Dietary diversity, environment and health-related factors of under-five children: evidence from cassava commercialization households in rural South-West Nigeria

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 29; no. 13; pp. 19432 - 19446
• Main Authors: Otekunrin, Olutosin Ademola, Otekunrin, Oluwaseun Aramide, Ayinde, Idris Akanbi, Sanusi, Rahman Akintayo, Onabanjo, Oluseye Olusegun, Ariyo, Oluwaseun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.03.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Cassava; Child, Preschool; Children; Commercialization; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Farming; Farms; Food; Food groups; Food Supply; Health Status; Households; Humans; Legumes; Manihot; Nigeria; Nutrition; Regression analysis; Research Article; Rural environments; Rural Population; Sustainable development; Tubers; Vegetables; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Nigeria; Under-five children; Sustainable development goals; Farm households; Children dietary diversity score (CDDS); Malnutrition; Diverse diets
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-17221-y

Diverse and quality diets are crucial to sustainable growth and development of under-five children, especially those of rural farming households. This study investigated the dietary diversity, environment, and health-related factors of young children. The study employed the use of cross-sectional survey data from 140 under-five children of cassava farming households in Ogun and Oyo states, South-West Nigeria. The study estimated factors influencing dietary diversity of under-five children and assessed children dietary diversity, and the availability of some environment and health-related factors of the farming households. The findings indicated that 98.7% and 97.5% of children consumed grains, with roots and tubers while 36.7% and 36.3% consumed legumes in Ogun and Oyo states respectively. The results also found that 48.6% of children sampled met the minimum cut-off point of 4 food groups with dietary diversity mean score of 3.28. The logit regression analysis indicated that child’s age, mothers’ age, distance to farm, and food expenditure were among the significant determinants of children dietary diversity. Therefore, this study seeks the collaborative efforts of stakeholders in providing nutrition-sensitive intervention programs for household members, especially mothers and young children in order to promote consumption of diversified diets and enhance healthy living of rural farming households.