food and its obligation to progressively take steps to reach a world where everyone is food secure and malnutrition is eliminated. The human rights approach compels us to pay special attention to those most vulnerable to hunger, including families, with a special focus on infants, young children, adolescent girls and women of reproductive age (Ngozi and Tola, 2010). When an individual have access to adequate diet on a regular basis, it is expected that such an individual meets the anthropometric requirements based on their age, height and body size. Anthropometry is generally used to determine the nutritional status of individuals and populations, and by implication the availability of adequate food. The relative ease with which the weight and height of an individual can be determined and compared with those of a well-nourished individual of similar sex and age, lends the technique of anthropometry to being widely used in the assessment of the nutritional status of individuals and populations (World Health Organization (WHO), 2005). The technique is also useful in the prediction of morbidity and mortality, the assessment of the effects of poverty as well as in the monitoring and evaluation of intervention programmes (Labadarios et al., 2005).
Many plans and strategies have been put in place to reduce food insecurity and malnutrition. An example is the Millennium development project, which includes one goal directly linked to food insecurity; Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which strives to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by halving the number of people suffering from hunger by 2015. However irrespective of this efforts, malnutrition is experienced around the globe, as depicted by the following facts: Roughly 1 billion individuals worldwide lack sufficient dietary intake to meet their bodily nutrient demands and are suffering from malnutrition (Havas and Salmon, 2011); an excess of 840 million people in the developing world are undernourished out of which 204 million people live in Sub-Saharan Africa (Labadarois et al., 2011); twenty countries from Asia, Africa, Western Pacific and the Middle East attribute to 80% of the world’s macro and micro nutrient malnutrition status (Havas and Salmon, 2011). Three and a half million children, under the age of 5, fatalities occur per annum owing to illnesses associated with malnutrition (Horton, 2008; Rivera and Alderman, 2008). Africa, South Asia and the South pacific Islands are all countries where 40% of the child population suffer from nutrient related growth stunting (WHO, 2010). Globally an excess of 3.5 million mothers and children die annually as a result of malnutrition and an estimate of 178 million children suffer from stunted growth (Saunders et al, 2010). Forty three percent of children globally are stunted and 16% of children in the United States either go hungry or is at risk of insufficient food intake (Ngozi and Tola, 2010). One hundred million children globally are deemed to be underweight (WHO, 2011).
Therefore the effectiveness of government efforts to strengthen household food and nutrition security requires proper targeting. There is need to identify the food insecure households and vulnerable individuals, where they are and why they have not been able to improve their situations. Therefore, the study is designed to ascertain the food security, nutrition security and anthropometric status of farmers in Obowo L.G.A of Imo state.
1.1 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The economic development of a nation is known to be dependent on its factor endowment and this includes both the non-human and human resources. The productive capacity of the human resources is however a function of how well fed they are. Food problem, with regards to quality and quantity, is one of the characteristics of developing countries like Nigeria (Omonona and Agoi, 2007). Hunger and malnutrition adversely affect the livelihood and well-being of a massive number of people and inhibiting the development of many poor countries (Gebremedhin, 2000). The World Health Organization recommends an intake of between 2500 – 3400Kcal of energy per person per day. It was recommended that an individual should consume between 65-86g crude proteins per day out of which 35g (or 40%) must be animal protein (Babatunde and Qaim, 2010).
In developing countries, it was estimated that in 2012, 26% of children were stunted, and almost 3% were severely wasted (WHO, 2011). However the figure is not different in Nigeria where 37% of children under-five years were stunted, prevalence of under nutrition is at 11% and prevalence of overweight and obesity is at 25% (National Population Commission and ICF International, 2014). The national figure for malnutrition is a picture of what is obtainable in Imo state, for instance in a study by Duru et al. (2015), they found that overweight, underweight, wasting and stunting in rural areas in Imo state were at 9.8%, 28.6%, 23.6% and 28.1%. Many Nigerian especially those in the rural areas have energy intake that is far below the minimum recommended daily per capita intake hence, predisposing people to the challenge of food insecurity. This study, therefore, is designed to assess food security, nutrition security and anthropometric status of farmers in Nigeria, using Obowo L.G.A of Imo state as case study.
1.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The general objective of this study is to assess the food, nutrition security and anthropometric status of farmers in Obowo L.G.A of Imo state. The specific objectives are to:
i. Assess the basic characteristics and socio-economic status of the farmers.
ii. Assess the food and nutrition security status of the farmers.
iii. Assess the anthropometric status of the farmers.
iv. Determine the association between food/nutrition security and anthropometric status of the farmers.
1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The findings of this study will be of immense benefit to government in fighting food and nutrition problems as it will provide a clear relationship between food security, nutrition security and anthropometric status of households.
More so, the results and findings from this research will not only contribute to existing academic literature but can be used by the government, researchers, policy makers, and other relevant stakeholders to develop and implement strategies that can uplift the lives of people living in the rural areas as it relates to food security.
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