Food Security and Nutrition among Farming Households in Akinyele LGA of Oyo State

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between food security and nutrition among households in farming communities of Akinyele local government, Oyo state. The study assesses food security using a modified Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) and related household food insecurity with malnutrition among children aged from 6 to 23 months. A multistage sampling was employed for this study. The results shows prevalence of food insecurity and malnutrition for households and children aged 6 to 23 months. It also reveals that food insecure households generally had inferior socioeconomic status than food secure ones. The results of anthropometric measurements of children shows negative Height-for-age z-score (HAZ), weight-for-age z-score (WAZ), and weight-for-height z-score (WHZ), indicating poor nutritional status of the children captured in this study. Significantly, the mean HAZ and WAZ were higher for children in food-insecure households than for those in food-secure households. Prevalence of stunting was 37.67 per cent, while prevalence of wasting and underweight children was 8.37 and 22.02 per cent respectively. Children from food insecure households had higher prevalence of stunting, wasting and underweight. While the difference in stunting and wasting between children in food secure and food insecure households was significant, the difference for underweight was not significant at 5 per cent level. The significance of mothers’ education and income of households heads in food secure households relative to food insecure households suggest the importance of investment in educating mothers as well as creating income earning opportunities for heads of households to improve nutritional outcomes.