INTRA-URBAN DISPARITY IN THE FOOD SECURITY STATUS OF HOUSEHOLDS IN IBADAN

Abstract

Food security is attained when all people at all times have both physical and economic access to sufficient food to meet their dietary needs for a productive and healthy life. Many households in rural and urban Nigeria find it difficult to access adequate foods regularly. Researchers often give priority to rural households in intervention, neglecting the fact that there are socio-economic inequalities within the urban. Few studies have explored the prevalence of food insecurity among urban households. This study therefore assessed household food security in three locations of Ibadan, as well as documenting the knowledge and attitude of women towards adequate food intake. The study, which was descriptive and cross-sectional in design, selected households from Bodija, Mokola and Foko areas of Ibadan, to represent high, medium and low socio-economic groups respectively. Data were collected using an adapted, modified and pre-tested 18-core module questionnaire developed by the United States Department of Agriculture for household food security assessment. Household food security was measured by a four- scale level of food security status; food security, food insecurity without hunger, food insecurity with moderate hunger and food insecurity with severe hunger. Three hundred and ninety women from the three locations were interviewed, using population density of ratio 3:2:1 in Foko, Mokola and Bodija respectively. A focus group discussion was conducted among women in each of the locations. The data were analyzed using frequencies, descriptive statistics and chi-squares. The focus group discussions were transcribed and analyzed in theme. The overall mean age of the respondents was 34 (±8.8) years. Assessment of households' monthly income showed that households earning over N20,000 were highest in Bodija 25(71.4%) followed by Mokola (36.2%) and Foko (6.2%). Market purchase was the main source of household food in all the locations, Foko (97.4%), Mokola (96.9%) and Bodija (99.5%). Overall, 66% households were found food insecure, out of which Fako had the highest, (82.1%), followed by Mokola (56.2%) and Bodija (14.3%). Food insecurity with 'severe hunger' was highest in Foko (35.4%), followed by Mokola (15.4%) and none in Bodija. From the Focus group discussions, women at Foko and Mokola had poor knowledge of adequate meals compared to those in Bodija. In all the locations, the women's attitude towards intake of adequate meal was poor due to poverty and culture at Foko and Mokola while at Bodija, it was more of nonchalance. They all believed food budget is flexible and could be compromised for other needs that seemed fixed like house rent and children's school fees. Also, that children, (for growth) and household heads, (for marital security) should be given priority in adequate food intake even though they claimed to know that women need it more for their productive and reproductive roles at home. This study shows a high level of household food insecurity at varying magnitude in these areas especially the low-income neighborhoods. The knowledge of adequate diet and its intake was low, which requires appropriate nutrition education intervention that involves household heads.