Women’s dietary diversity changes seasonally in Malawi and Zambia

Objective: There is growing recognition of the role that seasonality plays in agricultural production, expenditure, food security, diet quality and nutritional status, however, annual or bi-annual surveys may not capture seasonal or intra-seasonal shifts in dietary intake which can inform agricultur...

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Main Authors: Ahern, Molly B., Kennedy, Gina, Nico, Gianluigi, Diabre, Ousmane, Chimaliro, Frezar, Khonje, Grace, Chanda, Emmanuel
Format: Informe técnico
Language:Inglés
Published: 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/113226
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author Ahern, Molly B.
Kennedy, Gina
Nico, Gianluigi
Diabre, Ousmane
Chimaliro, Frezar
Khonje, Grace
Chanda, Emmanuel
author_browse Ahern, Molly B.
Chanda, Emmanuel
Chimaliro, Frezar
Diabre, Ousmane
Kennedy, Gina
Khonje, Grace
Nico, Gianluigi
author_facet Ahern, Molly B.
Kennedy, Gina
Nico, Gianluigi
Diabre, Ousmane
Chimaliro, Frezar
Khonje, Grace
Chanda, Emmanuel
author_sort Ahern, Molly B.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Objective: There is growing recognition of the role that seasonality plays in agricultural production, expenditure, food security, diet quality and nutritional status, however, annual or bi-annual surveys may not capture seasonal or intra-seasonal shifts in dietary intake which can inform agriculture and nutrition policies, programming, and monitoring and evaluation. Design, Setting and Participants: Seasonal variation in diets of women of reproductive age (WRA) living in rural Malawi and Zambia were measured bimonthly for eleven rounds, from September 2017 to May 2019. Trained enumerators collected data on a sample of 200 women using a qualitative 24-hour list-based recall of food items consumed, based on the ten food groups for Minimum Dietary Diversity of Women (MDD-W). Results and Conclusion: There were significant seasonal fluctuations in the percentage of women achieving MDD-W, ranging from a low of 18% to a high of 82%. MDD-W followed expected fluctuations, peaking during harvest season and lowering during lean season, however, there were unexpected highs and lows at other times, demonstrating the importance of regular monitoring. The study demonstrated significant seasonal fluctuations in the proportion of WRA achieving MDD-W, having implications for project monitoring and evaluation. The research provides evidence of periods of abundance and scarcity for nutritionally important food groups.
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spelling CGSpace1132262025-11-05T11:14:55Z Women’s dietary diversity changes seasonally in Malawi and Zambia Ahern, Molly B. Kennedy, Gina Nico, Gianluigi Diabre, Ousmane Chimaliro, Frezar Khonje, Grace Chanda, Emmanuel seasonal cropping seasonal variation food supply women dietary diversity cultivo de temporada variación estacional suministro de alimentos Objective: There is growing recognition of the role that seasonality plays in agricultural production, expenditure, food security, diet quality and nutritional status, however, annual or bi-annual surveys may not capture seasonal or intra-seasonal shifts in dietary intake which can inform agriculture and nutrition policies, programming, and monitoring and evaluation. Design, Setting and Participants: Seasonal variation in diets of women of reproductive age (WRA) living in rural Malawi and Zambia were measured bimonthly for eleven rounds, from September 2017 to May 2019. Trained enumerators collected data on a sample of 200 women using a qualitative 24-hour list-based recall of food items consumed, based on the ten food groups for Minimum Dietary Diversity of Women (MDD-W). Results and Conclusion: There were significant seasonal fluctuations in the percentage of women achieving MDD-W, ranging from a low of 18% to a high of 82%. MDD-W followed expected fluctuations, peaking during harvest season and lowering during lean season, however, there were unexpected highs and lows at other times, demonstrating the importance of regular monitoring. The study demonstrated significant seasonal fluctuations in the proportion of WRA achieving MDD-W, having implications for project monitoring and evaluation. The research provides evidence of periods of abundance and scarcity for nutritionally important food groups. 2021-04 2021-04-06T08:51:44Z 2021-04-06T08:51:44Z Report https://hdl.handle.net/10568/113226 en Open Access application/pdf Ahern, M.B.; Kennedy, G.; Nico, G.; Diabre, O.; Chimaliro, F.; Khonje, G.; Chanda, E. (2021) Women’s dietary diversity changes seasonally in Malawi and Zambia. 41 p.
spellingShingle seasonal cropping
seasonal variation
food supply
women
dietary diversity
cultivo de temporada
variación estacional
suministro de alimentos
Ahern, Molly B.
Kennedy, Gina
Nico, Gianluigi
Diabre, Ousmane
Chimaliro, Frezar
Khonje, Grace
Chanda, Emmanuel
Women’s dietary diversity changes seasonally in Malawi and Zambia
title Women’s dietary diversity changes seasonally in Malawi and Zambia
title_full Women’s dietary diversity changes seasonally in Malawi and Zambia
title_fullStr Women’s dietary diversity changes seasonally in Malawi and Zambia
title_full_unstemmed Women’s dietary diversity changes seasonally in Malawi and Zambia
title_short Women’s dietary diversity changes seasonally in Malawi and Zambia
title_sort women s dietary diversity changes seasonally in malawi and zambia
topic seasonal cropping
seasonal variation
food supply
women
dietary diversity
cultivo de temporada
variación estacional
suministro de alimentos
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/113226
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