Seasonal variability of women’s dietary diversity and food supply: a cohort study in rural Burkina Faso

• Published in: Public health nutrition Vol. 25; no. 9; pp. 2475 - 2487
• Main Authors: Lourme-Ruiz, Alissia, Koffi, Christophe Kouamé, Gautier, Denis, Bahya-Batinda, Dang, Bouquet, Emmanuelle, Dury, Sandrine, Martin-Prével, Yves, Savy, Mathilde
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.09.2022; Cambridge University Press (CUP)
• Subjects: Age; Agricultural production; Agriculture; Animal species; Animals; Biodiversity; Burkina Faso; Cohort analysis; Cohort Studies; Data collection; Diet; Environmental Sciences; Farms; Female; Food; Food and Nutrition; Food groups; Food sources; Food Supply; Forage; Foraging behavior; Fruits; Horticulture; Households; Humans; Life Sciences; Nutritional Epidemiology; Plows; Plums; Polls & surveys; Research Paper; Rural areas; Rural Population; Seasonal variations; Seasons; Tomatoes; Vegetables; Women; Burkina Faso; Women; Dietary diversity; Farm households; Food supply; Seasonality; WomenFarm households
• ISSN: 1368-9800; 1475-2727
• DOI: 10.1017/S1368980021004171

To investigate the seasonal variations of women's dietary diversity (WDD) (items consumed and food supply) and its linkages with agriculture, market and wild resources. A cohort of 300 women was followed-up over a year to investigate WDD and food sources (production, purchase or foraging). Monthly qualitative 24 h recalls allowed computing WDD Scores from a standard 10-food groups (FG) classification (WDDS-10). Associations between farm/women's characteristics and WDDS-10 were investigated using multivariate mixed models including interaction terms factor*months. Tuy province, Burkina Faso. 300 women of reproductive age. Both dietary diversity and food sources were seasonal. The mean WDDS-10 was relatively stable from August to January (ranging from 3·1 to 3·5 FG) when farm production predominated. The WDDS-10 gradually increased from February, concomitantly with an increase in food purchases (onions, tomatoes, mangoes) and reached its highest levels (>4 FG) from March to June, when food purchases were still relatively high and when more women consumed foraged fruits (shea plums and wild grapes). Women living on farms owning > 3 plough oxen and different animal species had significantly higher WDDS-10 than others (+0·28 and +0·35 FG, respectively). Women who practiced off-farm activities also had higher WDDS-10 than those who did not (+0·21 FG, < 0·05). Other factors, for example, the number of foraged edible species, provided advantages in terms of dietary diversity only during certain seasons (October - January, for interaction < 0·01). Diversifying women's diets throughout the year requires complementary interventions aimed at diversifying production, promoting foraging and increasing income-generating activities to enable food purchasing.