ABSTRACT
This study assessed household food security and anthropometric status of women in Bende L.G.A Abia State. The study was a cross-sectional study. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select a total of 195 women. Data on personal and socio-economic status of the women, food security status of the women and anthropometric status was assessed using standard procedure. The IBM SPSS version 22.0 computer programme was used to analyze the data. Data obtained were presented using frequency and percentage. Chi-square was used to analyze the association between food security and anthropometric status of the women. The study revealed that most (66.2%) of the women were above 35 years old. Majority (75.9%) of them attended tertiary education and some (32.8%) of them were civil servants. Majority (90.3%) of the household studied were food insecure. From the anthropometric status of the women, more than half (52.3%) of the women were overweight while the prevalence of obesity among them was quite high (22.1%). Their waist hip ratio showed that majority (70.3%) of them were at risk of cardiovascular diseases. There was a significant association between food security status, body mass index and waist hip ratio of the women. Due emphasis should be given for the designing and implementation of nutrition interventions and initiation of income generating livelihood to the community to curtail under nutrition and household food insecurity in the locality.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgements iv
Table of Contents v
List of Tables vii
Abstract viii
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Statement of
Problem 5
1.2 Objectives of the
Study 7
1.3 Significance of the
Study 7
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE
REVIEW 9
2.1 Overview of Food
Security 9
2.2 Food Security 10
2.2.1 The four dimensions
or pillars of food security 11
2.3 Household Food
Security 12
2.4 Factors Affecting
Household Food Security 15
2.5 Roles of Women in
Promoting Household Food Security 18
2.5 Food Insecurity 19
2.6 Overview of
Anthropometry 23
2.6.1 Anthropometric
measurements in adults 24
2.6.2 Weight, height, body
mass index (BMI) 26
2.6.3 Waist and hip circumference
and waist-hip ratio 28
CHAPTER 3: MATERIALS AND
METHODS 31
3.1 Study Design 31
3.2 Area of Study 31
3.3 Population of the
Study 32
3.4 Sampling and
Sampling Techniques 32
3.4.1 Sample size 32
3.4.2 Sampling procedure 33
3.5 Preliminary
Activities 34
3.5.1 Preliminary visits 34
3.5.2 Training of research
assistants 34
3.5.3 Informed consent 35
3.5.4 Validation of
questionnaire 35
3.6 Data Collection 35
3.6.1 Questionnaire
administration 35
3.6.2 Interview 35
3.6.3 Anthropometric
measurement 36
3.6.4 Food security status
assessment 38
3.7 Data Analysis 38
3.8 Statistical
Analysis 40
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND
DISCUSSION
4.1 Personal and Socio
Economic Characteristics of the Women 41
4.2 Food Security
Status of the Women 47
4.3 Anthropometric
Status of the Women 49
4.4 Association between Socio
Anthropometric Status and Food Security Status
of the Women 51
4.5 Association between Anthropometric Status and Food Security Status
of the Women 54
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Conclusion 57
5.2 Recommendations 58
REFERENCES 59
LIST OF TABLES
Table
4.1: Personal and socio
economic characteristics of the women 44
4.2a: Food security status
of the women 48
4.2b: Food security level
of the women 49
4.3a: Body mass index of
the women 50
4.3b: Waist Hip Ratio of
the mothers 51
4.4: Association between socio anthropometric
status and food security status of the women. 53
CHAPTER
1
INTRODUCTION
Food
is the main source for growth for all of us and the development of any country
largely depends on the food system. From past many years, food security concept
has been considered at global, national regional, state, household and
individual level. The issue of food security has been critical in many parts of
the world. In many countries, people are facing food crisis and its bad impact
falls on their economy. Ensuring food security has become a global challenge
with many dimensions. There are now thought to be almost two hundred
definitions of food security, which is a clear indication of differing views
and approaches to the problem; however, the definition that has acquired the
broadest acceptance is that of the World Food Summit (WFS) in November 1996, The
World Food Summit of 1996 defined food security as existing “When all people at
all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to meet their
dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life” (FAO, 2012).
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), food security includes food
availability and use and exists when populations “have access to sufficient,
safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life” (WHO, 2015).
Anthropometry
is the science of measurement and the art of application that establishes the
physical geometry, mass properties and strength capabilities of the human body.
Anthropometry has a long tradition of accessing nutritional and health status
of adults as this is an inexpensive, non-invasive method that provides detailed
information on different components of body structure, especially muscular and
fat components. Among the widely used anthropometric measurements, body mass
index (BMI) and mid-upper-arm-circumference (MUAC) are most significant and
reliable. (Ankita, 2019)
Malnutrition in women and men can result
in reduced productivity, slow recovery from illnesses, increased susceptibility
to infections, and a heightened risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. A woman’s
nutritional status has important implications for her health as well as the
health of her children. A woman with poor nutritional status, as indicated by a
low body mass index (BMI), short stature, anemia, or other micronutrient
deficiencies, has a greater risk of obstructed labor having a baby with a low
birth weight, having adverse pregnancy outcomes, producing lower quality breast
milk, death due to postpartum hemorrhage, and illness for herself and her baby.
