Household food security, child dietary diversity and coping strategies among rural households. The case of Kole District in northern Uganda

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dc.contributor.authorElolu, Samuel
dc.contributor.authorAgako, Alod
dc.contributor.authorOkello, Daniel Micheal
dc.date.accessioned2023-08-08T09:53:41Z
dc.date.available2023-08-08T09:53:41Z
dc.date.issued2023
dc.description.abstractHousehold food security, feeding practices, dietary diversity and coping strategies to household food insecurity are largely interconnected. Using a cross sectional study approach involving 162 mothers and care givers of children 0-36 months of age in Kole district of northern Uganda, this study examined the household food security status, child dietary diversity and household coping strategies. The study revealed that a slight majority of the households (55%) were food secure although with a low level of child dietary diversity experienced (68.1% for children 6-23 months age group and 55.3% for 24-36 months age group). We found that starch-based foods derived from cereals, roots and tubers were the most predominantly used food group in child feeding (82%), with limited consumption of other essential food groups, notably fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy products (18% combined). Additionally, only 57% of children 0 to 6 months old were receiving exclusive breastfeeding, and the introduction of complementary foods is often delayed and not well planned for those above 6 months of age. Results also showed that a wide range of coping strategies are employed however the major ones were, reliance on less preferred food (54.9%), limiting portions of meals (35.2%), reducing number of meals taken in a day (29%), and gathering wild fruits and harvesting immature crops (29.6%). It was observed that household food security is a strong determinant of child dietary diversity, may influence feeding practices and the range of coping strategies applicable to households when they experience food insecurity. Furthermore, nutritional education, household size and livelihood diversity play a significant role in determining household food security status, child dietary diversity and coping with food insecurity within rural households. In conclusion, addressing household food security, and coping strategies can play an important role in improving child feeding practices and dietary diversity in rural communities.en_US
dc.identifier.otherhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.dialog.2023.100149
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14270/180
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherElsevieren_US
dc.relation.ispartofseriesVol 3;December 2023, 100149
dc.subjectChild dietary diversityen_US
dc.subjectfood securityen_US
dc.subjectcopingen_US
dc.subjectlivelihood diversityen_US
dc.titleHousehold food security, child dietary diversity and coping strategies among rural households. The case of Kole District in northern Ugandaen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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