Browsing by Author "Mequanent Muche"

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    Comparative Study of Household Food security, Under Five Children Nutritional Status, and Dietary Diversity Between Selected Coffee and Wheat Growers of Ethiopia
    (Addis Ababa University, 2024-06) Mequanent Muche; Degefa Tolossa.(PhD)
    Ethiopia, among the world's least developed nations, faces widespread food insecurity in its rural areas. Coffee and wheat are crucial crops, serving as cash and staple foods, respectively, yet their impact on household food security, the nutritional status of under-five children, and dietary diversity remain inadequately studied. This research focused on the Dodota district wheat farmers and the Gomma district coffee growers, examining the current status and the determinants of these factors. A total of 370 rural households were surveyed to assess food security, with 226 households further analyzed to understand the nutritional status and dietary diversity of under-five children in these agricultural contexts. The study employed a mixed research design and pragmatist philosophy, utilizing household surveys, focus groups, and key informant interviews. Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) measured food insecurity, while nutritional status and dietary diversity were assessed through anthropometric measures and a dietary diversity score based on eight food groups, respectively. Findings revealed prevalence rates of stunting (19%), wasting (21.2%), and underweight (17.2%) among under-five children across all households. Factors such as birth order, child sex, exclusive breastfeeding, meal frequency, maternal education, and awareness of child nutrition significantly influenced these outcomes in both wheat and coffee-growing households. Maternal employment status, dietary diversity, and nutritional awareness were significant predictors of child BMI and wasting in wheat-growing households. Regarding dietary patterns, a substantial majority (79.6%) of children consumed grains, nuts, and tubers, followed by milk and milk products (60.6%), foods cooked in oil (60.2%), and eggs (46.9%). Determinants of household food security and child dietary diversity were identified using an ordered logit econometric model, highlighting that 43.2% of households were food secure, with the majority of food-insecure households (60.5%) found among coffee growers. Factors such as educational level, land degradation, market access, agricultural advisory services, credit access, household occupation, annual farm income, and asset values significantly influenced food security status and child dietary diversity among wheat and coffee growers. These findings underscore the need for integrated development policies addressing demographic, socioeconomic, and institutional aspects specific to wheat and coffee producers to ensure household food security and improve child nutrition outcomes along with improved dietary diversity.