Household food insecurity in Nigeria: an assessment of the present status of protein-energy malnutrition among rural and low-income urban households.

Abstract

This study assessed t he present status of protein - energy malnutrition among rural and l ow- income u rban households i n N igeria using two Local Government Areas (LG As) i n E do State as a case study. The LGAs are O rhionmwon ( for r ural households) and Ik poba-Okha ( for l ow-income urban households). Data used were collected between July and October, 2005 through personal interviews using structure questionnaire. T welve strata (political wa rds) out o f t he thirty strata in the study a rea (14 in Ikpoba-Okha and 16 i n Orhionmwon LGAs) were randomly selected, out of which 90 households (made up of 384 members or individuals) were then selected at random for the analysis. Each household member was a sked the quantity a nd type of f ood he/she consumed the previous d ay a nd a day after per m eal/day. The estimation of the calorie/protein intake on per capita daily basis was done using the formula proposed by Aromolaran (2005). The study revealed that on the average only 31% of the households in the study areas met the FAO r ecommended m inimum d aily calorie intake. More households in the rural area (30.43%) met the minimum r ecommended d aily allowance (RDA) while only 20.45% of the low-income urban households met this RDA. For daily protein intake more of the low-income urban households (25%) met the minimum RDA as compared t o 19 .6% for t he rural households. In a ll, the study confirmed that the level o f un dernourishment (lo w daily calorie intake) and malnutrition (low protein in take) w as still very high i n N igeria. Increased emphasis on f arming (or agriculture) and the creat ion o f sa lary earning jobs have been recommended as ways of improving the p resent low p rotein - energy malnutrition.