Exploring the acceptability of amaranth-enriched bread to support household food security

2016 ◽  
Vol 118 (11) ◽  
pp. 2632-2646 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanli de Beer ◽  
Annchen Mielmann ◽  
Lizelle Coetzee

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the acceptability of an identified staple product enriched with amaranth grain, a traditionally used wild plant familiar to most of the population, after households’ food security status revealed that the majority of them were either at risk or food insecure. Design/methodology/approach A two-phase non-experimental, quantitative survey design with purposive sampling was used to explore the variety of foods consumed and the food security status of lower skilled (n=63) and higher skilled (n=81) income-earning households. During the second phase, recipe development and sensory acceptance of bread enriched with grain amaranth (n=91) were determined. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. Findings Food insecurity was evident among the majority of the lower skilled income households while nearly one in four households in both groups were at risk to become insecure. Daily consumption of chicken and maize meal was evident in lower income households while the frequency in higher income households were significantly less. Bread was found to be the most consumed food product among all households (p=0.001; r=0.455). Supplementation of wheat flour with amaranth flour, a nutritious traditionally familiar wild plant, to support households’ food consumption was investigated. Results from sensory evaluation panels revealed that both bread samples with different percentage of amaranth flour (15 and 25 per cent) were acceptable. Originality/value The most important contribution of this study is the re-introduction and incorporation of a traditional food, amaranth, into a modern frequently consumed food to support households’ nutritional and monetary demands to ultimately contribute to general well-being and household food security.

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pipi Diansari ◽  
Teruaki Nanseki

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to investigate the socioeconomic impact on perceived household food security in the North Luwu District of South Sulawesi Province in the eastern part of Indonesia. In Indonesia, 87 million people are presently vulnerable to food insecurity. Thus, the United Nations Development Programme’s primary millennium development goal for Indonesia is to halve the number of people who suffer from hunger by 2015. It is clear that food security at the household level is crucial to achieving this target. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 371 household heads were interviewed. The households’ perceptions of their food security status were captured by asking the household head the following question: “How do you perceive your household’s food security status during the last month”? Respondents could select from the following options: insecure, somewhat insecure, somewhat secure, secure and highly secure. Here, the household head’s answer is regarded as the household’s subjective food security status (SFSS). We then applied descriptive analysis and an ordered logit model to determine the socioeconomic factors that influence SFSS. Findings – As expected, in both analyses, household income and formal level of education have a strong relationship to SFSS. However, this study finds that food nutrition knowledge also shows a significant role in enhancing the probability that household SFSS will be in a better food security category. This could be a breakthrough in improving household food security status given the lack of formal education. Practical implications – Neighborhood resource-based food preparation counseling programs are essential. Existing food programs for Indonesian households should be reoriented and incorporated into the non-formal educational curriculum and should be carried out at the family level or in small groups to ensure that the message of the program is delivered effectively. In the short term, for non-farm households, the government should provide targeted households with crash programs such as revolving funds for household-level business activities. For farm households, ensuring that farming infrastructures, facilities and technologies are adequate and affordable is crucial to sustaining their production process. Originality/value – This is the first study to investigate the perceptions of household heads on their food security status in Indonesia. Most prior studies on household food security in Indonesia were conducted in response to Indonesia’s 1997 economic crisis and focused predominantly on Java, in the western part of Indonesia; there is little existing research on the eastern part of Indonesia. Moreover, this study is the first to emphasize the significant role of food nutrition knowledge in increasing the probability of household heads’ perceptions on their food security status being in a better category.


2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Neda Ezzeddin ◽  
Naser Kalantari ◽  
Zahra Veysi

Purpose Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected many different aspects of people’s lives around the world, including household food security. This study aims to investigate the food security status and its determinants, with emphasis on perceived social support among the Iranian population during the epidemic.. Design/methodology/approach This cross-sectional study was conducted among 2,871 Iranian adults by social media in all provinces of the country. Demographic and socioeconomic information, household food security status and perceived social support status were assessed by the validated questionnaires. Data was analyzed by statistical package for the social sciences version 22.0, with one-way ANOVA, Chi-square and multinomial logistic regression tests. Findings The prevalence of food security among the studied population was 55.2%. The results indicated that perceived social support plays a protective role on food security [odds ratio (OR) = 1.07, confidence interval (CI) = 1.06, 1.09, P-value < 0.001]. Reduced income during the epidemic [OR = 0.29, CI = 0.17, 0.47, P-value < 0.001] and presence of an old person (>65 years old) in the household [OR = 1.72, CI = 1.14, 2.60, P-value < 0.05], were significantly higher among moderate to severe food insecure group than food-secure group. More monthly income [OR = 0.28, CI = 0.13, 0.57, P-value < 0.001] and homeownership [OR = 1.83, CI = 1.22, 2.75, P-value < 0.05] were also predictors of food security status. Originality/value The development of supportive strategies which act immediately can protect vulnerable people against the consequences of the epidemic, including food insecurity. Long-term planning should also be considered to improve society’s resistance against such disasters.


