LEVEL OF FOOD CONSUMPTION AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH LEVEL OF FOOD CONSUMPTION AMONG PASTORALISTS IN SELECTED DISTRCTS OF AFAR AND SOMALI REGION, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Food Insecurity and malnutrition are wide spread public health problems that can be alleviated in part through increasing dietary diversity and correcting eating habits. The problem is devastating in the pastoral/agro-pastoral community, perhaps due to poor consumption pattern and its factors. However, little is known about the food consumption pattern and and the factors that drive to the food consumption behavior among pastoralists in Ethiopia particularly in the current study area. Objective: To assess the food consumption pattern and drivers of food consumption among pastoralists in selected distrcts of Afar and Somali Region, Eastern Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study design was used among 529 pastorals that are randomly selected. Trained data collectors utilized a pretested structured questionnaire, Data was collected through interview administered questionnaire, translated to Open Data Kit (ODK), after collection, Data were entered in to Epi-data version 3.1 and exported to STATA version 16.0 for analysis, FCS were analysed by categorizing the Households last 7 days’ dietary intake to Poor, Borderline and Acceptable. Partial proportional ordinal logistic regression analysis was computed to assess the associated factors of Food Consumption score and p-value <0.05 at 95% confidence interval was considered as statistically significant. Result: Out of the 529 study participants from Afar and Somali region, 38.75%, 34.22%, and 34.22% have acceptable, borderline, and poor food consumption score respectively. Being male (AOR=1.51, 95% CI:1.05, 2.18), age between 35-44years (AOR=1.60, 95% CI:1.05, 2.43), Secondary and above (AOR=2.53, 95% CI:1.09, 5.89) educational attainement, being married (AOR=2.49, 95 CI:1.54, 4.03), food secured households (AOR=10.34, 95% CI:2.98, 35.81), food affordability (AOR=1.50, 95% CI:1.05, 2.15), and livstock possession in the last 12 months (AOR=3.34, 95%CI:1.85,6.02) were factors associated with acceptable food consumption score. Conclusion: The finding of this study showed that magnitude of poor food consumption score at Pastorals of Afar and Somali Region was relatively higher from previous studies. Being a male household head, age between 35years to 44years, having higher education, being married, having food secured household, can afford food to buy and livestock possession in the past 12 months were identified as factors associated with an acceptable food consumption score.