Masters Degree Dissertations

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12504/159

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Browsing Masters Degree Dissertations by Subject "Food security"

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    Household food security and dietary patterns in urban settings of Wakiso district, central Uganda
    (Kyambogo university (unpublished work), 2025-09) Nakasiba, Linnet Betty
    Background: Food insecurity is a barrier to development that arises from a variety of causes in the local, national, regional, and worldwide domains of human existence. The general objective of the study was to assess the household food security situation, dietary patterns and associated factors among urban households in Wakiso district. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used and two of the four municipalities participated. Using a multi-stage systematic random sampling procedure, data was collected from 217 households with 72 as a sampling interval. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer software, version 29.0. Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), Coping Strategies Index (CSI), Dietary Diversity Score (DDS) and Food Consumption Score (FCS) were computed using World Food Programme (WFP) and Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance (FANTA) guidelines. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyse relationship between the multiple dependent household variables and household food insecurity. Level of significance was set at 0.05 with a 95% level of confidence. Results: The study results show 96.0% of the households experienced some level of food insecurity with mean (sd) food insecurity score being 10.8 (6.3). Portion reduction, portion limitation and getting food on credit emerged as the most commonly used coping strategies. Differences in household food insecurity scores were significant with gender of the household head (p < 0.01) and municipality of residence (p < 0.01). Households that skipped at least one meal were 52.2% with breakfast as the most skipped meal of the day. Household dietary diversity categorization showed 36.0% of the households had a desirable dietary diversity score of ≥ 6 food groups. Food consumption status indicated not a single household had an acceptable food consumption score. Differences in household dietary diversity scores were significant with existence of assets to supplement food sources (p = 0.039). There was a significant positive correlation between HFIAS and CSI (r = 0.650, p = 0.001), and a negative correlation between HFIAS and FCS (r = -0.338, p = 0.001) and HFIAS and DDS (r = -0.385, p = 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression showed that gender of the household head (p = 0.002) and existence of assets (p = 0.041) were significantly associated with household food insecurity. Conclusions: Food insecurity and dietary diversity were significantly influenced by gender of the household head and existence of assets implying a gap in achieving food security. Gender-sensitive empowerment programmes could be desirable policy interventions that also enhances dietary diversity for urban settings of Wakiso districts and elsewhere in the country.
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    Household food security and nutritional status of children 24-59 months in Namutumba district
    (Kyambogo University (Unpublished work), 2025-09) Kizito, Ndegeya
    Background: Household food security is complex and significantly affects children's nutritional status, ultimately impacting their growth and development. Objective of the study: This was to establish the food security situation among households and the nutritional status of children 24-59 months in Namutumba District. Specifically, the study assessed the Household food security status, childhood nutritional status, and associated factors. The connection between child nutritional status and household food security was also examined. Methodology: A mixed-methods research and cross-sectional analysis were carried out utilizing a structured household questionnaire, focus group discussions, and key informant interview guides. In the study, a total of 308 households were randomly chosen, and the nutritional status of each indexed child was evaluated through anthropometric measurements. Out of these, 299 households and 289 children had complete data and were thus analyzed to produce the final outcomes of the study. Results: Almost all households (99%) experienced food insecurity with the majority facing severe food insecurity (60.2%). Household size (Adjusted PRR: 1.04; 95% C.I: 1.01, 1.08; p=0.005), limited access to agricultural land (Adjusted PRR: 1.26; 95% C.I: 1.07, 1.49; p=0.005), inadequate household food stocks (Adjusted PRR: 1.52; 95% C.I: 1.20, 1.92; <0.001) and low wealth index (Adjusted PRR: 0.71; 95% C.I: 0.52, 0.96, p=0.027) were positively associated factors with HH food insecurity. However, caregiver factors never had any association. The prevalence of stunting was as high as 28.0% with severe stunting at 10.4%. Wasting was at 3.1% with 0.7% severely wasted and underweight at 9.7%. None of the HH, caregiver and child characteristics had significant influence on the nutritional status of children. Simple and multiple linear regression models revealed HFIAS scores having a negative association with both WHZ scores (β=-0.81, p=0.007) and HAZ scores (β=-0.37, p=0.039).This implies that increase in HH food insecurity increases the likelihood of both wasting and stunting among children. On the other hand, food insecurity had no relationship with underweight (β=0.001, p=0.998) among children. Conclusion: Results from this study highlighted the essential function of food security in preventing stunting and wasting while enhancing health and wellbeing in children 24-59 months. Nevertheless, it does not affect underweight as a composite indicator of nutritional status in children, suggesting that food security by itself is solely inadequate to foster optimal growth and development in children. Consequently, there is a necessity to enhance both nutrition-specific and sensitive interventions, focusing on bettering the quality of health services, income sources, access to agricultural land, and food supplies. All these factors are crucial for enhancing the nutritional results of children in Namutumba district.