2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 247-257
Author(s):  
Annis Catur Adi ◽  
Dini Ririn Andrias ◽  
Qonita Rachmah

PurposeThis study aims to assess the household food security status and explore the potency of wild edible animals as a food source in the food insecurity–prone area of Bangkalan district, Madura, Indonesia.Approach/methodology/designThis cross-sectional quantitative study used a mixed-method approach. A total of 66 participants were purposively recruited. Household food security was assessed using the short version of the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module (US-HFSSM). A list of available wild edible animals was obtained from each interview using a structured questionnaire. For the qualitative study, an in-depth interview was conducted among key informants at subvillage level.FindingsWe found that 33.4 percent of households were food insecure. At least 18 kinds of wild edible animal protein consumed by the respondents were identified in the study area, which consisted of five kinds of insects, five kinds of fish, three types of birds, and two mammals. Most of the wild edible animals were rich in protein.Originality/valueWild edible animals can be promoted to support household food security. Villagers did not usually consider consuming wild edible animals as a normal practice as there were concerns about the taste and safety of eating wild animal foods. Methods of processing and cooking foods to improve the taste and safety aspects need to be explored. The information obtained from this study adds more evidence related to the potential of edible wild animals as a food alternative for households in food-insecure areas.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 106-106
Author(s):  
Hemanta Bhandari ◽  
Per Ole Iversen ◽  
Heidi Fjeld

Abstract Objectives Little is known about the nutritional status of elderly in Nepal, in particular among indigenous communities in high altitude areas. The main objective of this study was therefore to determine the nutritional status of elderly and their household food security status on the Nepal-China border. Methods The study was conducted in Mugu Karmarong rural municipality, as part of Mugu district that habitats mostly indigenous Tibetan-speaking communities. We used a descriptive cross-sectional design and a total of 128 participants were identified using purposive sampling. Anthropometry and the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF) were used to determine nutritional status and the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) was used to categorize households according to a food insecurity scale. Results The mean (range) age of participants was 69 (60–84) years. The majority (81%) of the 128 participants had no any education, they were mostly (86%) Buddhist and 72% were married. Based on the MNA-SF scores, 30.5% had a normal nutritional status, 40.6% were at risk for malnutrition while 28.9% were malnourished. In somewhat contrast, our BMI measurements (using the cut-off values from a national survey) suggested that the majority (79.7%) had BMI values within the normal reference range. Based on the HFIAS, only 30.4% of the households were scored as food secure whereas 29% of the households belonged to the severe food insecurity category followed by 26% being moderately food insecure and 11% being mildly food insecure. Our findings revealed that type of the household, use of iodized salt, seasonal migration and household food security status, were all significantly associated with nutritional status of the elderly. Those living in severely food insecure households were 3.2 times more likely to be malnourished than those from food secured households while those living in moderately insecure household was 1.8 times more at risk of malnutrition than those from food secure households. Conclusions We found that about 2/3 of the elderly were either at risk of malnutrition or were malnourished. Only 1/3 of the surveyed households were food secure. Hence, there are alarming risks of malnutrition and food insecurity among elderly in this remote, mountainous region. Funding Sources This study was partly sponsored by the University of Oslo.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Beacom ◽  
Christopher McLaughlin ◽  
Sinéad Furey ◽  
Lynsey Elizabeth Hollywood ◽  
Paul Humphreys

PurposeData from the Northern Ireland (NI) Health Survey 2014/15 (n = 2,231) were statistically analysed to examine the prevalence of food insecurity according to both indicators. Pearson's X2 test for association and logistic regressions were used to examine associations between food security status and predictor variables.Design/methodology/approachHousehold food insecurity has been identified as a significant societal issue in both developed and developing nations, but there exists no universal indicator to approximate its prevalence. In NI, two indicators (United States Household Food Security Survey Module [HFSSM] and the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions [EU-SILC] food deprivation questions) have been used. This study examines how both indicators differ in their classification of food insecurity prevalence in a population sample and also examines the relationship between various demographic and household factors and food security status.FindingsAccording to the EU-SILC food deprivation questions, 8.3% (n = 185) were indicated to be food insecure, while according to the HFSSM, 6.5% (n = 146) were indicated to be food insecure. The HFSSM and EU-SILC regression models differed in the underlying variables they identified as significant predictors of food insecurity. Significant variables common to both modules were tenure, employment status, health status, anxiety/depression and receipt of benefits.Originality/valueFindings can inform policy action with regards to targeting the key contributors and can inform policy decisions in NI and elsewhere with regards to choosing the most appropriate food insecurity indicator.


