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Assessment of food insecurity among rural households in Abia State
Abstract
Background and objective: Food insecurity and hunger are forerunners to nutritional, health, human and economic development problems. The study was carried out to assess food insecurity and its effects on rural dwellers in Oloko and Oboro in Ikwuano Local Government Area, Abia state.
Methods: A random sampling technique was employed in selecting 400 households in Oboro and Oloko villages, in Ikwuano Local Government Area. A validated questionnaire was used to elicit information from the
respondents. The study was a cross-sectional study. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and presented in tables and figures
Results: The study showed that a good number (75.5%) of the households were aware of food insecurity. Some (16.2%) households indicated they had experienced food scarcity, which was mostly as a result of (75.0%) crop failure which led to reduction in frequency of food consumption in 67.0% of the respondents. A good number (7.2%) worried that they did not have enough to eat, while 7.2% worried that they may have enough but not the kinds they want. Majority (71.0%) of the households sometimes worried that they do not eat a balanced diet. A total of 9.8% of the households reduced meals for family members. Adults (15.0%) skip meals because food wasn’t enough to go round (8.5%) while (1.2%) were in order to allow children have enough.
Conclusion: This study has revealed that a good number (16.2%) of rural households have experienced food insecurity, which made them reduce the frequency of food consumption (67.0%), reduce meals for family members, and skip meals. Using the food security scale developed by USDA, it has been found that majority of the studied households are food insecure without hunger.
