Food security and dietary diversity: The case study of Arba Minch Zuriya district, Gamo zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia

Sára Šebrlová

Master's thesis

Abstract:

This research was conducted in the Arba Minch Zuriya district, Gamo zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia, aimed to assess dietary diversity, caloric intake, and associated factors among women of reproductive age (WRA). A Women Dietary Diversity Score (WDDS) was obtained from 145 women, while caloric intake data were collected from 47 women through a 24-Hour Dietary Recall Survey (24HR). Additionally, a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) involving six women was conducted to gain qualitative insights. Socioeconomic and demographic characteristics were determined. The average WDDS of respondents was below the recommended minimum for women, revealing the consumption of 3.9 food groups, with starchy staple foods, dark green leafy vegetables, and other fruits and vegetables being prominent. The most commonly consumed foods included kitcha, fossese, kurkufa, and injera. The average caloric intake was 1,345 kcal per day, falling below the recommended limit of 2,000 kcal per day. During the FGDs, insufficient feeding of women participants was attributed mainly to financial constraints limiting the purchase of a more diversified range of foods. Binary logistic regression indicated the significance of variables such as the number of information sources, age, number of livestock in the household, and marital status in influencing the WDDS of respondents.

Keywords

women, nutrients, dietary components, food insecurity, Women dietary diversity score

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 30. 4. 2024

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: Ing. Iva Kučerová, Ph.D.
• Reader: Petr Němec, externi

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences

Master programme:
Agri-food Systems and Rural Development