2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 565-581
Author(s):  
Wilson Chukwukasi Kassy ◽  
Anne C Ndu ◽  
Chinyere Cecilia Okeke ◽  
Elisa Chwike Aniwada

2008 ◽  
Vol 21 (suppl) ◽  
pp. 27s-37s ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugo Melgar-Quinonez ◽  
Michelle Hackett

Measuring household food insecurity represents a challenge due to the complexity and wide array of factors associated with this phenomenon. For over one decade, researchers and agencies throughout the world have been using and assessing the validity of variations of the United States Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Supplemental Module. Thanks to numerous studies of diverse design, size, and purpose, the Household Food Security Supplemental Module has shown its suitability to directly evaluate the perceptions of individuals on their food security status. In addition, challenges and limitations are becoming clearer and new research questions are emerging as the process advances. The purpose of this article is to describe the development, validation procedures, and use of the Household Food Security Supplemental Module in very diverse settings. The most common Household Food Security Supplemental Module related studies have been conducted using criterion validity, Rasch modeling and Cronbach-Alpha Coefficient. It is critical that researchers, policy makers, governmental and non-governmental agencies intensify their efforts to further develop tools that provide valid and reliable measures of food security in diverse population groups. Additional work is needed to synthesize a universally applicable tool able to capture the global human phenomenon of food insecurity.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 3307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Primrose Ngema ◽  
Melusi Sibanda ◽  
Lovemore Musemwa

Food security at the household level remains a major issue in South Africa and for many other developing countries, particularly those in Africa. As a means of ensuring food security in KwaZulu-Natal province, various food security intervention programmes were launched. Nonetheless, food security remains an issue among households in the province. This paper estimates the household food security status of the “One Home One Garden” (OHOG) beneficiaries against that of non-beneficiaries and assesses the determinants of household food security status in Maphumulo. A stratified random sampling technique was used to sample 495 households (including 330 OHOG beneficiaries and 165 non-beneficiaries). The status of household food security was estimated by means of a “Household Dietary Diversity Score” (HDDS). Additionally, a Household Food Consumption Score” (HFCS) tool was employed to supplement the HDDS. The results showed that food consumption patterns were characterized by medium (4.89) and average (4.22) HDDS for the OHOG beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries, respectively. Taking HDDS as a proxy for household food security, an independent samples t-test (Levene’s test—equal variances assumed) reveals a significant (p < 0.001) relationship between the sample means of the two groups. A greater proportion (65%) of the OHOG beneficiaries had an acceptable (≥35) HFCS level, whereas just over half (54%) of the non-beneficiaries fell in the borderline (21.5 to 35) HFCS level. The determinants of household food security status were elicited by means of a binary logistic regression model. The results revealed that education (p = 0.036), receiving infrastructural support (irrigation) (p = 0.001), and participation in the OHOG programme (p = 0.000) positively influenced the food security status of households, yet household income (p = 0.000) and access to credit (p = 0.002) showed a negative correlation. This paper proposes that government and developmental agencies, in their efforts to enhance food security through food security intervention programmes, should support households by investing in education and agricultural infrastructure, as well as giving priority to smallholder infrastructural irrigation support for households that largely rely on rain-fed systems.


2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-240
Author(s):  
Isabel Cristina BENTO ◽  
Fernanda Martins SOBRINHO ◽  
Mery Natali Silva ABREU ◽  
Maria Flávia GAZZINELLI ◽  
Simone Cardoso Lisboa PEREIRA

Objective: To verify whether what users of soup kitchens in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, think about a healthy diet and the challenges they face to eat healthy are associated with their household food security status. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1,656 users of soup kitchens in Belo Horizonte. Socioeconomic and household food security data, and healthy-eating discourses were collected by a semi-structured questionnaire. The data were submitted to descriptive analyses for constructing frequency distribution tables, and to univariate analysis. Discourse analysis was based on the social representation theory. Results: To cut, reduce, avoid, not eat, eat less, and decrease carbohydrates, salt, meats, various beverages, and other foods are the most frequent changes (71.4%) that food-secure users have made or intend to make. Food-insecure users intended to eat more fruits, non-starchy vegetables, and other foods (34.4%). The main obstacles food-secure and food-insecure users face to adopt a healthier diet are lack of time (82.9%) and low income (53.5%), respectively (p<0.001). Conclusion: What users of soup kitchens in Belo Horizonte think about food and the obstacles they face to adopt a healthier diet are related to their household food security status. The results provide valuable data for effective proposals of food and nutrition education, which should act on the producers of subjectivity in this group and consider this group's food and nutrition security status.


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