(Sumana,
2011). Women’s
height can be used to identify women at risk of having a difficult delivery, since
small stature is often related to small pelvic size. The
nutritional status of women and girls before and during pregnancy affects their
own health as well as the health, nutritional status, growth, and development
of their children (Ramakrishnan et al.,
2012). Women who are undernourished, particularly those with short stature or
iron deficiency, have a higher risk of dying from pregnancy-related causes than
well-nourished women. Maternal short stature (often defined as height <145
cm), a reflection of past under nutrition, increases the risk of labor
complications and need for assisted delivery, which is often not available in
poor, low-resource communities, putting both mother and child at risk (Black et al., 2013).
Being
overweight or obese increases a mother’s risk of pregnancy complications: including
gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and death and increases her child’s risk
of preterm birth, neonatal and infant death, and being born larger than average
size (which increases delivery complications). The long-term consequences of
maternal overweight and obesity at the time of pregnancy include an increased
likelihood of the child being overweight or obese into early adulthood
(Williams et al., 2014). In addition,
poor maternal nutritional status (both before and during pregnancy) is an
important risk factor for poor early child development, affecting a child’s
physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development (Britto et al., 2017).
The
ultimate objective of food security should be to ensure that all people at all
times have both physical and economic access to food they need. Food security
has three basic aims: ensuring production of adequate food supplies, maximizing
stability in the flow of supplies, and ensuring access to available supplies on
the part of those who need them. According to the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations, the four pillars of food security are
availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability. (FAO, 2012)
Food insecurity is a common problem among the low-income households in
developing countries of the world. Food insecurity is a condition whereby all
people did not have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and
nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active
and healthy life. The three basic components of food security policies, and
programs in developing countries are: availability (i.e., having sufficient
quantities of appropriate food available), accessibility (having adequate
income or other resources to access food), and utilization/consumption (having
adequate dietary intake and the ability to absorb and use nutrients in the
body). (Napoli, et al. 2011)
The utilization
component of household food security is influenced by many factors such as
nutrition knowledge and beliefs, access to healthcare, water, and sanitation
services and practices relating to the management of childhood illness and
hygiene. 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). These
diets, many of which are staples, are low in micronutrient content or are in
forms not easily absorbed when ingested. 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. 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.
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. This project mainly focuses on household food security and anthropometric status of women in Bende LGA
Abia State.
1.1 STATEMENT
OF PROBLEM
The success of this project is not possible without a healthy
and productive nation, which has been shown to be affected by malnutrition. The
country continues to battle high food insecurity levels, which have been
identified as an underlying cause of malnutrition and human mortality, and
which seem to be continuously fuelled by natural calamities, and escalating
food prices. In addition, the government acknowledges that the nation faces
inadequate dietary diversification. The country also continues to record high
rates of women malnutrition. A number of studies have been carried out with a
view to identify the risk factors associated with women. However, those that
have sought to study the link between food security and the anthropometric
status of women are scarce. On a more specific note, studies that have
attempted to look at the impact of dietary diversification on the nutritional
status of women are rare. According to the 2010 WHO survey
data on Nigeria, the prevalence of overweight was 37% in women, while the prevalence
of obesity was 8.1% in women. Data from the WHO Global InfoBase, based on
individuals aged 30 years and above, shows that the prevalence of overweight and
obesity together increased by 18% in women, while the prevalence of obesity
alone increased by 39% in women, between 2002 and 2010, in Nigeria
(Akarolo-Anthony, et al. 2014)
To
effectively fight malnutrition, it is important that additional research be
carried out to understand how food insecurity impacts on the anthropometric
status of women. Only then can proper measures be developed and implemented,
and cause a positive and significant change in the nutritional status of women
1.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The
general objective of the study is to access household food security and anthropometric
status of women in Bende LGA, Abia state. The specific objectives include to:
1. Assess
personal data and social-economic status of the women.
2. Determine food security status of the women.
3. Ascertain the anthropometric characteristics
of the women.
4. Evaluate
the association between food security and anthropometric status.
1.3 SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
Household food security helps to enhance the productivity
and consecutively the production of food. It can assist in providing
opportunities for income generation. Also, it generally provides improvement of
nutritional advice through home economics programmes and enhances the quality
of rural life by way of community development. Today,
anthropometry in women plays an important role in industrial design, clothing
design, ergonomics and architecture where statistical data about the
distribution of body dimensions in the population are used to optimize products.
Changes in lifestyles, nutrition, and ethnic composition of populations lead to
changes in the distribution of body dimensions (e.g. the rise in obesity) and
require regular updating of anthropometric data collections.
Results
and findings from this research will not only contribute to existing academic
literature but can be used by Nigerian government, researchers, policy makers,
and other relevant stakeholders to develop and implement strategies that can
uplift the lives of women at all levels of the society.
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